Across the Line by Jalabert Part One h, Mr. Ramsey, you've finally deigned to appear. Have a seat. I have a job for you." "You told me I had the week off while Vic and Liann went to their little spies' convention," Mac complained. He glared at the Director with no appreciable effect. "I lied. You should know better than to trust me, Mac. I thought I taught you better than that. And it's not a 'spies convention,' it's a—. Never mind. Sit." Mac took a seat, pouting as he did so. "I should have left town when I had the chance," he muttered. "As if that would have stopped me. Here; I have a very simple baby sitting operation for you," the Director said as she passed him a folder. "And a very fine baby he is, at that." "Who is he?" Mac asked as he peered at the young blond man in the surveillance photos he found inside the folder. "His name is Jesse Kilmartin and he's something of a mystery. He comes from a very prominent east coast family, had a very privileged upbringing, but there's very little known about him after he left school. Up to that point his life was practically an open book." "And what makes him worthy of our protection?" Mac asked. The Director ignored his jaded tone and continued. "He recently arrived in Toronto. We don't know why he's here; what's important is that he has attracted a lot of attention from a number of very interesting parties, two of which followed him across the border from the U.S. I want to know why." "Who are these 'very interesting parties'?" "The first is a man by the name of Mason Eckhart, erstwhile head of the supposedly now-defunct Genetic Security Agency." "What the hell is that?" "The GSA was a crackpot organization whose mission was allegedly to protect the world from what they claimed to be a coming invasion of a race of genetically-engineered mutants." "Are they serious?" Mac said incredulously. "So serious the agency was publicly funded," the Director said dryly. "Geez, those Americans will spend tax dollars on anything," Mac sneered. "We routinely track agents of foreign governments who wander into our jurisdiction. A team of Eckhart's minions arrived in Toronto within hours of Kilmartin's appearance," the Director continued. "That, I am certain, was not a coincidence. Eckhart didn't cross the border himself. Rumor has it that he is suffering from some dread disease." "Maybe he's mutating." "Very droll. Whether he's mutating or not, someone from that organization is after Kilmartin." "You said there were several parties after him." "Yes. One of the others is—not surprisingly, given Eckhart's involvement—a biogeneticist. Scott Rhodes is the CEO of a company that has been in the forefront of genetic research for the last five years. His interest in Kilmartin is most intriguing. Rhodes was accused of undertaking some highly questionable experiments before he decided to relocate his company on this side of the Canadian border." "Human cloning...that sort of thing?" "Yes, which makes me wonder about Kilmartin—if the former head of the GSA is after him, perhaps he's got something Rhodes wants as well." "Maybe Kilmartin is one of those mutants the GSA is after and Rhodes wants to catch him and do a little research," Mac suggested brightly. "It's far more likely that Kilmartin has followed his father into the espionage business," the Director said, not at all amused. "Now that was an unexpected little discovery. His father is Noah Kilmartin. He is a former secret agent—current whereabouts unknown—who has had numerous run-ins with the GSA and Genomex, a firm Eckhart worked for before prior to founding the GSA. Our people are on the lookout for the elder Kilmartin. Perhaps the son is acting as a courier and came here to meet up with him." Mac frowned and picked up the photograph of the young man in question for a second look. "And here's the most fascinating pursuer," the Director said as she pushed another folder across the desk. "Another import; his name is Brennan Mulwray. He arrived in town a day or so after Kilmartin and has been making inquiries about him ever since." "And where did he come from?" "His affiliations are unknown, but unlike the others he's not being at all subtle about his search. The man has a criminal past; he's been in and out of trouble since he was a juvenile, so it's unlikely that his intentions toward Kilmartin are friendly." "Maybe he's one of Eckhart's minions," Mac suggested. "Perhaps, but he doesn't appear to be, at least not on the surface," the Director replied as she sat back and regarded Mac. "He's working independently. Dobrinsky will tell you where to find Kilmartin. I want you to keep an eye on him and let me know if any of his admirers show up." "And if they do?" The Director pondered the question for a moment. "Just keep an eye on him. Kilmartin seems to be quite capable of taking care of himself. He fought off two of Eckhart's men with relative ease two nights ago. That's what first attracted our notice." "If he can take care of himself why was I dragged in on my week off?" "You were dragged in, Mr. Ramsey, because I want to know what Rhodes and the GSA are up to. I want to know why they're so interested in Jesse Kilmartin. And on second thought, I want you to bring Mr. Kilmartin to me." "Suppose he objects? He is a foreign national, after all." "Since when have you shied away from an opportunity to create an international incident?" Mac glowered at the Director as he rose to his feet. He opened his mouth, reconsidered his words, and went off to find Dobrinsky. Mac entered the hotel's lounge and found a seat at a table opposite the bar. He ordered a beer and looked around for Jesse Kilmartin. It didn't take long to find him. He was sitting alone at the bar, though not for lack of potential company, Mac noted. As he nursed his beer he watched the man fend off the determined advances of no less than three prospective companions. Mac became increasingly curious. He wanted to know what made the young man so seemingly irresistible. Without considering the potential consequences of his actions, he rose and approached him at the bar. It wasn't till he'd reached it that he realized his mistake. If Jesse Kilmartin blew him off as he had done the others, he would have a far more difficult time shadowing him afterward. Mac claimed the empty stool beside his quarry and ordered another beer. "What's your secret?" he said without looking at him. "Excuse me?" "You're practically beating them off with a stick. Wish I had that kind of draw," Mac said easily. "Mind if I sit here and catch the rejects?" "You're welcome to all of them," Jesse replied with a wry smile. "I came here to be alone." Mac hazarded a glimpse at the somber man beside him. He was attractive, but not in an extraordinary way—not at first glance, in any event. "Broken heart?" Mac asked bluntly as he allowed himself a closer look. Jesse was gazing into his beer so Mac stared openly. Jesse snorted at his question and smiled. "I wish it was that simple." He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak. He shook his head again and laughed bitterly before looking up to meet Mac's eyes for the first time. "Sometimes it's feast or famine, you know?" Mac tore his gaze away from the blond man and quickly scanned the room. His eyes alit on the two women and the man who'd unsuccessfully tried to engage Jesse's attention. "That might have been some banquet," Mac said. Jesse shrugged. "Yeah, but if you aren't hungry for what's on offer..." Jesse let the rest of the comment slide, leaving it open to wild speculation on Mac's part. But Mac clamped down on the question that immediately sprang to his lips. If he played his cards right he could make a friend. His assignment would be a good deal easier if Jesse welcomed his company. "...And life is already complicated," he said instead. "Exactly! The last thing I need is another complication in my life. I've got enough of those back home." "Where's home?" "The States," Jesse said cryptically. "How about you?" "Vancouver; I'm in town on business." "I'm just here to see the sights," Jesse said as he signaled for another round for both men. They exchanged names and fell into easy conversation, during which Mac learned surprisingly little about the handsome stranger. The two men parted after an hour with a promise to meet up for drinks the following night. Mac made some excuse to avoid entering the elevator with Jesse and wandered around the lobby for several minutes before going up to his room. He was frustrated. In the course of the evening he'd learned only two things about Jesse: first, he did indeed possess an irresistible quality about him and, second, Jesse was openly flirting with him. Mac had to concede that it was more like baiting than flirting, really, as though Jesse was testing him. Mac wanted to know why. While Jesse gave every appearance of being open and engaging, Mac realized—shortly after they'd parted in the lobby and gone to their respective rooms—Jesse had been very reticent about himself. Mac, on the other hand, had been quite voluble and in the course of an hour he'd told so many lies he doubted he'd be able to remember them all, much less keep them straight. He pulled off his jacket and laid it across a chair, flopped on the bed and reached for the remote. Turning on the television, he wondered what the man across the hall was doing. Jesse opened his laptop and plugged his cable into the jack before booting up. In a couple of minutes he'd tapped into a database and was conducting a search. "All right, Mac Ramsey—if that's really your name. Who are you and what were you up to tonight? You're pretty hot and though it's very tempting to flatter myself that you were just trying to get into my pants, I don't believe it. I certainly gave you enough openings but you didn't make a move and you don't strike me as the shy type. No, you were far more interested in concocting an excuse for being at this hotel. But you certainly don't sell that software you were babbling about; you almost panicked when I asked a simple question about system requirements. And I've never seen a software sales rep carry a gun. So if you aren't hot for my bod and you're not a sales rep, what are you? More importantly, why are you so interested in me?" Jesse typed in the name "Mac Ramsey" and downloaded the image he'd captured from his miniature camera. In minutes he'd cracked the mystery. "Well, well, Mac; you're a government agent! That would explain the guns but it doesn't explain your motive for checking me out. Let's see what you're made of..." "Hey," Jesse said, feigning surprise when he saw Mac emerge from the room across the hall. He'd already learned the previous night that Mac had the room opposite his own. "I wish I had known you were right across the hall. I would have invited you in for a night cap." Mac returned the smile and followed him to the elevator as he pondered Jesse's meaning. He was definitely being tested but Mac couldn't be sure why. One thing was certain; Jesse Kilmartin knew far more than he let on and Mac was determined to even the score. "Headed for breakfast?" "I could eat a horse," Jesse replied as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the lobby. "I know the feeling," Mac replied. "So what are you up to today?" "I'm not sure. I've got to check in with my office and see what the boss has in store for me," Mac said. As he spoke he caught sight of a man standing near the entrance. He was scanning the lobby and Mac recognized him as one of the GSA men from the surveillance photos. He turned his head to glance at Jesse, but the other man was nowhere to be seen. Mac did a full turn in one direction then reversed himself and found Jesse standing at his side. The man at the entrance was gone. "Lose something?" Jesse asked innocently. Mac was at a loss to explain his confusion so he merely shrugged and led the way to the caf at the rear of the lobby. "Come on, I'm buying," he said as he held the door. They were seated at a table and placed orders before Mac excused himself to make a call. He stepped out into the lobby again and called the Director. While he reported in he noticed a second man from the surveillance photos. Brennan Mulwray was speaking to a clerk at the reception desk. "Stay with him. If the wagons are circling they're undoubtedly about to make their move," the Director said. "Don't let Kilmartin out of your sight." She ended the call before he could reply. "Yeah, right," Mac said as he pocketed the phone and returned to the caf. "It's a little too late for that." He strode back to the table, taking advantage of his dark glasses to check out Jesse as he approached the table. The blond, slightly younger man was reading the complimentary newspaper that had