Chapter 13
"I've got Vaughn under strict orders to kick your ass whenever necessary."
Chapter 13: Love Is Love in Any Language
"Get up." One of Valdez' men grabbed Caitlin's wrists, which had been tied tightly in front of her. As he pulled her up from her reclining position in the back of the car, she attempted to listen for clues as to where they were. Due to the blindfold, she couldn't see what was going on, but she'd be willing to bet that it was a private airstrip somewhere, based on the noise and her own instincts. She prayed fervently that the video camera was picking up everything that she was unable to see. Marshall Flinkman. I owe him dinner, a fruit basket, SOMETHING when I get back.
Valdez grabbed her elbow. "This way, Caitlin." They walked for what she estimated to be a few hundred yards, and then he suddenly stopped. "Just a precaution, not that I have any reason to doubt you," he said smoothly. She felt the side of a metal wand press against her shoulder, running down her arm. A metal detector?* She unconsciously held her breath. Eric had assured her that both the comm. device in her earrings and the camera in her necklace were untraceable, but she couldn't help but worry. If they discovered anything suspicious, she was as good as dead.
There was a pause after Valdez finished his inspection. "Very well," he said. She breathed an inward sigh of relief as he guided her up a flight of stairs and through the door of a plane. He led her to a soft, plush seat and she gratefully sank into it. In mortal danger or no, she was smart enough to appreciate small comforts where she could find them. And after an hour or so in the backseat of that car, the plane seat felt like heaven.
Caitlin listened to people bustling around her, presumably preparing for takeoff. I hope Eric and the crew are seeing what I'm not. She let her mind wander in that direction. Eric. Although it had only been a few hours since she left, she wondered when and if she would see him again. Would things be different between them? A lot of what they had was due to Eric's need to protect her, both for personal and professional reasons. Once Valdez was gone, that aspect of their relationship would be gone as well. What if whatever was left wasn't as strong as they had thought? What if...what if he didn't love her?
As hard as it had been to admit, Caitlin was coming to realize that she was completely in love with him, in the "never going to feel like this again" sort of way. And as much as she trusted Eric to protect her physically, a part of her just couldn't trust him not to break her heart. As tough as she considered herself to be, that was the one thing she knew would crush her.
"My dear." Valdez's voice interrupted Caitlin's thoguhts. Get back in the game, Sinclair. Mission. National Security. Life and death. This is not the time to go off into "does he, doesn't he" land.
"Please, allow me to buckle you in, as your hands are a bit tied up at the moment." Valdez chuckled at his own joke, and Caitlin restrained the urge to kick him where it would hurt the most. She felt his hands at her waist, fastening her seat belt. She witheld a shudder of disgust as his hands slid from her waist, down her legs to rest on her knees. "We're ready for takeoff," he called to the pilot. Caitlin felt him slide into the seat next to her.
Within minutes, the plane had taxied down the runway and thrust itself into the air. Valdez reached over to Caitlin and untied the bonds around her wrists. "I suppose that at 20,000 feet you won't try anything foolish," he said as he also removed the blindfold from her eyes.
"Of course not, Senor Valdez," Caitlin replied, allowing her eyes to adjust to the cabin lights after hours of complete darkness. "I had hoped that we could learn to trust each other."
Valdez smiled. "You're quite right. And on that note, I would be pleased if you would call me Rafael. All my friends do, and I would like to think of us as some nature of friends, Caitlin."
I'll never be friends with a murderer, she thought, but made herself smile and say, "Rafael. I would like to think the same."
He settled back in his seat. "So tell me, friend, are you excited about returning to Bogota?"
She grinned and nodded. Actually, idiot, I'm excited about the fact that you just confirmed our destination for the CIA. I knew you were a creep, but I wasn't aware you were a stupid creep.
"I didn't get a chance to see much of it the first time around. I'd love to do some digging, some exploring," she replied sweetly. Little did he know, the only digging she was planning would be his grave.
~*~*~
"OK, they've stopped at what appears to be a private airstrip just outside of Santa Barbara," Agent Jacobs reported to Weiss over the frequency. After they had left L.A., they had been forced to switch the pursuant vehicle so Valdez wouldn’t get suspicious. The van had turned back to L.A., while Jacobs had followed Caitlin and Valdez in his car.
"Copy that," Weiss replied. He tapped his fingers impatiently on his knee, listening to what was happening on Caitlin's end. They hadn't gathered much on the ride to Santa Barbara, just the typical car sounds and some mindless chatter between Valdez's men. Eric was hopeful that the camera would provide the make of the airplane, the destination, anything that would enable the CIA to track them.
He watched and listened as Valdez led Caitlin to the airplane. His hand clenched in a fist when Valdez buckled Caitlin into her seat. "Get your kicks now, bastard, because the fun will definitely be over when I get my hands on you," he said menacingly to the TV screen.
"Talking to appliances again, Eric?" Vaughn asked as he sat down next to Weiss. "Look, you're not going to like what I have to say, especially since I was the one who encouraged you and Caitlin."
