Chapter 16

"I don't like this," Garrett said darkly.

"Don't like what?" Chelsea asked quietly.

"Too quiet around here. There should be more traffic."

"It's almost ten-thirty at night. Most people are up in their rooms."

"Even still." Suddenly he straightened up more. "We're being followed."

She moved closer as they walked and lowered her voice even more. "How can you tell?"

"I just know."

"Can you tell who it is too? Since you're so intuitive and all."

"The darkhaired guy with the khakis on."

Chelsea looked in the reflection from the door of the elevator as they approached it. "He looks kind of familiar..."

"Get in here," Garrett said, pulling her into the elevator and kissing her firmly.

Once the elevator doors had shut, Chelsea pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"He can't think we're on business," Garrett said flatly. "Got any better ideas?"

"Well no, but who was it that you're so afraid of us blowing our cover?"

"Doesn't matter who it is... it's someone IMF."

"Did you get a look at him?"

"Yeah, but I didn't recognize him."

"Then what do we do now? Find out who he is and take him out?"

"Yeah. We have to."

"Alright." Chelsea followed him out of the elevator and down the hall.

Garrett pulled out a small sidearm. "I'll do it. Stay behind me."

Chelsea pulled out her own gun as well.

Garrett pulled her around the corner, and sure enough the man stepped into the hall they'd been in just moments later.

Chelsea peered around the corner, careful to keep out of sight. "I know him!" She whispered.

"Well good, you can identify the body." Garrett didn't pause as he fired - just once. One shot into the head was really all it took, after all.

"Yeah..." Chelsea sighed.

Garrett led her out through a fire escape and up to the roof. "Who was he?" He asked, as he pressed a button on what seemed to be his wristwatch.

"He was my boyfriend."

"Ah." Garrett looked at her, wondering if she was dwelling on the fact that he'd kissed her in the elevator.

Chelsea looked at him. "Yeah."

"Chels... are you weirded out by what happened in the elevator?"

Chelsea noddded a bit. "I really wasn't expecting you to kiss me."

"I wasn't expecting to kiss you either. And it was... I don't know."

"I mean...I'm not like freaking out...but..." She couldn't really form the right words.

"I think the fact that we aren't freaking out is almost more... dangerous, I guess."

"Dangerous how?"

"Well... we're... related."

"Yeah, I know."

"So we shouldn't have... well, it was... admittedly weird but kind of nice..."

"Yeah..."

"And..." Garrett paused, then kissed her again softly.

Chelsea kissed him back.

Garrett wasn't sure how long they kissed, but he only pulled away from her when he heard the chopper approaching. "Time to go back."

"Let's go." She followed him onto the chopper.

Before long the chopper was landing, and Garrett led the way off the landing pad and back indoors. "I guess we should go see my dad... tell him what happened."

"Probably the best idea."

He led her down a narrow hall. "We're going to his office the back way." He pulled open a door and brushed aside a tapestry. "We're back," he said, then realized Gavin was in the office as well.

"How'd it go?" Garrett asked, looking at both of them. Chelsea had come in right behind the younger Garrett.

"We were followed, but eliminated the twerp no problems. Other than that it went well."

"What are you talking to me then? My mind must be going, but isn't this what a debriefing officer is there for?"

"I just wanted to let you know that the one who followed us worked for Uncle Gavin."

"What?" Garrett demanded, glancing at his brother. "Who the hell was it?"

"Chelsea's boyfriend."

Gavin blinked. The nice quiet kid who wanted to be a lawyer... was working for the IMF... had been alone with his daughter. Because *she* worked for the organization... "Damnit, Chelsea, this is why I don't want you working here!"

"I'm fine! I didn't know he was IMF until he was following us in the hotel..."

"But he knew who you were. And what you did for work."

"The important thing is he's dead, so he's no longer a threat. I'm assuming you checked the body out yourself?" Garrett asked his son.

The younger Garrett nodded.

"I think he guessed when he saw our last name, Dad."

"Good."

"I think you should shut your mouth," Gavin barked.

"I'll go talk to the debriefers.... but I thought you'd appreciate knowing where the connection was." The twenty-one year old caught Chelsea by the wrist gently and led her from the room.

Chelsea followed him, still slightly stinging from her father's last remark.

"You need to control your temper, little brother."

"Hey, it's alright, Chels. Your dad gets his underwear in a knot whenever anything goes wrong around here."