been left on the table. His long denim-clad legs were stretched out before him and he gave every appearance of being completely at ease. But as he looked up and smiled benignly Mac couldn't help feeling that he was the butt of some very obscure joke being played at his expense. "So what's on your schedule?" Jesse asked. "Nothing. The boss lady wants me to hang out and meet with a potential client she's been trying to get a deal with but it's not till the day after tomorrow." "What will you do till then?" "She said I could have the two days off—if I take them as personal leave. Did I mention that she's a complete bitch?" "Several times last night," Jesse replied. He lifted his mug to his lips and smiled before he took a sip. "Want to hang out with me today?" Mac tried not to appear too eager. He didn't trust Jesse, for all his apparent sincerity, and he strongly suspected that he was being tested again. "What have you got planned?" he asked casually. Jesse shrugged elegantly. "I don't know. I thought I'd just take a walk and see where it leads me." "I'm up for that," Mac said as their breakfast arrived. They ate as they discussed a possible itinerary for the day. By the time they were finished with breakfast, they'd made plans. Of course, it only belatedly occurred to Mac that his eager suggestions belied his claim of having only visited Toronto once in the past, a point Jesse made as they headed toward the entrance. "You know for a non-native, you certainly seem to know your way around," he observed with a wry smile. "I ought to," Mac said, thinking on his feet. "I spend all my time on planes and in airports reading travel guides in case I have to entertain a local client." Jesse nodded thoughtfully and Mac briefly struggled with an urge to slap him. They were two blocks from the hotel when all hell broke loose. The duo was suddenly surrounded by four men, one of whom appeared to be carrying some sort of device Mac didn't recognize. It looked vaguely like an oversized bar code reader, but he didn't stop to ask questions. As soon as the first man charged, Mac leapt into the fray. He tried to keep Jesse in his sights as he fought but the smaller man proved to be very elusive. One of the assailants took a few swings at Jesse with some sort of club and it seemed to pass right through his body. Mac stood gaping at the scene before him until someone landed a blow to his shoulder blade. He spun and rejoined the combat. The fighting was in close quarters and mostly hand to hand. Jesse managed to hold his own and though he lacked Mac's finesse in the martial arts he took few blows. It was over as quickly as it had begun. The attackers jumped into two cars and took off. Mac and Jesse leaned against a wall to catch their breath. "Are there lots of daylight muggings in Toronto? I was under the impression this was a reasonably safe city," Jesse said as he reached back and felt for his wallet. Mac rolled his eyes. He was in no mood for games. "You really think those guys were after your money?" "I don't know," Jesse shrugged. "Why else would they attack us? I don't have anything else they'd want." "Don't you?" Mac asked bluntly. "I'm just a tourist, Mac. It seems to me that if anything, they were after you." "Why would anyone attack me?" "Well, you're the one who works for the big software company. Corporate espionage, a disgruntled customer—there could be any number of reasons why those men would be after you." Mac laughed at Jesse's attempt to deflect suspicion. "Yeah, someone gets a faulty program and sends a team of assassins after a sales rep. Makes perfect sense to me." "Well what else could it be?" "All right, game over," Mac spat. "Those men were after you and you know it. I want to know why." "So do I," Jesse said calmly. "I've got nothing they—." "Dammit, Jesse!" Mac glared at the shamelessly uncommunicative man. "I'm trying to help you out here. Think; is there anything, anything at all that might explain that assault? You said yesterday that your life had complications..." "Those are personal," Jesse replied. "I doubt that any of my friends would send a team of hit men after me." "Well, what are these complications you spoke of? There has to be something—." Before Mac could finish a blue van pulled up and two burly men emerged. "Another county heard from," Mac muttered as he braced himself. This time the men were armed. Mac opened fire and managed to hit one of the assailants before the other gave up and helped his comrade make an escape. But Mac was more concerned about Jesse. When the shooting started, Mac immediately dove behind a car, but Jesse had been in the open and fully exposed. He was sitting on the ground and Mac feared the worst as he raced to his side. At least two shots had been fired within point blank range. Jesse looked up as Mac reached him and began to scramble to his feet. "Easy there," Mac said as he grabbed hold of Jesse's arm. He wanted to get a look at Jesse's wounds before he allowed him to stand. But to his amazement, Jesse withdrew his arm and stood, apparently uninjured. "I'm all right." "That's impossible! That guy would have to have been firing blanks to have missed you at that range, even if he was blind," Mac said. Jesse shrugged. "I guess God is looking out for me today," he said with an enigmatic smile. "Let's get out of here before someone else shows up." He started to walk away. Mac just gaped at him, till something caught his eye and he bent to pick it up. Then he ran after Jesse and caught hold of his arm. "Whoa, big fella! The hotel is the last place you should go right now." "Don't you mean you?" "I mean either of us. Come with me." Mac led Jesse to his car, anxious to put some distance between them and the scene of the two attacks. But he wasn't ready to take him to headquarters just yet. He suspected that Jesse Kilmartin was a nut even the Director wouldn't be able to crack. And in any event, Mac wasn't going to turn Jesse over to her until he had the answers to a few questions of his own. "Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" Mac said wearily after a few minutes. "Maybe it's time you answered a few questions," Jesse countered. Mac angrily pulled the car over and stopped. But Jesse forestalled his tirade by ticking off a few points. "Hey, you're the one who claims to be a sales rep for a software program that's been off the market for about three months now. You're the one who's carrying guns and displaying fighting skills I've never seen outside of a Hong Kong martial arts movie. It seems to me that you've got a far more interesting story to tell." "Actually, I can easily explain myself," Mac sneered. Jesse raised a hand. "Don't bother, Mac. I already know that you spent your formative years in Hong Kong under the tutelage of the country's top crime family. After a reversal of fortunes you did a little time in jail, where you were recruited by Canada's top secret security agency and you've been working there for the last two years. Do you really have four black belts?" Mac's mouth fell open, but he quickly masked his shock with a smile. "I never imagined that the Agency's records could be that easily hacked." "You're very good at what you do," Jesse said smugly, "I'm very good at what I do." "Yes, I'm truly impressed. But you know, superior computer skills don't explain this," Mac said as he reached into his pocket. He extended his hand and dropped a flattened slug into Jesse's palm. Jesse stared at it open-mouthed for a moment. Then he turned a stony gaze on the view out the window. "You were hit." "Obviously not," Jesse said dully. "That bullet fell off of you as you walked away, Jesse." "Maybe it landed on me." "You're a weapons dealer," Mac surmised. "You've got some sort of technology that deflects bullets and that's what they're after." Jesse burst into laughter, but he quickly sobered. "Yeah, that must be it." "Come on, damn it! Level with me now or I'll have to take you to headquarters." "You're going to take me to headquarters, anyway, aren't you?" Mac ran a hand through his hair. After a moment he made a decision. "No. Tell me what's going on and it'll stay just between us." "Why?" "I just—I need to know. I saw things today that I know were impossible," Mac confessed. "In fact, I thought I was imagining things till it happened the second time. What is it, some sort of energy field?" Jesse shook his head. "Okay," he sighed, "I'll be completely honest with you. I'm not an arms dealer and I really did just come here on vacation. I've encountered that first set of goons before, but I have no idea who those other guys were or why they were after me." "But you do know what the first group wants," Mac prompted. Jesse nodded. "Let's just say I have a few unique talents," he said softly. "They want to lock me up so I can never use them again." "You're a—." "I'm a new mutant." Mac restarted the engine and put the car into gear. Jesse fidgeted for several minutes before he broke the silence. "Look, I'm not some sort of freak or monster," he said defensively. "I'm merely the result of a failed genetic experiment carried out in the United States about thirty years ago. My mother was unwittingly made a part of that experiment when she was pregnant with me. She thought she was receiving treatments that would help her to produce a healthy child. The consequences of that drug didn't appear until I was about fifteen years old. There are approximately a thousand others like me out there, each with some sort of genetic mutation." "Pardon me, but what kind of drug could give someone the ability to stop a bullet?" Mac asked sarcastically. "And how soon can you get me some? It could come in handy in my line of work." "Be careful what you wish for," Jesse said. "It's more of a curse than a blessing. My mutations will probably kill me well before I reach retirement age. My mutation is still evolving and past experience says it can end pretty badly." "I'm sorry," Mac said soberly. "So those guys chasing you were from the GSA." "You did do your homework," Jesse smiled. "Yeah, the GSA and I are old friends." He told Mac the history of Genomex and how the company that created the new mutants later turned against them and became the GSA. He never mentioned Adam Kane by name or any specifics of his or any other mutant abilities, nor did he mention his affiliation with Mutant X, the clandestine organization that had helped new mutants evade the GSA for years. "I know all this is hard to grasp, but you've got to believe me. It's real," Jesse said. "It's an incredible story," was all Mac could say. "I know, but you've seen living proof that I'm telling you the truth." "I can fill in a couple of blanks for you," Mac said after a moment of indecision. "I think that second group is working for a geneticist by the name of—." "Scott Rhodes?" Jesse assayed. "Wait a minute! You just said—." "I didn't know those men," Jesse insisted. "But I have heard of Rhodes and I know he's into some very dangerous research. I'm surprised your agency hasn't stepped in and put a stop to it." "To tell you the truth, I wouldn't put it past my agency to fund his research. They've crossed over to the dark side before," Mac snorted. Jesse nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me," he replied. "It's never been acknowledged but I've long suspected that Genomex was working under the aegis of some top secret military research project. It's the kind of nightmare that would have been hatched sometime during the cold war. The technology was perfected in the 1970's and they tested it on an unsuspecting civilian population, preying on the hopes and dreams of young couples trying to start families with the promise of miracle cures." "That's sick," Mac said. By the time they reached Mac's apartment Mac's head was reeling. He tried to take everything in but it all sounded like science fiction. In fact, he would have discounted the entire story had he not seen impossible things with his own eyes. Mac offered Jesse a seat and went to put on a pot of coffee. It was too early in the day for anything stronger, although he would have preferred a stiff belt of something to jolt him back to reality. He pulled out a couple of mugs and retrieved the milk and sugar, keeping himself busy while he tried to wrap his brain around what he had just seen and heard. His head was so full of questions he didn't even know where to begin. Then he remembered something. "There was another guy making inquiries into your whereabouts. Does the name Brennan Mulwray ring any bells?" Jesse blanched and Mac was intrigued. "He's here in Toronto?" "So you know this guy, too," Mac said. "Yeah; Brennan and I have some history. He's one of those complications I mentioned." "If this 