Eric shot him a look. "Mike, just say it."
"You need to reign it in a little. I know that watching this is driving you crazy, believe me, I know. But if you don't toughen up and be a little more professional, I'm going to pull rank. You don't want me to put you in timeout like a toddler, do you?"
Chagrined, Eric shook his head. "No, Mr. Vaughn."
"Good." Vaughn slapped him on the back. "Hang in there." His hand stilled when they heard Valdez mention Bogota.
"You've got to be kidding me," Weiss muttered incredulously. "He just gave away his destination. Right?" Not waiting for Vaughn to answer, he yelled to the driver, "Go to LAX. We were right, they're headed to Bogota." He turned to Vaughn. "Call the airport, tell them to get the company jet ready."
Vaughn saluted mockingly. 'You're the boss.'
Within an hour, the CIA team was on the jet, getting ready to fly to Columbia. Vaughn grabbed his cell phone and dialed his house.
"Hey Syd, it's me."
"Hey, me," she said teasingly. "Where are you?"
"We're at LAX, the plane's about to leave. I just wanted to call and say good night to you and Christian."
"Well aren't you sweet, Mr. Vaughn. A spy with a heart, who would have thought?"
"Hey, spies have hearts. I married the spy with the biggest heart of all."
She chuckled. "Wow, that compliment will last you at least until Valentine's Day. Here, say night to Christian."
"Daddy?" Vaughn's heart swelled with love at the sound of his son's voice.
"Hey buddy. Are you getting ready for bed?"
"Yeah. Where are you? Need you to chase away the monsters."
Vaughn smiled. "I'm sorry I'm not there, but trust me, Mommy can chase away bad guys much better than I can." And how, he thought humorously. "You be good, Christian. Je t'aime." It had become a special thing for him and his son to say "I love you" in French before bed, an homage to Vaughn's mom, who had done the same for him when he was a child.
"Je t'aime, Daddy. Here's Mommy.'
Sydney came back on the phone. "So 'I love you' isn't 'I love you' unless it's in French?"
Vaughn laughed. "Damn straight. Didn't I first tell you in French?"
"Yeah, but you're prone to speak French in those, ah, circumstances, so I didn't think anything of it," Sydney said suggestively. "And speaking of people in love, how's Eric?"
Vaughn glanced over at his friend, who was toying with an intricately folded note in his hands. "He's climbing the walls. It's driving him crazy to have Caitlin in danger."
"Can't blame him."
"Blame him, no. Tease him mercilessly after this is all over, hell yes." Vaughn glanced toward the cockpit. "Syd, we're about to take off. I love you. Je t'aime. Or would you prefer Spanish? Te amo."
"Buddy, you don't want to mess with me on languages, cause you're gonna lose. Ich liebe dich. Szeretlek. That's German and Hungarian, respectively."
Vaughn laughed. "OK, OK. You win, I lose, and I'm enough of a man to admit it. Bye, Sydney."
"Bye hon."
Vaughn snapped his phone shut and then walked over to Eric. "You gonna read it or use it to play table football?"
Eric glared at him. "Shut up." The two men buckled up for takeoff, and as the plane taxied down the runway, Eric started to unfold Caitlin's note. The woman must have been an origami master in another life, he thought to himself as he spread the note out in his lap. With a deep breath, he started to read.
Eric,
It's interesting how one's entire perspective can change within the blink of an eye. If you had asked me a week ago what my purpose was in this mission, I would have replied with one word: revenge. I wanted justice for what had been done at Rafael Valdez's hand. But after I talked to Sydney at the airport, I realized a few things. (Vaughn's got a brilliant wife, by the way. Make sure to tell him I said that.)
Here's what I realized. When I say justice, what am I talking about: my justice, or God's? Me trying to get revenge is the equivalent of grasping at straws. It's pointless, unnecessary, and in the end does nothing but destroy. So that purpose? Out the window.
Want to hear my new purpose?
It's twofold, actually. First up is my newly realized desire for good to triumph over evil, and for the right reasons. Not for my spiteful, vengeful, reasons, just simply because it's the way things should be. I believe in God's justice, and I believe in the good guys, Eric. Guys like David and Vaughn...and you.
Especially you.
Second half of Caitlin's newfound purpose? Yep, you guessed it. It's you. Surprised?
Eric, there are so many things I want to say to you. But for now, I just need you to know that every single second in the next few weeks, when I'm working to bring Valdez to justice, I'll be doing it with the knowledge that it's one second closer to being back with you. Just remember that.
Before I left L.A., I gave Sydney a letter, from me to you, for safekeeping. If things...don't turn out like we planned, if I don't make it back to you, go get the letter from her and read it. There are things in it that I'm dying to say in person, but in case I never get the chance, the letter will tell you everything.
I'll be thinking of you. Do your job, Eric, and get us both out of this. I have faith in you.
And for God's sake, Weiss, behave! I've got Vaughn under strict orders to kick your ass whenever necessary.
Caitlin
Eric smiled to himself. You got it, Sinclair.
Posted by Carrie on 09:52 PM