One Day

One day.

That's what they said.

One day, the nightmares would go.

One day he'd be able to sleep without Teresa visiting him in his dreams.

One day the pain would go and he'd be able to move on, allow someone else that close without fear of being hurt that badly again.

There were mornings when he thought that day had come. Nights when he didn't wake sweat-soaked and panting.

So maybe, one day, they'd be right.

And one day, he promised himself, he'd find the words to explain to Sam why he wouldn't, couldn't talk about it.

One day.

HALO

"You're mad." The disbelief in Curtis' tone had Keel grinning broadly at him, enjoying his partner's reaction.

"It'll be fine, Sam," he said, blue eyes sparkling in anticipation. "Nothing like freefalling from 30,000 feet to get the adrenaline flowing."

"And 'terminal velocity' has such an encouraging ring to it, doesn't it?" Sam responded gloomily.

"Don't worry, I'll be there to scrape you up," Chris joked.

"Let's just hope Dane isn't."

"You worry too much, Sam. Nothing to it." A pause and that maddening grin again. "Well, as long as the 'chutes open."

With total conviction, Sam just repeated, "You're mad."

The Third Beer

"Do you ever think about dying, Chris?"

"You have to ask that, after what we just went through?" Incredulously.

A sigh. "No, I mean, do you ever go in thinking you're not going to come out?"

Thoughtful silence. Then, "No. Do that, and you won't. You have to believe you'll win."

Minutes pass.

"Another beer?"

"Well, you did say three, didn't you? My round though - I... I owe you."

"I'm sure I'll be owing you again before the month is out."

"Maybe." Contemplative. "Let's make sure we both stay around to keep repaying the debt, yeah?"

"I'll drink to that."

Evasion

Where are they? They're out there somewhere, somewhere in the bushes, but the night time breeze rustling through the cotton wool mush you call brains is making it too hard to distinguish the sound of their movements from yours.

Tired. Too tired. No energy left to keep crawling, elbows and knees gouged and sore, gotta rest. No... sleep when you're dead, that's the credo. Keep moving...

They're close. Too close to evade. Maybe it's time to stop, give into the unavoidable. Or just hide? Yes, hide - quickly, quietly. And wait.

Danger passed. Get moving. No, don't... sleep... not... dead... not...

Card Tricks

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?"

Curtis glanced at his partner quizzically, though he knew exactly what he meant.

"The double-dealing. The *cheating*! Where...?"

"Oh, that..." He grinned slyly, letting him stew while he savoured the smooth handling of the little BMW, but quickly sensing the rising irritation borne on the wings of excess adrenaline from the risk-filled situation just passed. "Just something I picked up during my University days - helped make ends meet."

Keel stared at him, his stunned expression relaxing slowly into a contented smile. "Love it! Just remind me never to play against you."

Goodbyes

A bleak day for a bleak occasion - kinda fitting, really. Sam's taking it hard, blaming himself for letting it happen though it wasn't his fault. But that's Sam, always adding new undeserved guilts to the burden he carries under his urbane exterior. I've seen him when the veneer cracks, though -makes me glad he's on my side.

I could tell him this guilt will go, that he'll eventually forgive himself for 'failing' to save a friend in need. But he knows I know better. So I'll let him say his goodbyes. Then we'll go get drunk and try to forget.

Turns

What was it about getting behind the wheel of a sports car that could turn a normally sensible man into a speed-craving maniac, Malone mused, pulling away with a squeal of tyres and leaving his three best operatives open-mouthed in his wake.

He felt a momentary twinge of guilt for not letting Backus have her chance, but after seeing Keel give the Lotus her head on the airport runway he'd been unable to resist the temptation. And anyway, Backus should have taken the opportunity while they were all in Zurich.

Which just left him. And the car. And go-faster heaven.

Hope

"What do we do now?"

White-suited men from the arriving choppers unload and set up equipment in the meadow where we stand, others scurrying into the trees.

"We strip, shower... and pray." Chris tugs at my camouflage top. "Betcha'll be glad to get rid of that. It's got more holes than my socks," he says with a grin that doesn't quite reach his eyes, and I can see he's worried. Sam is too, though I don't think he understands the implications as clearly. But he feels Chris' concern, and that's enough.

"We'll be OK," I reassure, adding silently, 'I hope'.

Wind-up

There he goes again. Just when I think I've got a handle on him, what makes him tick, he comes out with something like that and I'm back to square one again.

I'd have bet my last quid he'd agree with me there's no such thing as aliens. He's never shown any signs of closet Trek-ism - in fact, quite the opposite. But there he is, calmly telling me he's seen a UFO. And that's it. No details, no debate.

Well, tough. I'm going to enjoy winding him up - just until I get him to tell me what really happened.

Birds

He definitely needs to get laid, Keel thought idly, watching the emotions flit across Curtis' face as he talked to the woman they'd just rescued from a fate worse than death.

He'd gotten no answer to the question he'd posed before their first visit to this same woman, but Sam's expression when she'd opened the door told its own story.

So, how to resolve the problem, he mused, checking his depressingly short mental list of available female company. The damn job's fault, he consoled himself, not him. And a trip out tonight might just kill two birds with one stone.

Perfect

There's something odd going on here, Backup thought, mentally stepping back to observe the interaction of those around her. And it was all centring around one person.

On one hand there was Sam, eyes fixed on the figure before him. She'd never seen him actively *leering* like that before, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

On the other was Chris, a placid smile plastered on his face that she just knew was concealing something, some unease.

And in the middle was Little Miss Perfect. Even Malone was affected, beaming in avuncular fashion at her compliments.

She would bear watching.

Excuses

"So, what kept you? You nearly missed all the fun"

"They did... Idiots! Malone was supposed to've got the cops off our backs."

"Them? Just the two of them?"

"Don't start, Sam, OK? I was going after one of the terrorists up there and they jumped me."

"So he got away? This just gets better and better."

"Hey, he was already leaving when I saw him! And those guys were so busy going after the wrong target they missed him completely. But I guess they didn't count on ending up in their own handcuffs."

"Enjoyed that, did you?"

"Oh yeah."

Inevibility

There wasn't much that frightened him, but this was one conversation he *really* didn't want to have. As yet, though, he'd been unable to come up with more than delaying tactics that merely postponed the inevitable.

And now, it seemed, the inevitable had arrived. Despite the fact they'd saved the conference - had even been personally thanked by the President -he knew it wasn't enough to protect him this time. So, taking a deep breath, he braced himself for what was to come.

"Ah, Mr. Keel, good. Now, would you like to explain this invoice from Hertz for one four-door sedan?