'complication' is going to start shooting at me I want to know what I'm dealing with." "Brennan isn't going to shoot at anyone. He's on our side," Jesse said wearily. "I just wish he'd stayed home." "Home? Are you two guys together?" Mac asked carefully. Jesse laughed bitterly. "No. It's not like that—it's a long story." "I've got nothing but time," Mac replied. Jesse glared at him. "You'll just have to take my word on it," he said with an air of finality. "Wait a minute," Mac replied. "If he's on your side, why is he here trying to track you down?" "I'll have to ask him if I run into him," Jesse said smugly. "You've been trying to avoid him, is that it? What's going on?" Mac demanded. Jesse averted his eyes to his mug and downed the remainder of his coffee. "Look, I can't help you if—." "I never asked for your help, Mac," Jesse spat back. "I appreciate you giving me a hand back there, but I can manage things on my own." He rose from his seat but Mac rose to prevent him from moving toward the door. "I think it would be a mistake to try to leave just now." "Oh, and are you going to stop me?" "If I have to," Mac sneered. Jesse smiled and Mac knew he was totally fucked. "Just how do you intend to do that?" Jesse said smugly. Mac recalled what he'd seen earlier and sat down. If Jesse could repel clubs and bullets what kind of chance did Mac have of laying him out? "Where are you going to go?" he asked. "They obviously know where you're staying. You can try to go back to the States but you'll have both the GSA and Rhodes' goons on your tail." "I suppose you're going to offer an alternative?" Jesse asked. "Let us help you." "'Us,' as in you and your agency; thanks, but I'll pass. Now if you're done with this little interrogation—." "Hey, I'm just trying to help you!" "By bringing me here and trying to make me talk?" "I brought you here because it's the safest place I could think of for you." "And it would be a lot easier to convince me to come here rather than your agency headquarters, right? You should have done a better job of hiding the bugs, Mac. I did warn you that I knew my stuff." Jesse turned and headed for the door and this time Mac only followed him. "Jesse, wait!" "I think we're done here, Ramsey," he said as he headed for the stairs. "I didn't wire the apartment. I didn't know about the bugs!" Mac shouted as he raced to keep up. Jesse stopped abruptly and he nearly collided with the smaller man. "All right, I did know about the bugs, but I'd forgotten about them. My director is a sicko who likes to keep tabs on her minions. She's got bugs in every agent's place. It's practically a standing joke." Jesse frowned at him doubtfully. "I swear it's true. I'm sorry, Jesse. I really never meant to lie to you or expose you to the Agency." "Don't worry," Jesse replied as he continued toward the steps. "I haven't told them anything they couldn't learn elsewhere." "So where are we going?" Mac asked a minute later as he led the way to his car. "Back to the hotel." "Are you nuts?" "Nope. I've just decided to let you help me after all, Mac. We'll go back to the hotel and flush out Rhodes. Then your people can take him in and find out what makes him tick while I take myself and my little friends from the GSA back across the border." "Why would you want to do that?" "I don't want the GSA get any ideas about trying to establish a foothold in Canada." "You've got people here, haven't you?" Mac concluded. "There are new mutants in Canada." Jesse didn't respond, not that Mac expected a confirmation. It annoyed him that he still felt woefully out of the loop. Jesse seemed to have all the answers and Mac didn't even have all of the questions yet. "Just out of curiosity," Mac asked, despite his better judgment, "how long did it take for you to make me as an agent?" A tiny smile curved Jesse's lips. "Ten, fifteen minutes, maybe; I knew right off the bat that you weren't in sales, but then lots of people lie about themselves in bars or clubs. So I put out a few feelers to see what you were really after." "You were flirting with me!" Mac chuckled. "And you didn't take the bait," Jesse replied mildly. "That told me that you had another agenda." "And what if I had taken the bait?" Mac asked, stealing a glance at the other man. Jesse licked his lips and smiled slowly. "Maybe you should...next time you're on assignment." Mac rolled his eyes; Jesse was still teasing him. After a few minutes, Mac decided that he liked it. Being assigned to Jesse was proving to be far more interesting than he ever imagined it would be and Mac was glad for once to be working alone. Having Vic or Liann around would have put a real crimp on things. Mac couldn't imagine Jesse flirting with Vic. Then again, it might have been fun watching Vic be frustrated by the elusive young man. Liann, on the other hand, would be putty in Jesse's hands. All things considered, Mac was pleased to have Jesse to himself. Jesse was equally distracted. He was about to embark on a dangerous scheme. There was no doubt in his mind that Mac was right when he said that his agency might be interested in exploiting genetic research. Getting a hold of Jesse might save Rhodes and the Agency years of trial and error. But setting a trap for Rhodes would carry a big risk; in spite of Jesse's instincts to trust Mac, there was ample evidence to suggest that his boss kept her agents on a very short leash. That could prove to be a major problem should she try to interfere with Jesse's plans to draw the GSA back across the border. Mac's growing attractiveness was another matter Jesse would have to deal with. It was an unexpected complication and Jesse had had far too many of those in his life lately. He would have to fight his instincts there as well. They rode back to the hotel in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Mac was admittedly having difficulty focusing on the case. He was jolted back to reality, however, when his phone rang. There was no doubt in his mind who the caller was. "Where the hell are you, Mac and what the hell did you think you were doing, taking Kilmartin to your place? "We had a little encounter with both the GSA and Rhodes' people." "And you were told to bring him to headquarters!" "I realize that; Jesse was less than willing." "Since when do we give people a choice?" the Director sneered. "Has it occurred to you that we might need his cooperation in this?" Mac replied recklessly. The Director was momentarily stopped by his remarks. "I'm listening." "He's the one they want, right? How can we flush out the baddies without the proper bait?" Mac stole a glance at Jesse, who returned an eloquent look. Mac shrugged and continued to plead his case to the Director, who seemed intent on venting her spleen in spite of the fact that she had to concede Mac's point. She was particularly miffed that Mac had told Jesse about the Agency. Mac's protests that Jesse already knew about the organization fell on deaf ears. He let her rant as he drove up to the hotel. Jesse smiled in quiet amusement at Mac's long-suffering expression. "Let me make myself perfectly clear, Mr. Ramsey," the Director said menacingly. "You are to bring both Rhodes and Kilmartin to me. If you do not, you will suffer greatly. Do you understand me?" "Yes," Mac said before snapping the phone shut. He glanced at Jesse. "Did I mention that she's a complete bitch?" "Yeah," Jesse said dryly. They crossed the lobby and entered a waiting elevator. "Listen, why don't we meet up again for dinner?" he asked as the stepped out of the car. "What are you planning to do till then?" Mac asked. "I want to do a little research. Don't worry," Jesse said with a disarming smile. "I plan on staying in my room and you'll be right across the hall." "I hope you don't mind if I'm a little paranoid," Mac said as he pulled his gun and moved past Jesse and into his room. He gave it a thorough going-over as Jesse watched from the doorway. Satisfied, Mac turned back to him with a slightly sheepish grin. "I'll just be over there," he said. "I'll call you if I need anything," Jesse replied. He watched Mac's pupils dilate slightly before he closed the door. "I've really got to stop doing that," he said impishly. Mac spent the remainder of the afternoon pondering all that had happened. He'd seen some very strange things since joining the Agency, but never anything like what he'd seen during that fight. He remembered it clearly: in the midst of battle Jesse suddenly seemed to become transparent, allowing first the club and then one of the assailant's fists to pass through his body. And then there was the bullet; it was inconceivable that it had missed hitting Jesse. Mac pulled the flattened slug from his pocket and examined it closely. It was impossible to explain, unless Jesse's body was impervious to steel. Jesse admitted to being a mutant and said that there were perhaps a thousand people walking the earth with strange mutations. If, as Mac strongly suspected, some of them had fled to Canada to avoid persecution by the GSA, it was possible that he'd already encountered one or more of them. The very possibility boggled Mac's mind, as did the potential consequences if the Agency ever found out about them. Or the bad guys, for that matter; the thought of confronting an army of people incapable of being injured in battle was quite daunting. Mac had to wonder why—or if—the military had ever given up on the experiment. Mac couldn't help wondering if he was doing the right thing in withholding information from the Agency. After all, he only knew what Jesse had told him. Mac had no way of knowing the full extent of his powers or what his true motives might be. Suppose there were ten thousand mutants out there, or even more? Suppose they weren't interested in leading normal lives and were colonizing to amass greater numbers so they could take over? Suppose Jesse was their leader? "All right, dude," Mac said aloud as he turned off the television. "Put down the remote. No more science fiction for you." But before the smile faded on his lips he'd begun thinking again. He'd just spent the morning with a man who had come through two physical assaults completely unscathed—no, three, according the Director. Exactly what was Jesse? He said he wasn't some sort of freak or monster, but was he truly human or something more? Mac felt somewhat unequal to the situation he found himself in. He took a deep breath and decided to trust Jesse—at least for the time being. He hoped he wasn't about to make a huge mistake. Jesse spent most of the afternoon collecting intelligence on Scott Rhodes and the nature of his research. He learned that Rhodes had apparently made previous attempts to capture new mutants and presumably succeeded. At least one new mutant who'd relocated to Canada disappeared three months earlier and another had sent a warning through the mutant underground to be on the look out for Rhodes and his henchmen. When he was done with his research, Jesse considered calling Sanctuary to touch base, but he opted instead to send Shalimar an email message using a code the two of them developed when they first joined Mutant X. Jesse smiled as he typed "safe & sorry" with a winking emoticon. He hit "send" and shut down his laptop. Jesse stowed the laptop away and went to take a shower. He'd just emerged from the bathroom and was pulling on a pair of pants when Mac knocked on the door. Jesse smirked at his timing and zipped his fly as he went to answer it. "Hey," he said before turning and walking back to the dresser, where he picked up a polo shirt. "No need to dress on my account," Mac quipped as he sat down and took in the view of Jesse's lean, muscled chest, narrow hips, long legs and bare feet. Jesse ignored him and slipped on a pair of loafers before he pulled the shirt over his head. Mac grabbed Jesse's wrist to stop his movement and peered at a small black and blue mark just beneath the first rib on the left side of Jesse's chest. "Do you always get a bruise like that?" he asked. Jesse shrugged out of Mac's grasp and pulled the shirt down to cover the mark. "How often do you think I get shot at?" Jesse replied testily. "And, for the record, that mark was not made by a bullet." "The hell it wasn't," Mac said rising to his feet to confront the smaller man toe to toe. It was a mistake, he realized belatedly as he was confronted by the triple threat of cool blue-green eyes, the fresh, citrusy scent of Jesse's shower gel, and an expanse of bare, smooth, moist skin. Mac withdrew a half step as his senses reeled, cursing Jesse's propensity to throw him off balance and wondering if that was a natural talent or a byproduct of his mutation. "Do you really believe that if my skin was tough enough to stop a bullet it