Skull and Dagger

“It would be suicide!” she insisted, somewhat illogically, in the hopes of discouraging the man she loved from taking up this dangerous mission.

“Not necessarily,” Quinn commented for the first time. “A sneak attack at night, burn the place down, and then no more Williams.”

“The port’s to the north,” Bob added his input, “far from regular naval patrols.”

“We could be in and out before anyone was the wiser,” Gerard was picking up on the rising enthusiasm as well.

“And we were headed to England next anyway…” Frank said thoughtfully.

Annabelle cast a desperate look in Elizabeth direction. Her friend nodded in realization at Annabelle's desire not to see this carried out.

“I don’t particularly enjoy having orgasms in high-stress situations.”

The room was stunned silent for a second.

Annabelle sighed at the general cluelessness of men. “That means that we wouldn’t be able to have sex if you make this attack,” she spelled it out for Gerard.

Gerard's eyes widened in horror. “Wait a minute,” he abruptly changed his mind. “Maybe we shouldn’t attack. You know, it’s dangerous and…dangerous…” he finished lamely.

Frank eyed Elizabeth skeptically, apparently oblivious to Annabelle's distress. “Didn’t seem to mind it before,” he commented curiously.

“There was no danger then,” Elizabeth tried desperately to concoct a remotely plausible story. “This is much…more…dangerous…” Her lower lip jutted out at the lameness of that excuse.

“In fact, we should probably disembark if you’re going off on such a dangerous venture,” Annabelle took up the ball since Elizabeth had so spectacularly dropped it. “We should remain in South America.”

“Wait a minute!” Elizabeth screeched, dropping all pretense. “I’m not leaving Gerard! I need my orgasms!”

“But you wouldn’t be getting any because you wouldn’t be sleeping with him, remember?” Annabelle reminded her through gritted teeth.

“Oh…yeah,” Elizabeth agreed with a nervous laugh. “I…forgot?” She let out an annoyed sigh and decided to go with bluntness since her attempts at subtlety had failed so miserably. “Annabelle doesn’t want you to go because she thinks you’re going to get yourself killed,” she informed Frank pointblank.

Frank turned to Annabelle in surprise, noticing the extreme worry in her face for the first time. “There won’t be any danger,” he assured her, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. “We’ll go in at night, real secret like. Be out before anyone’s the wiser…”

“You’ll be in England,” Annabelle bit her lip nervously. “If they catch you…”

“Shh,” he leaned into her, his thumb brushing over her lips, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them. “They won’t catch me, love,” he assured her. “Haven’t managed it in the last five years. This won’t be any different…”

“What if it is?” Her gaze lingered over the now-familiar planes of his face. “I thought…you and me…just the two of us…nice little villa…”

“We will,” he insisted, giving her hand a little squeeze. “This could be it. Williams' finished off once an’ for all… Just this one final attack, sweetheart.”

“I see,” she pulled away rather harshly. “And I suppose the next five attacks after that will also be the ‘final’ one.”

“I promise you,” he practically begged. “Let me finish this, give us both a fresh start when ‘m done…”

“I like the start we have now,” she persisted.

“So do I, kitten.” He leaned in once more, and this time she didn’t pull away, allowing their lips to lightly brush. “I need this, though,” he pleaded. “I need it to end.”

She let her eyes drift shut, hating the choice she had to make but reassured by his nearness at the same time. “Only if I come with you,” she finally conceded. “We will share in the danger equally.”

A small smile curved at the edges of his lips. “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” he agreed.