"*I* need to control my temper? That's rich. You're the one that's hit your wife."

"I know." Chelsea replied.

"It's alright." Garrett rather awkwardly gave her a hug.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT!" Garrett roared. "That was a mistake. And a long time ago."

Chelsea stepped back and smiled. "We've a debriefing officer to talk to."

"You hit her," Gavin repeated. "She was *afraid* of you."

"Yeah... let's go." Garrett led the way.

"Shut up, Gavin."

"You don't like thinking about it. But part of her is always going to be afraid of you."

"Don't you think I know that? I have to live with it everyday! But not you....No...whenever something gets to tough or too dangerous, baby Gavin just runs away."

"Baby Gavin has kept his wife and living children together as a family. Until *you* fucked it up. In fact, I kept *your* family together for five years or so, if you'll recall... maybe not... you wouldn't want to remember that you came back to find your wife in bed with another man, either."

"You just love bringing up all these memories, don't you?"

"I do. I like reminding you that you're a lowlife."

"You're the one who betrayed the family. Who ran away and fucked the enemy's daughter!"

"The fucking family is what made you a lowlife!"

"I'm not a lowlife, and don't you EVER imply that our father was one. Tell me, Gavin, did it bother you, when you found out Grace had fucked Aidan Callahan, her own *brother* before you?"

"No, can't say it did. Did it bother you that he beat the shit out of Cassidy? You forget so fast how vulnerable she is."

"Cassidy's not vulnerable."

"Not vulnerable? No? After all the times she's been beaten and mistreated... raped... your wife can't take care of herself."

"My wife is capable of doing what she wants and she's stronger than you know. Tell me," Garrett said darkly, "How does it feel to know that even though you want nothing to do with the organization, Chelsea would prefer to work here, putting her own life at risk?"

"Chelsea won't work here. I won't allow her to work for a fucking bastard like you... shit, you'd probably try to marry her to your son. And he'd be a lowlife, *just* like our dear old dad and the rest of your spawn, and my daughter would die miserable *just* like your wife will."

Garrett paused. "That...actually wouldn't be a bad idea...."

"You're fucking sick."

"It makes sense...they're close, and we wouldn't have to bring anyone else into the organization."

"It's gross! They're cousins!"

"Not full cousins." Garrett pointed out.

"They don't feel that way about each other."

"How do you know? Did you see the way Garrett led her out of the room? How close they were standing?"

"He led her out because she was upset. Big deal. They don't feel that way about each other."

"You don't know that. And why was she upset? Because of you. For all we know, you could be the one pushing them closer together."

"There is *nothing* even remotely romantic between them."

"Are you sure?" Garrett asked almost gleefully. He walked over to the TV and pressed a button.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Footage from the roof of the hotel appeared on the screen. "Just watch."

"He kissed her. Doesn't mean she cares about him."

"She kissed back."

"She was surprised."

"No....she wasn't, this is what she did when she was surprised." Garrett showed him the footage from the elevator.

"Your son better keep his fucking hands off."

"If Chelsea tells him to, then he will. But I think her actions on the roof spoke for her."

"You're wrong."

"I hardly ever am."

"Oh no, you usually are."

"Not as often as you'd like to believe."

"Your wife is what keeps your head above water."

"You believe what you want to believe, Gavin. But you can't stay naive forever."

"Fuck off."

"Who's to say they aren't in some conference room making out, right now?"

"They're in debriefing."

"Are they?"

"Garrett, maybe you didn't get it the first time: Fuck. Off."

"If you don't like what's going on here, why don't you leave?"

"Not without my daughter."

"I'm afraid she doesn't want to go anywhere."

"I wasn't asking."

"I don't think she's the type of girl to let anyone drag her out kicking and screaming."

"I don't think it's your place to tell me how to run my family."

"I don't think it's your place to tell me who can and cannot work for me."

"If she's my family, it is."

"Who knows, maybe we'll be related again."

"I won't allow you to manipulate my child."

"I've done nothing to manipulate her."

"You are."

"The only person manipulating herself is Chelsea."

"I don't think so."

"Maybe you should wait and see what she has to say for herself."

"I don't think I should."

Garrett shrugged and turned off the TV. "Do what you will, but the fact of the matter remains the same. They have feelings for each other."

"You're wrong."

"I guess we'll just have to wait."

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