would bruise so easily?" "You've got a bruise, haven't you?" Mac countered smugly. Jesse pulled off the shirt and tossed it on the bed. "Look again." Mac sighed and did as he was bidden, promptly surrendering to the impulse to touch the spot. He felt Jesse stiffen slightly and withdrew his hand. "I got that from one of those GSA goons who attacked me two days ago. He hit me in the ribs with the butt end of a hockey stick, of all things." There was a brief, tense silence before Mac conceded. "When in Canada," he said contritely as he reached for Jesse's shirt. "Here, let's get out of here. I'm hungry." Mac strode purposefully toward the door. Jesse smiled and pulled the shirt on before grabbing a jacket and joining him. They repaired to the restaurant where they'd met the previous evening and settled in with a couple of beers. They ordered dinner and before it arrived they'd completely relaxed and fallen into easy conversation. Mac asked Jesse about his childhood and to his surprise, Jesse answered without hesitation, speaking easily about his exploits at the exclusive boarding school he attended. Mac was tempted to ask how his mutation affected his upbringing but he had the sense that Jesse was deliberately avoiding that topic. After a while, Mac forgot about his curiosity and regaled Jesse with stories of his own youth, which was decidedly different from Jesse's. "I was probably just the sort of kid your folks told you to avoid," Mac said. "Not that we were ever likely to travel in the same—." He paused, his eyes on something across the room. Jesse frowned and turned to see what had caught his attention. Mac quickly cleared his throat and continued but Jesse had already seen Brennan Mulwray at the bar. He averted his eyes for a moment. When he looked up again Brennan had disappeared. "Look, I know this is none of my business," Mac began. "You're right." "Who is he? What is he to you?" Mac asked nonetheless. "We're..." Jesse weighed his choices carefully, "associates." Mac waited for illumination. "Look, I've been working with a small private organization for several years. Brennan works for the same organization." "So you work together?" Jesse nodded at his beer. "You're trying to tell me that he's a tech whiz, too?" "Brennan? No," Jesse chuckled. "So what does he do?" Mac pressed. "He does a bit of everything, I guess." "And what is this organization, exactly?" "I thought you weren't going to interrogate me," Jesse said, arching his brow challengingly. "All right," Mac said, "I'll put away the bright lights and the rubber hose if you answer one more question." Jesse sighed and sat back. "Why did he follow you to Toronto?" "I don't know," Jesse said evenly. "Aren't you curious?" "You said one more question," Jesse said with a sly smile. He took a sip of beer and licked his lips before smiling smugly. Mac leaned forward and propped his chin. "I think I know why he's here," he said. Mac wouldn't let Jesse out of his sight if he could avoid it. He suspected Brennan felt the same way about the enigmatic man. "Do tell." "Tell me something," Mac said instead, "do you make him as crazy as you're making me?" "Another question, Mac?" "You can't blame me for trying," Mac said provocatively. "Am I making you crazy?" Jesse asked ingenuously. "You have no idea." "Don't I?" Mac blinked a few times then sat back and signaled the waiter. "I need another one of these," he said when the waiter approached. "Jesse?" The other man nodded and two more beers were brought to the table. Mac steered the topic of conversation to something more innocuous but the air was charged with tension nonetheless. "The waiter is giving us funny looks," Jesse observed mildly after another round. "Who gives a shit?" Mac said as he signaled for the check. Jesse looked on as Mac finished his beer and signed the bill. "Say, why don't we move this party upstairs? We've got some strategizing to do before our next encounter with our friends." "You should have said that before we decided to have three beers with dinner." "I don't know about you, but I'm still fully functional," Mac said pointedly. "I'm happy for you," Jesse said, refusing to rise to the bait. "But as far as strategy goes, all I need to do is sit back and wait for Rhodes to come after me again. He certainly knows where to find me." "Well, why don't you come up for a nightcap, anyway?" "Mac, it's not even 9:30." "Then it may be a very long night," Mac said softly as he rose from the table. Jesse threw back the last of his beer and rose. They crossed the lobby at a leisurely pace, in no particular hurry to get to the elevator. "Doesn't your agency have any fraternization rules?" "Who's fraternizing?" Mac asked. Jesse stared at him and Mac shrugged insouciantly. "All right, I'm fraternizing. But I can't help it. You're just so darned cute," he said playfully. Jesse squinted at his companion. "Are you actually any good at your job?" "Jesse, I'm crushed!" "Well, I have to ask; for someone who was assigned to protect me you certainly did a lousy job of threat assessing this morning. You were also blithely indifferent to the fact that your own apartment had been bugged—." "Hey! I explained about that," Mac interjected. "And don't forget that when the shit hit the fan I covered your ass—twice." "And now you're trying for a third chance," Jesse muttered as they stepped into the elevator. Mac heard his remark and smiled to himself. When the elevator reached their floor he glanced at Jesse, who looked somewhat apprehensive. "Well? Shall we?" Mac said as he backed out of the elevator. He put on his most engaging smile but Jesse was staring past his left shoulder. Mac turned to look at what had captured his attention and got his first look at Brennan Mulwray up close. Brennan was standing outside Jesse's room, hands shoved into his pockets. He and Mac were about the same height and coloring, but there the resemblance ended. Where Mac had a deceptively slim physique, Brennan was more muscular and dressed to accentuate his form. "Jesse," Brennan said as he stepped forward in a blatant attempt to intimidate, although it was hard to say which man he was trying to impress. "You want to introduce me to your friend?" Mac asked. "No," Jesse said as he moved past Mac to stand between the two men. "Would you excuse us, Mac? I want to talk to him for a moment," he said carefully, with emphasis on the last word. Jesse pulled out his key card and opened the door. Standing back to let Brennan precede him, he glanced at Mac. "This shouldn't take long." "Are you sure you don't want me to stick around? I don't trust this guy." "I can handle this alone," Jesse said before he gently but firmly shut the door. Mac sighed and reluctantly went into his room to wait. "Who's your friend?" Brennan said as he looked around the room. "What are you doing here, Brennan?" Jesse demanded. "You suddenly up and disappeared; what did you expect me to do?" "Wonder a little; worry a little, perhaps—I certainly didn't expect you to follow me here." "Well, I'm sorry if I interrupted your little tryst with...Mac, was it?" Jesse just glared at Brennan, who defiantly sat down and made himself comfortable. "Who is he?" "He's none of your business, Brennan. What do you want?" "I want to know why you left Sanctuary." "I needed a vacation, all right?" "So you just decided to slip away under the cover of darkness?" "What can I say? I got a great price on a late flight." "And our last conversation had nothing to do with your hasty departure? Or did you and Mac already have this little vacation planned?" "Look, would leave him out of this? Mac has nothing to do with why I left Sanctuary." "But I did?" "You flatter yourself, Brennan," Jesse said, giving in and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I had several reasons for wanting to get away. You were only one of them." "What were the others?" "Where the hell do you get off demanding to know what's going on in my head? You never gave a damn about my thoughts or my feelings when I was back at Sanctuary. Isn't it a little late to start now?" "Well, forgive me for coming into the game a little late, Jess, but I had no idea of your feelings until you unloaded that bombshell on me back at Sanctuary." "Bombshell? You are so full of shit, Bren!" Jesse spat as he leapt from the bed and began to pace. "This thing between us has been brewing for more than a year and now you tell me it came as a surprise to you?" "What 'thing'?" Brennan demanded. "What 'thing'? The 'thing' you told me you weren't sure you were ready to deal with. The 'thing' you said you needed to think about for a while. Well, I left you plenty of space to think about it, Bren. No pressure, no ultimatums. I backed off." "And flew to Canada to pass the time with another man?" Jesse ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Look; I told you how I felt about you and you said you weren't ready to deal with it. What am I supposed to do, sit quietly and wait while you decide what you want? Your indecision hasn't stopped you from putting moves on Shalimar or any other woman who walks into your line of vision. Why can't I move on with my life if I choose to?" "So the two of you are together?" Brennan persisted. "Are you even listening to yourself?" Jesse shouted. "For the record, no; Mac and I are not together. I'm not even sure I want to be with anyone right now, but that's not the point." "What is your point, Jesse?" "The point is that you have absolutely no right to waltz in here and act like the jealous lover. I'm the one who was rejected, remember? You and I don't have a relationship. I'm not even sure we have a friendship, anymore, Brennan. You don't get to question my life or my decisions. Got it?" "Jesse—." "Get out." "Jess—." "Go home, Brennan. I don't want to see you here again." "Jess—. Will you at least tell me when you're planning on coming back?" "I don't know." "We need you there, man. I need you there." Jesse sat on the edge of the bed and laughed bitterly. "Listen Jess—." "Goodbye, Brennan." When Jesse stood and met Brennan's eyes his expression clearly brooked no further argument. Brennan slowly walked to the door. "All right, I'll leave—for now. But I'm not going back just yet." "Suit yourself. Just steer clear of me." "Can't we just talk about this?" "About what? The fact that I'm standing here wondering what I ever saw in you in the first place? I must have been insane. But I'm sure I'll get over it, sooner or later." "With Mac's help?" Brennan said angrily. "Or someone else's; I don't know yet. As I said, I'm not sure what I want anymore. That's why I left Sanctuary; there are a lot of things in my life I need to think through," Jesse said. "And you're wasting my time." He opened the door and stood back to let Brennan pass. "We aren't finished." "We never began," Jesse countered. He unceremoniously let the door go, not caring whether or not it hit Brennan as it slammed, and went to the window. He stared out at the darkness below him until he saw Brennan emerge from the building. Only then did he allow himself to collapse into the chair and run his hands over his face, still shaking with anger. After less than a minute alone, Mac was up and pacing his room. He heard the sound of raised voices but could not discern what was being said between the two men across the hall. Mac went to the door, but could still not understand what was being said. He was genuinely concerned for Jesse. He might be able to handle himself among known enemies, but if Brennan meant to do him harm Jesse could be in serious trouble. There was no doubt in Mac's mind that there was more going on between the two men than Jesse had let on, perhaps more than Jesse knew himself. It was blatantly obvious to Mac that Brennan was jealous. Maybe he was what Jesse had been running from when he decided to cross the border into Canada. Was it a relationship gone sour? Mac didn't bother to speculate. His only concern was Jesse's continued well-being. He was about to open his door when he heard the door across the hall open and the voices become clearer. Mac shamelessly peered through the peephole and saw the two men glaring at each other. "We aren't finished." "We never began." With that, Jesse let the door slam in Brennan's face. Brennan stood there for a moment, at loose ends, before he walked away. Mac was torn between going over to check on Jesse and following Brennan to make sure he left. In the end he opted to wait. If he confronted Brennan he stood a good chance of escalating a situation he knew nothing about and he was certain that Jesse would not appreciate his interference. Moreover, Jesse knew exactly where to find him if he wanted Mac's company, so Mac forced himself to return to his bed to