Underneath It All

Part 5

Ethan shifted in his seat, "You trust me just like that?"

"I know you."

"For a day," He paused, "At least officially."

"I know more about you than you think."

"What do you mean," Ethan asked slowly, suddenly very aware of how easy it would be for her to grab his gun and fire.

She focused perfectly on him, no longer sketching, "I know why you didn't kill me yet, I know why you and Miss Faust are dancing around each other like scared teenagers, and I know why you can't turn away from a fight, even if you know you're going to lose, and-"

"Stop," Ethan breathed. The gun was in his hand now and they were staring at each other. It was silent for many minutes, and then Andi broke it.

"Was it nice? Wisconsin?" Her voice broke a bit, "Were you happy?"

Ethan paused,"I was. I had a good life."

"Why'd you leave it?"

Ethan hesitated, he had never told anyone anything about his former life, his normal life. Not even Luther, who he'd known for nearly twenty years, knew about his past.

He shivered as a thousand memories came back to him. Dinners and movies. Bugging his mom about football and milking the cows. Then a single gunshot that still haunted his dreams. A body and blood. He stopped the
thoughts there. He hadn't thought of the night that changed his life in years. He got flashes in dreams sometimes, but nothing more.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked Andi instead of answering her questions, "Might help you go back to sleep." He stood and started to rummage through the cupboards.

"I think I'm ok," Andi told him, "Ill be going back to bed now I think."

She took her pictures with her to the room she was sharing with Ilsa silently, her feet not making a sound. Ethan looked around once more and eventually managed to get some more sleep as well.

His dreams were plauged with memories.

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Ilsa got up early the next morning to shower and fix her hair. It was a mess and took her a good hour at least to get it into a manageable state, along with another twenty minutes to get it pulled back into an elegant knot. A few pins sharpened to a deadly point went in. She wore skin tight black pants with a darker green top. Not to over the top, but just enough that she was attractive.

She wondered what Ethan would think.

Everyone else was up and eating breakfast by the time she finished, greeted by a very irritated Benji. (She had been in the bathroom so long he had been forced to go outside and pee behind a tree.) Everyone else was dressed as well.

Ethan in a darker suit and true to his trademark, no tie, while Luther and Benji had on leather jackets and khakis. Andi had her hair fixed nearly exactly like Ilsa's. With what looked like what had been a braid tucked under itself. A deep maroon shirt was tucked into a high yet low looking skirt that hung in folds.

Ilsa didn't miss the fact that it left her legs completely free of any constraint.

Ilsa picked up a piece of toast and slipped on her jacket, "Ready?"

Ethan nodded, "Let's go."

They all managed to fit in one car somehow, Benji, Ilsa, and Andi smooshed into the back seat while Ethan and Luther took the front.

"Alright," Ethan said, "We get in, get the information, and get out. Me and Ilsa will be potential buyers, Luther and Benji our bodyguards."

"Like the two of you need them," Benji muttered. Ilsa shut him up with a look.