wait for Jesse's knock. It never came. Part Two Jesse was staring at the ceiling when his phone rang. He fumbled in the dark for his jacket, pulled his phone from the pocket and checked the caller ID before answering. "Hello, Shal," he said with a smile. "You don't sound surprised to hear from me." "I figured you'd call after you got my message." "So you're safe, wherever you are, and sorry for making me worry myself sick. Where are you?" "I'd rather not say, although Brennan will probably tell you if you ask." "Brennan? Is he with you? Did you two finally—?" "No," Jesse said darkly. "Oh, Jess, what happened?" Jesse briefly described the scene that had taken place in his room two hours earlier and found his anger rising again as he spoke. "I can't believe he had the audacity to show up here and start asking questions!" "He's in denial, Jesse." "That doesn't give him the right." "I know," Shalimar said soothingly, "but if you two would just sit down and talk, maybe you could still work things out." "I think we're past that point." "Because of Mac? Who is he?" "Mac's someone I met here. And he has nothing to do with it. Look, it's just everything. You, Bren—." "I'm sorry for complicating things." "It's not your fault, Shal." "When are you coming home, Jesse? I miss you terribly." "I know and I'm sorry. I miss you, too. But I can't be there right now. There's just too much going on in my head." "I'm sorry, Jess. I never meant to—." "It's not your fault, Shal," Jesse repeated more firmly. "So you say. But if I had left things as they were—." "I'd still be in a muddle." There was an awkward silence for a few moments. "Well, you do what you have to, but stay in touch," Shalimar said. "I'll do that." "You'd better!" she laughed. "I can out-stalk Brennan by a long shot." "I don't doubt that for a minute," Jesse replied. "I love you, Jesse. Take of yourself." "Love you, too, Shal." Jesse closed the phone and sighed. He placed the phone on the nightstand and laid down once more. It was hours before he fell asleep. The following morning Mac awoke early. He checked his watch and clucked in disgust when he realized that he'd fallen asleep in his clothes. He took a quick shower and dressed before crossing the hall to Jesse's room. He knocked twice and, after getting no response, used his well-honed burglary skills to defeat the electronic lock and enter the room. "What the hell?" Jesse cried. Mac spun around and saw Jesse emerge from the bathroom, soaking wet and clad only in a towel. "You didn't answer the door," Mac said sheepishly. "I didn't hear the door," Jesse said, as he hitched the towel a bit higher. "You can put away the gun." Mac holstered his weapon and Jesse returned to the bathroom. He emerged again two minutes later, this time in a pair of boxer shorts. He crossed the room and snatched his laptop out of Mac's hands. "Do you mind?" "You left it open," Mac said unrepentantly. "I was just reading your notes on Rhodes. I think you've got more on him than we do." "You must work for a piss-poor organization, then," Jesse said as he grabbed a pair of jeans from the closet and pulled them on. "I got most of that stuff off the net." But Mac was no longer interested in Scott Rhodes or the Agency's data gathering problems. "What happened last night?" he asked gently. Jesse sat down at the edge of the bed to put on his socks and shoes. "Not much. Brennan asked questions. I refused to answer them. You know the drill," he said with a wry smile. "He's more than just a co-worker, isn't he?" "No; nor is he ever likely to be," Jesse replied. He kept his eyes on the shoe he was tying as he spoke and Mac couldn't tell if Jesse was relieved or disappointed by this development. "Do you want to talk about it?" "What do you think?" Jesse spat. He dropped his foot to the floor and looked at Mac. "All right; I was interested in him at one time—very interested. I thought we had something. I was mistaken. Is that what you wanted to know?" "I wanted to know if you're okay," Mac said quietly. Jesse's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night." "I didn't sleep well, either. I was concerned about you," Mac said. Jesse looked up sharply as he pressed on. "At first I hoped you'd come by after Brennan left. When you didn't I just began to worry that you might be alone and hurting but I didn't want to intrude." "Thank you for respecting my privacy," Jesse said after a moment. "I wouldn't have been very good company last night, believe me." "That bad, eh?" Mac winced. Jesse laughed bitterly and Mac could see the pain in his eyes. "Let's just say that Brennan is the last person I needed to see right now. I left Sanctuary—that's the name of the organization I work for," he lied, "in order to put some distance between us." "So you two do have some history," Mac pried. Jesse sighed and decided to come clean. He wasn't sure where he and Mac were headed, if anywhere, but he was going to go about things differently than he had with Brennan, and that meant being completely honest with Mac from the beginning. "You could say that. For the past year and a half Bren and I have danced around this unspoken 'thing' between us. The sexual tension got so thick that Shalimar claimed she could smell it." "Who's Shalimar?" "Another co-worker. We're like a family. It's a very small, very private organization that does a variety of good works for special causes. We live and work out of our base of operations. As you surmised, I do a lot of the technical work. Shal and Bren do a lot of the legwork in the field. Shalimar and I have been at Sanctuary the longest; Brennan came along almost two years ago and I fell for him almost immediately. "I kept my feelings to myself, however. To my knowledge, Brennan was 100% heterosexual, for one thing. Every time he went near a woman he would come on to her. But more importantly, I didn't want to do anything that might ruin the dynamics of our team. Shal kept urging me to go for it, though. She was convinced that Brennan felt the same way I did. She insisted that she'd caught him checking me out more times than she could count. She also insisted that Brennan wasn't as single-minded as I originally thought. The two of them were trying to track down someone once and when the trail led them to a gay bar she was a bit surprised when the bouncer greeted Brennan by name." "What was the deal?" Mac asked. Jesse shrugged. "I don't know. I kept my mouth shut and Brennan kept up the womanizer act. I resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't going to happen." "And you needed to put some space between you?" Mac supplied, but Jesse shook his head. "There's more. Out of the blue, Brennan suddenly began coming on to Shal." "What was that about?" "I have no idea. Shal later told me that she allowed Brennan's advances because she thought that he was about to make his move on me and was trying to get my attention. We'd grown a bit distant after I decided to give up on him. I don't know what either of them expected me to do. It hurt; it seemed like Shal didn't give a damn about my feelings anymore and Brennan...well, he was just being the arrogant, self-absorbed prick he was capable of being sometimes. It was like he suddenly wanted to rub my nose in it for some reason," Jesse said. "So both your friends betrayed you," Mac said. "I can so relate to that." "Shal and I have since squared things, though it'll be some time before we'll be able to forget about this. I know she never meant to hurt me. She said she expected me to stake my claim on Brennan before things ever went that far. For my part, I thought that if they wanted to be together who was I to interfere? I thought Shal was succumbing to his charms, just like every other woman who's ever fallen under his spell." "You cast quite a spell yourself," Mac said with a disarming smile. Jesse blushed at the compliment. "That's what Shalimar said," he replied, refusing to let Mac get to him. He rose and went to the closet for a shirt. "Smart woman," Mac said, letting Jesse escape for the moment. Now was not the time to pursue anything. "I'm surprised she didn't go after you herself. Or are you single-minded, as you so quaintly put it?" Once again, Jesse laughed self-deprecatingly. "No, I'm not. And for the record, Shal and I have—are—how should I put this?" Jesse turned his attention to buttoning his shirt, leaving Mac to wonder. "Let's just say we've occasionally succumbed to our baser urges. Sometimes you just need someone, you know?" "Fuck buddies." "No, it's not like that," Jesse insisted. "It's only when we've been through something really traumatic and just need to remind ourselves we're alive." "This Sanctuary must be a very stressful place to work," Mac quipped. Jesse smiled. "Anyway, when we finally sat down and cleared the air, Shal admitted that if she didn't already know that my heart was Brennan's for the taking she would have claimed it for herself." "Feast or famine," Mac said, remembering what Jesse had said on the night they met. "Feast or famine," Jesse repeated. "Speaking of which: breakfast?" "Please," Mac said, "soap operas really work up an appetite." "How about you?" Jesse asked when the two men were seated in a booth in a local diner. "How's your love life these days?" "Comparatively non-existent," Mac said simply. "But I've been in a similar snafu." He explained how he'd come to learn that Liann Tsei, the woman he was engaged to marry, became the object of a struggle between himself and his adopted brother Michael Tang. "And things didn't exactly improve when I came here. Shortly after my recruitment by the Agency I found out that I'd be working with Liann—who I had believed to be dead for eighteen months by the way—and the man she was currently engaged to." "Ouch!" "She didn't marry him, either, and we all work together now; one big, happy, dysfunctional family, just like yours." "Can we change the subject?" Jesse chuckled. "I want to enjoy my breakfast." "Here, here," Mac said as he raised his mug. His phone rang and he put the mug down as his face fell. "Excuse me," he said, rising. He was gone before Jesse could respond. He stepped out of the restaurant to speak with the Director. "I want you to bring Mr. Kilmartin to me," she said before he even finished saying hello. "Why? Yesterday you said we could stay here to flush out Rhodes." "I've changed my mind. I want him here—now, Mac." "What if he refuses to cooperate?" "If you are incapable of doing your job I will send someone over to the hotel who is. Do not disappoint me, Mr. Ramsey." Mac closed the phone and returned to his seat. His expression spoke volumes. "What's wrong?" Jesse asked. "The Director's got a bug up her ass about something. She wants to see you at the Agency." Jesse sat forward in his seat. "You've got to be joking. There's no way in hell I'm subjecting myself to that." "I know, I know. But if I don't bring you in she's going to send someone else to fetch you," Mac said apologetically. "Why does she want to speak to me, anyway?" "I have no idea. All I can guess is that she's learned something." "What? How?" "I don't...know," Mac said thoughtfully. "Tell me something; does your pal Brennan know about your little 'gift'?" "Gift?" Jesse frowned. A second later he nodded. "But he certainly wouldn't tell anyone about it." "I'm willing to bet he was pretty angry when he left you last night." "Angry enough to sell me out to a complete stranger? Brennan would never do that," Jesse insisted. "How would he even know about the Agency?" "The Director knows about him. I wouldn't put it past her to bring him in for a chat." Jesse's eyes grew wide at the possibility that Brennan might have gotten himself into trouble. "What do you mean 'the Director knows about him'? How?" he demanded. Mac shrugged. "You first came to the Director's attention when you tangled with a few GSA agents she had under surveillance. She did a background check on you, got virtually nothing that would explain why the GSA was after you, and decided to keep an eye on you for a few days. That's how she knew that both Rhodes and this Brennan guy were also looking for you." "And that justifies her dragging him in for questioning?" "Let's just say she doesn't like a mystery." Jesse pushed away his plate, his appetite gone. He ran his hands over his face and thought. Mac observed him curiously. "All right," Jesse said finally. "Give me a few minutes to make a few calls to my friends back at Sanctuary then I'll go with you to headquarters." Mac was a bit surprised and suspicious of his quick capitulation. "He means that much to you?" he asked indelicately. Jesse rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to answer but Mac had another thought. "Or is Brennan also 'bearing gifts'?" "Yeah," Jesse admitted after a moment's hesitation. "I doubt that they'll suspect him of being anything more than someone on my trail, but if they do... Let's just say that he'd be less than shy about revealing his talents." He rose and went to the counter at the front of the restaurant to pay the bill. Mac threw down his napkin and rose to meet Jesse at the door. They walked out of the restaurant and immediately spotted a car they'd seen the previous day. Mac grabbed Jesse by the wrist and pulled him into the crowd on the street. They made it back to the hotel without incident and Mac took Jesse straight to his room. But Jesse balked at letting Mac join him, insisting that he needed to speak with Shalimar in private. Mac was reluctant, but finally agreed and waited for him in the hall. He paced back and forth nervously, waiting impatiently for Jesse to come out. The elevator doors opened and Mac spun around, reaching for his gun. The Director stepped off the elevator glaring. Jesse pulled out his laptop and quickly booted up. He logged on to a connection that intentionally bounced his signal halfway around the world before it linked him to Sanctuary. "Come on, come on, Shal! Answer me!" Jessed pleaded. He tapped the desk impatiently while he waited, but got no response. Jesse decided to simply leave a message and shut down, though he would have preferred to speak with Shalimar. He heard voices outside his door and quickly shut down the computer, his message incomplete. "Where is Kilmartin?" the Director demanded. "I told you I wanted him at headquarters immediately." "And we're headed there as soon as he's ready." "As soon as he's ready? Where is he, Mac? I'm in no mood for games." "He's in his room," Mac replied with a gesture behind him. "Get him—now," the Director shouted. Mac opened his mouth and closed it again then turned and went to Jesse's door. He knocked twice and got no answer. "Jesse?" Mac called. Frowning, Mac glanced back at the Director before he knocked again. "Jesse? We need to speak with you," he said, hoping that was enough of a warning before he tripped the electronic lock. He rushed into the room with the Director on his heels and found an empty room. Jesse took a deep breath and leaned against the wall for a moment to think. He was not about to allow himself to be taken in by the Agency unless it was on his own terms. When he heard Mac knock he'd made a decision to flee. He knew that the agent wasn't alone and he had no illusions that Mac would be in control of the situation. Grabbing the laptop and the bag he'd kept packed with a few essentials he exhaled. A second later he phased his body into an intangible state and stepped through the wall into the next room, which was fortunately uninhabited. He would remain there until it was safe to leave. "What the hell?" Mac said as he drew his gun and scanned the room for signs of Jesse. "I am not amused, Mr. Ramsey," the Director said. "He was in here, I swear it," Mac cried, shocked and a bit worried about the mutant's apparent disappearance. He briefly wondered if Jesse's powers could him render him invisible. That was the only explanation for it. "I'm tired of playing games," the Director spat. "Where is Kilmartin?" "I wish I knew! We were about to go down to headquarters—." "Don't tell me," the Director said dryly. "He asked to be allowed to get something from his room first? It's the oldest trick in the book, Mac! I'm sure you've used it more times than you care to admit yourself." "Yeah, but there's no way he could have gotten past me. I was standing out there the whole time!" Mac said frantically. "I knew it was a mistake to leave you alone with him, Mac," the Director said. "He's just your type, isn't he?" Mac's mouth fell open. "Don't bother pretending to be shocked. I know all there is to know about you, including your thing for pretty blonds of either gender." "What do my sexual preferences have to do with anything?" "They could make you careless—or worse. They could make your loyalties waver." "I left him in this room; I swear it!" "And now he's not here. Can you explain that, Mac?" "Maybe he walked through the wall, okay? How the hell should I know?" Mac hit the wall with his fist as he spoke. In the room next door, Jesse smiled. "Let's find out, shall we?" the Director said. "Go next door and look." "Are you insane?" Mac said before he could stop himself. The Director eyed him dangerously and Mac cringed as she drew very close. "I am not insane, Mac. I am well aware of the fact that Mr. Kilmartin is not an illusionist, but perhaps he was just desperate enough to risk going out on the ledge." Mac glanced at the window. He doubted that Director believed that for an instant, but he went out into the hall and walked to the room next door. He raised his hand to knock but the Director prevented him from doing so. "Open it," she commanded. Mac did as he was bidden and was relieved to find an empty room. "Satisfied?" Mac said recklessly, earning a glare in response. "Try the room on the other side," the Director said simply. Mac did as he was bidden and was forced to act surprised at having accidentally been given the key to the wrong room. He apologized to the room's occupant as he backed his way out and then turned to the Director to await further orders. "Find him now, Mr. Ramsey, or your life will be made a living hell." The Director turned on her heel and strode away. "That'll be new," Mac muttered as he watched the elevator doors close. On an impulse he returned to Jesse's room and searched it thoroughly. There was nothing to give him any indication of where Jesse might have gone. Mac suddenly snapped his fingers and crossed the hall to his own room. He opened the door and found Jesse's laptop on his bed, but there was no sign of the elusive man himself. Mac sat down on the bed and turned on the computer. He was hoping to find a message from Jesse but there was nothing but a black screen with a password prompt. There was also no hard drive; whatever information had been on the computer, Jesse took it with him and Mac wondered why he'd bothered to leave it behind along with a small bag. Mac searched that as well, but all he found were a change of clothes and a few personal effects, nothing that answered any of the questions on the growing list in Mac's head. He knew he ought to be doing something but he hadn't a clue as to where to start. He fervently hoped that Jesse hadn't truly pulled a disappearing act. Everything about him made Mac doubt that. Jesse had been concerned about Brennan. That was a good starting point for his search. Mac needed to know whether Brennan was, in fact, in the Agency's hands. There was no way he was going to ask the Director, so he pulled a notebook from his pocket and checked his notes. Brennan Mulwray was very likely staying at a hotel just three blocks away. Mac would begin his search there. He checked his weapons and got ready to leave. When he opened the door, however, he found himself staring into the eyes of Brennan Mulwray, who unceremoniously shoved Mac in the chest and pushed his way into the room. "Where's Jesse?" he demanded as his eyes scanned the room. He took in the sight of Jesse's laptop, the bag and the clothing scattered on the bed before he turned to face Mac. "I'll only ask this one more time. Where is he?" "I have no idea," Mac said sincerely. "Wish I did." "Where is he?" Brennan demanded again as he rushed at Mac. "Now see? How can you ever expect anyone to trust you if you're going to lie like that?" Mac said even as Brennan grabbed him by the lapels and shoved him against the wall. "You just said you weren't going to ask a third time." "Listen, smartass," Brennan snarled as he pressed one hand against Mac's trachea and brought the other up to Mac's face. He flexed his fingers and a small Tesla coil began to form at the tips. Mac observed it with morbid fascination. "Last chance; where's Jesse?" "He's obviously not here," Mac said calmly. "In fact, the last time I saw him he said something about going to look for you. Lord knows why he'd want to," Mac added, cognizant of the danger he was putting himself in. As he expected, however, the remark threw Brennan for a loop. The coil of electric energy disappeared and he released his hold on Mac, who shrugged and straightened his jacket. "Why would he be looking for me? Last night he said I was the last person he wanted to see." "And yet, here you are," Mac said dryly as he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his throat. "Did he spend the night here?" Brennan asked as he once again took in the rumpled sheets and Jesse's shirt on the bed. "I wish!" Mac said earnestly. "But I'm a bit more considerate of Jesse's feelings than some people I know." "Let's concentrate on the matter at hand, shall we?" Brennan said brusquely. "Why was Jess looking for me?" "He had reason to believe that you might have been brought in for questioning by the Canadian authorities and was afraid you'd be too stupid to refrain from revealing your powers," Mac replied tartly. "Jesse told you I was a mutant?" "What can I say? We have no secrets," Mac said sarcastically. "What made him think I'd been taken in for questioning?" Brennan asked, ignoring the jibe. Mac was disarmed by the question and, feeling somewhat contrite for having planted the seed in Jesse's mind, he averted his eyes. "I'm employed by those authorities," he said. "I was sent here to keep an eye on Jesse after he had a run in with the GSA." "Well, you sure did a great job of it," Brennan taunted. "You were so busy trying to get into his pants he got taken from right under your nose." Mac rose to his feet again and stepped into Brennan's personal space. "You know, Jesse was right about you; you are a prick," Mac said angrily. "He wasn't taken, you idiot! He gave me the slip so he could go looking for you! At least, I think he went looking for you," he finished sheepishly. "He didn't leave a message." "Yes he did. He sent a message to a mutual friend saying that he was in trouble." "He spoke to Shalimar?" Mac asked. Brennan blanched, much to Mac's amusement. "Jesse told you about Mutant X?" That was the first Mac had ever heard such a name but he wasn't about to let Brennan know that. Brennan reached for the laptop and began to boot up. "I already tried that. It's password protected and there's no hard drive, anyway. Whatever Jesse had on that thing went with him." "Smart boy," Brennan muttered as he closed the laptop and pulled out his phone. "Shal? I'm at the hotel with Mac," Brennan said as he spared the other man a glance. Mac raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "Have you heard anything more from Jesse?" After about a minute, Brennan spoke again. "Okay, I'll get back to you as soon as I've found anything. Sit tight." "I take it she hasn't heard from him," Mac said. "No, all she got was a partial message about a half hour ago," Brennan said. "The two of them have some sort of secret code they worked out. All she got was 'danger GSA" and 'contact Bren.'" Brennan shook his head and ran a hand over his face. Then he stared into the mirror and spoke again. "Jesse? Jess, can you hear me? Come on, buddy, speak to me," he called out. "No answer?" Mac asked, generously assuming that mutant powers extended to some sort of telepathic communication—either that or Brennan enjoyed talking to himself. "Tell me, something; can you all do that?" Mac asked with a gesture toward his head. "What?" Brennan frowned. "You mean communicate? Yeah, everyone in Mutant X is fitted with a special ring that allows us to stay in constant communication." "I don't suppose it has call waiting," Mac quipped. Brennan gave him a dark look. "But it does have a global positioning system," he said as he as realization hit and he slapped his forehead. Mac wanted to slap it for him as Brennan smiled and again pulled out his phone. "Hello, Shal," he said a few seconds later. "Can you pick up Jesse on the GPS?" "Does your little trinket have a limit on its range?" Mac asked as he began to pace. Brennan ignored him as he spoke to Shalimar. When he ended the call he looked up. "Yeah, the communications range is limited to about fifty miles. But the GPS can be tracked a lot farther than that." "And?" "And she's not getting a signal," Brennan said flatly. "But that might be due to the fact that Sanctuary's too far away to pick up his GPS." "How reliable are these things?" Mac asked as he examined the ring on Brennan's hand. "They're some of the most reliable technology on or off the market," Brennan replied. "Look, this isn't getting us anywhere. We have to find Jesse." "What do you think I'm trying to do?" Mac spat back. "If this thing has a fifty mile range and you're within fifty miles of him, why aren't you getting a response?" Brennan shrugged. "He might not be answering because he's unable to speak. No one can hear it except the person wearing it, but he may not be in a place where he can answer." "Or he may be in no condition to answer," Mac surmised. Brennan nodded grimly. "The other possibility is that he removed the ring for some reason." "All right," Mac said decisively as he headed for the door. "I've got a couple of leads I want to track down. Go back to your hotel and stay put. I'll let you know when I find something." "The hell I will! I'm going with you," Brennan declared. "Look, this is no time to play the hero," Mac argued. "I know my job; let me do it." "Hey, I know my job, too," Brennan shouted. "Jesse is my friend. If he's in trouble I'm going to get him out of it, with or without your help. We stand a better chance of finding him if we work together, so let's stop arguing and get out there." Mac glared at him for a moment and then nodded. Having a mutant on his side might come in handy. But he wanted to make it clear who'd be calling the shots. "Listen," he said, "there are things at stake here you know nothing about. If you aren't willing to follow my lead, say so now and we part company." Brennan bristled, but he agreed to the scheme. Mac had little doubt that he'd be tested constantly, but with the tentative agreement in place, the two men left the hotel. On their way to the parking garage, Mac filled Brennan in on the details of Jesse's disappearance. "What worries me, though, is if he left just to evade questioning, where would he go?" Mac asked, more to himself than to Brennan. "And why is he incommunicado?" "Why do the Canadian authorities want to speak with either of us?" Brennan asked as he slid into the passenger seat of Mac's low-slung coupe. "My superiors were tracking the movements of several GSA agents who came into the country earlier this week. They seemed to take a great interest in our mutual friend," Mac said, "and they'd like to know why. Jesse's been under surveillance ever since." "Till you lost him, you mean." "Yeah, well he wouldn't have been so worried in the first place if he didn't know you were such a loose cannon," Mac shot back, but his heart wasn't in it. "And blaming each other isn't going to get us anywhere," he admitted. "Let's assume that Jesse only left to avoid being taken in for questioning. If that was the case, where would he hide? In my room, naturally." "He wasn't there, genius." "Oh, but he was there," Mac replied. "He probably only left because he thought the Director was pissed enough to do a room by room search." "Who's the Director?" "So if he was looking for me," Mac continued, oblivious to Brennan's question, "where else might he go?" "Will you get it through your thick skull? Jesse was taken by the GSA! If he was free he would have answered my hail." Mac turned his head to look at Brennan for the first time since they'd gotten into the car. "You said you were the last person he wanted to speak to." "Yeah, but suppose he thought I was in trouble?" "You would have said as much, right, big guy?" Mac said smugly. "Maybe I couldn't; maybe I didn't have time. Jesse would want to be sure I was all right—even if he does think I'm a prick." "Oh, he does," Mac said with a smirk as he started the engine and put the car into gear. "Where are we going?" Brennan asked. "If he doesn't have confirmation that you're safe and off licking your wounds somewhere, he'd assume you were down at headquarters." "But he'd be crazy to go there on his own! He'd have no idea what he was walking into." "Relax," Mac said. "Jesse doesn't even know where our headquarters is located. Look, the way I see it, there are four options: one, he ran off to escape my boss and got caught by some of her minions; two, he ran off to escape my boss and got caught by the GSA; three, he ran off to escape my boss and Rhodes' people got to him; or four, he's out there waiting for me. Now I know he can be an elusive little bugger when he wants to, so let's start there and work our way backward." "Wait a minute: Rhodes? Who's Rhodes?" "He's a biogeneticist who'd like to get his hands on Jesse. Apparently, lots of people feel that way about him, Brennan. He's quite the lust magnet," Mac said as he turned off onto a side street and slowed the car. He glanced at Brennan—who looked slightly stricken—and gloated privately. "Where are we?" Brennan asked as he turned his head to look out the window. They were in a residential area. Mac pulled the car into an underground garage and slowly drove to his parking space. "My place," Mac said as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car. Brennan followed suit, a grim expression on his place. "I brought him here briefly yesterday." "You certainly didn't waste any time, did you?" Brennan said in the elevator. "It was the safest place I could think of while the sharks were circling," Mac explained. They emerged from the elevator and Mac put his fingers to his lips. Brennan frowned but obeyed when Mac signaled for him to stay put. Mac entered the apartment, leaving Brennan in the hall. He returned a moment later. Frowning, he went to the stairwell and started walking down, examining every surface, apparently searching for something. Brennan asked what he was doing, but Mac ignored the question and continued moving slowly down the stairs. "Aha!" he cried as he knelt to retrieve the note he found tucked neatly under the rise of a step. He opened and read it then refolded it and slipped into his pocket with a smile on his face. He turned and started to continue down the steps but Brennan caught hold of his arm. "Was that from Jesse?" he demanded. "Yup." "Well, what does it say?" Mac sighed and pulled the note from his pocket. He gave Brennan a smirk and began to read aloud. "Sorry for giving you the slip back there, but I have to march to the beat of my own drum. I've heard from B but don't know his whereabouts. Please check that out. "I was followed from the hotel, so I'm lying low. If you don't hear from me by 3:00 (I'll call the desk and leave a message) assume the worst. Find B; he has special methods of contacting me and he's almost as handy as you are in a fight—even if he is an arrogant, self-absorbed prick. Can I pick them or what? I have got to improve my taste in men—oh, wait; I already have." Brennan snatched the note from Mac's hand to examine it for himself. Mac had read it verbatim, save for the post script: "P.S.: She really IS a bitch, isn't she?" The note was signed "Pretty Blond." Mac smiled at Brennan's growl of displeasure and laughed outright when he crumpled the paper in his fist and handed it back. "Has it occurred to you that Jesse's interest in you might lie solely in the fact that you resemble me?" Brennan asked. "Nope," Mac replied blithely. "But that wouldn't bother me half as much as it would bother you." He returned to the garage and checked his watch. "We've got some time to kill. Let's go somewhere and strategize." "Why don't we just go back up to your place?" "Well, for one thing my apartment is bugged, and for another," Mac said as he put the car in reverse, "I only invite people I like into my apartment. I don't like you." Jesse wended his way through the narrow crowded aisles of a large bookstore, pausing only when he reached a quiet corner. He lightly ran his thumb across the underside of the silver ring on his right hand, activating the communications link to Brennan. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, Mac's voice reached his ears. " I don't like you." Jesse smiled to himself and shut the com link, deciding that he wanted no part of that pissing match. He'd bide his time and contact the hotel as planned. If Mac and Brennan were together things must be going well. He grabbed a book and hunkered down in a chair to pass the time, but his thoughts repeatedly wandered back to Mac and Brennan and the inevitable comparisons between the two men. He tried to resist; he knew so little about Mac and had suffered so much disappointment with Brennan that any comparison was bound to be more than a little biased. Finally, Jesse succeeded in purging thoughts of Brennan from his head and smiling, he proceeded to spend the next half hour contemplating Mac. At that moment Mac sat on a park bench beside Brennan deep in thought. He wracked his brains trying to recall anything that Jesse might have done or said that would give him a hint as to where he might have gone to ground. The sound of Brennan's phone distracted him and he turned to watch him give Shalimar an update. When Brennan slid the phone back into his pocket, something occurred to him. "Doesn't Jesse have a cell?" "Yeah, we all carry them, Brennan said. "Well, have you tried calling him?" Mac said impatiently. Brennan retrieved the phone and punched up Jesse's number. He sneered at Mac as it began to ring. "What's the matter—didn't he give you his number?" "No need," Mac replied complacently, "we've been inseparable the last few days, remember?" Brennan clenched his jaw and turned his attention to the call. "He's not answering." "Text message?" Mac suggested. "I know," Brennan snapped. "It's M-A-C," Mac said. He could almost feel Brennan's temper rising and smiled puckishly. "You're a real prize, you know that? I can see why Jesse finds you such scintillating company." "I can't imagine what he ever saw in you," Mac countered. "Of course, tall, dark and handsome gets you big points but tell me honestly, Bren, is there anything going on at all beneath that thin veneer?" Brennan growled and brought his hands together. Mac saw a crackle of energy and took hold of his wrist. "Now, now, Sparky, we're in public. You don't want to bring the GSA down on our heads, do you?" Brennan angrily pulled his arm out of Mac's grasp. "On second thought," Mac said, "maybe we do." "What are you talking about?" "Keep doing that and Rhodes and the GSA will come to us." "Go to hell," Brennan said. He turned toward the far end of the bench and stared at a group of attractive women a short distance away. Mac was intrigued; he'd been distracted by them himself, but now he watched Brennan with fascination. "So can Jesse do that little high voltage trick, too?" Mac asked, though he would have preferred to ask him about his relationship with Jesse. "Huh?" Brennan asked. He realized Mac was observing him and averted his eyes. "Oh, no; Jesse's a molecular." "And that means—," Mac prompted. Brennan sat back and focused on the question. "That's his classification. The scientists responsible for creating the new mutants worked in four basic categories. Psionics have telepathic, telempathic or telekinetic powers," Brennan said. Mac frowned in confusion but didn't interrupt. "Ferals," Brennan continued, "have the characteristics of members of the animal kingdom. Shalimar, for example is a feral with the qualities of a cat." "Rrrowl." "Exactly!" Brennan grinned. "Now, I fall into the class called elementals. They're able to control various elements of the natural world, such as the weather or, in my case, electricity." "What the hell kind of gene splicing do you have to do to pull that off?" Mac asked seriously. Brennan shrugged. "Haven't a clue," he admitted. "And I can't even begin to imagine how they made Jesse, either. He's a molecular." "So you said; what does that mean, exactly?" "He can alter his body density at will. He's extremely rare—a molecular who can be both intangible and impervious." "Walks through walls, stops bullets? Yeah, I've caught part of his act," Mac said lightly. "He once phased a jet and everything in it," Brennan said proudly. "Uh...why?" "We were trying to escape hostile fire but they were closing in on us. Thanks to Jess, the missile passed right through us." "You were being shot at with missiles?" Mac asked incredulously. "Using his powers can really take its toll on Jesse. He was out of it for nearly a week after that." "What the hell were you doing that had someone going after you with missiles?" Mac persisted. Brennan gave him a dark look. "That's classified." "Do a lot of classified stuff, do you?" "Yeah, most of what Mutant X does is classified," Brennan said. Mac smiled wryly. "Oh, that would explain why Jesse hasn't told me anything about his powers, Mutant X, or his life back in the States, except, of course, when he was venting about you," Mac said, as Brennan's jaw tightened even further. "Oh, and then there was his enthusiastic response to my question about whether he liked to top," Mac teased. Brennan growled and lunged at Mac and was unceremoniously pinned on the ground with lightning speed. "I wouldn't try that again if I was you," Mac said, all playfulness gone. "Unless, of course, you plan on frying me to a crisp—in which case you'd only end up being an even bigger loser in Jesse's eyes." Mac pulled Brennan to his feet. Brennan brusquely pushed him away and dusted himself down. "What's your problem, anyway? You don't want Jesse; why begrudge him a chance to find someone who does?" "You?" Brennan spat. "He deserves better." "I won't argue with you there," Mac said. "But he's old enough to decide for himself what he wants." "Yeah, well, I'm not totally convinced of that." Brennan said softly. "Because he wanted you?" Mac asked bluntly. Brennan turned away and Mac knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "You don't think you're good enough for him, do you?" "And you do?" "I'm not stupid enough to sell myself so short." Mac said as he gestured with his head for them to start back toward the car. "Has it ever occurred to you that Jesse might be a better judge of character than you think? Maybe he saw something in you that you wouldn't give yourself credit for." "Is that your plan for resurrecting yourself?" "We're not talking about me, Brennan," Mac said. "We're not talking about this, period," he said as he walked on ahead. Mac sighed and followed. "You decided that Jesse deserved better than what you had on offer and figured you'd show him what a lout you were before he could find out for himself," Mac surmised. "Just drop it, okay?" "He was willing to love you, warts and all." "Mac!" Brennan shouted. He cut off his next words when his phone rang. He stopped and pulled it from his pocket. "Jesse! Are you all right, man?" "Yeah, for the moment," Jesse replied. "You?" "I'm fine, but I've been worried sick about you since you didn't answer me earlier," Brennan said, turning away from Mac's knowing look and speaking softly. "Sorry about that," Jesse said contritely. "Where are you now? We'll come and get you." "Put Mac on," Jesse said. Brennan hesitated. "He's the one who knows his way around Toronto, Bren," he said reasonably. Brennan reluctantly handed over the phone. "Hey," Mac said, relief evident in his voice. "Where are you?" "Chinatown; I figured you'd know your way around here," Jesse said with a smile. "You figured correctly. Where are you, exactly?" "I'm at the intersection of Bathhurst and College." "Good," Mac replied. "I want you to walk south on Bathhurst; you'll come to a tea shop at number 49. Go in and tell them you're a friend of mine and that I've asked for you to meet me there." "They won't hurt me, will they?" Jesse asked teasingly. "They'll probably treat you like a firstborn son. Eat what they give you—you like eel?" "Huh?" "Never mind; we're on our way. Stay put." Mac handed the phone back to Brennan. "Eel?" Brennan asked as he pocketed the phone. "Come on," Mac said. He strode back to the car and in less than fifteen minutes they pulled up in front of the tea shop. Mac removed his shades as he entered the shop and as he expected, Jesse was ensconced in a table at the rear of the shop being doted upon by the matronly aunt of the owner. Mac smiled as he approached and greeted the woman in flawless Cantonese. Brennan and Jesse looked on as she ushered him into a seat and went to fetch something. "Where did you learn to speak Chinese?" Brennan asked. "It's Cantonese and I learned it in Hong Kong." "When were you ever in Hong Kong?" "Let's see; from the time I was ten until just before my 24th birthday," Mac said. "You may as well sit down, Brennan. We aren't getting out of here without eating something. Hey, Pretty Blond," he said with a smile for Jesse. "Hey yourself," Jesse replied. "Brennan," he added with a nod for his associate. "Hey man, you okay?" "Perfectly," Jesse said as the matron brought out a tray and placed several small dishes before the new arrivals. She urged them both to eat, which Mac did without hesitation. "Where did you find him?" "He showed up on my doorstep shortly after you pulled your disappearing act at the hotel," Mac replied around a mouth full of shrimp dumpling. "The big lug was worried about you." "Hey, Shalimar panicked when she got your message," Brennan said defensively. "She insisted that I go looking for you." "Did he give you a hard time?" Jesse asked. "Yeah, but I've dealt with worse," Mac replied. "He's not so bad," Jesse said. "A little rough around the edges, though; he thinks it gives him a certain charm." "Charm?" Mac asked doubtfully. Both men turned to look at Brennan, who glared back. "Will you two stop discussing me as though I wasn't here?" he demanded. Mac shrugged and picked up one of the small bowls. "What is all this?" Brennan asked as he eyed the bowl's contents with suspicion. "Dim sum," Mac replied. "Barbequed pork rolls, steamed cuttlefish, abalone, shrimp dumpling, fried wontons, chicken feet..." Brennan made a face and sat back. "And it's extremely rude to refuse to at least sample the offerings of your host." "I'm sure I'd give greater offense if I barfed at the table," Brennan said. Mac begrudgingly conceded the point with a shrug. "What's this one I'm eating? It's delicious." "That's a shark fin and seafood dumpling," Mac said as he reached over to snag one from the dish. "Shark fin is supposedly nature's performance enhancer," he said with a suggestive waggle of brows. "Not that either of us need it." Jesse smiled briefly, but sobered when he caught a glimpse of Brennan's facial expression. "So what's happening?" he asked. "The Director is on the warpath," Mac said. "She wants you and Rhodes and the GSA at headquarters, preferably yesterday." "Well, the GSA has been on my tail since I left the hotel," Jesse said. "It took me quite a while to lose them. I would be very surprised if it took us long to find them again." "Good," Mac said. "They'll be first on our agenda, then." He turned and spoke to the hovering woman. She went back into the kitchen and returned with another bowl. "Ah, here's the eel." "Eww," Brennan said. "The Chinese actually eat that?" "Yeah," Jesse said as he reached for a bit of the fish with his chopsticks. "And so do the Italians, French, Japanese, and every other country with access to an ocean. Hey, this is good!" Brennan shook his head disparagingly. Mac turned and spoke to the woman once more and she emerged from the back room a moment later with a plate. She placed it in front of Brennan and grumbled something as she returned to the kitchen. "What's this?" Brennan asked. "Shrimp fried rice and you'd better eat it," Mac said as Jesse suppressed a smile. Brennan picked up a fork and put it down in favor of chopsticks. "Now, where were we? We might be able to appease the Director temporarily if we can turn over the GSA, but if they're just Eckhart's muscle she won't be satisfied for long. Her real goal is to get a hold of either you or Rhodes." "Why Jesse or Rhodes?" Brennan asked. "Oh, I think she really wants Rhodes. I don't know if she wants to stop him or recruit him, but either way she's not above using Jesse as bait." "She wants to recruit him? We cannot let that happen," Brennan said firmly. "Finally! We've found something we agree on," Mac said. "It's not the first thing," Brennan said evenly. The two dark-haired men regarded each other as Jesse looked on in confusion. After a moment they turned their attention back to their respective plates. "So what's the plan?" Jesse said after prodding the chicken feet with a chopstick. He shrugged and placed a small piece on his plate. "Well, the Director will have people watching the hotel so we won't be able to return there," Mac said. "Maybe we should," Jesse said. "Even if instincts tell her to keep and eye on the place, that'll be the last place she'll expect to find us if she gives us any credit for common sense." "Maybe you; she never gives me credit for anything," Mac pouted. "More importantly," Jesse continued with a brief smile for Mac, "that's also where the GSA and Rhodes will be looking for me." "You aren't thinking of setting yourself up as bait, are you?" Brennan asked. "How else can we draw them out in the open?" Jesse reasoned. "I don't want you putting yourself in harm's way." "What other choice do we have, Bren?" "Let them go after me. The GSA knows me," he argued as Mac looked on. He remained silent as he observed the interaction between the two would-be lovers. "Your lack of faith in my abilities is really encouraging," Jesse said sarcastically. "Hey, I know you can handle yourself, Jess, but I've got more experience in this sort of thing," Brennan replied. "That's because you always go jumping in before 'poor little Jesse' ever gets a chance." "Hey! I'm just looking out for you, man!" "You're just treating me like an incompetent, inexperienced—." "We both know I've got more street experience than you!" "Only because you hog it all for yourself; I've had to save your ass on more than one occasion because of it. And you know what? I did it all by myself. No one even had to hold my hand while I crossed the street." Jesse sat back, reining in his anger. "Let me do this, Brennan." "No way!" he replied stubbornly. Mac took that as his cue to intervene. "May I say something?" he said. "Jesse's right." "Oh, why didn't I see that one coming?" Brennan sneered. "Listen to me," Mac said, his own hackles rising. "As far as we know, the GSA is only aware of Jesse's presence in Canada, right? That's got to be a good thing. If these particular agents have never had any run-ins with you it's to our advantage to keep it that way." Brennan opened his mouth to protest but Mac raised his hand and held him off. "The last thing we need is for Rhodes or the Agency to start a witch hunt for mutants in Toronto. At this point, I doubt that either of them knows the true nature of Jesse's abilities." "Rhodes' men saw me take a bullet at point blank range and deflect it," Jesse said evenly. Mac glanced at him, surprised by his admission. "That can be explained away. You might have been wearing a vest, the bullet could have been defective... If you were my henchman and came back empty handed telling some fantastic story about how your quarry stood up to a hail of bullets, I'd say you were nuts or making lame excuses. And on top of that, I'd be pissed; I'm sure they had orders to bring you in unharmed. So as far as we know, Rhodes has no knowledge of who or what you are." "Are you kidding, man?" Brennan scoffed. "Why else would they be after Jesse?" "They're after Jesse because the GSA is," Mac said. He turned to Jesse and smiled as he suddenly had a revelation. "I suppose you intend to mend his broken heart," Brennan said peevishly, angered by Mac's repeated references to his quarrel with Jesse. "Oh, he didn't seem terribly brokenhearted when I spoke with him this morning," Mac replied smoothly, "just tired of waiting and ready to move on." "With you?" "With me or someone else; I can only say for sure who he won't be with," Mac said. "Well, he won't be with you, either. Jesse is coming back to Mutant X. He's got important work to do back in the States." "I don't know; he may want to stick around and start a branch unit of your little organization in Canada," Part Three "What are you talking about?" Brennan demanded. "I read something about your father in the Agency files," Mac said, completely ignoring Brennan and addressing Jesse. "Wasn't he involved in the theft of crucial data from a genetic engineering company?" "My dad stole records from a company called Nexxogen," Jesse said dolefully. "But I personally destroyed all the information. No one will ever get his hands on it again." "Suppose Rhodes thinks you've still got it? The Director certainly did when she assigned me to you," Mac said. Jesse looked up with a tiny gleam in his eye. "So Rhodes' interest in me might have nothing to do with my being a new mutant at all," he said with a sly smile. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" "I never thought about it before. It makes sense, though, doesn't it? Based on all the information Brennan gave me earlier it stands to reason that Rhodes probably knows far more about the GSA than he does about Mutant X, if he's ever heard of it at all." "You told him about Mutant X?" he accused Brennan with an incredulous look. "Hey, he tricked me. Made out like he already knew about it," Brennan said defensively. Mac feigned a look of innocence. "Anyway, how does that help anything?" Brennan asked. "And while I'm on the subject, just why are you helping us?" "Oh, come on, Bren, we both know what's in it for me," Mac replied shamelessly. "Truthfully though, I'd just as soon the Agency stayed out of the 'playing God' business. They've tried it before when they dabbled with mind control drugs and the results were catastrophic. I don't want the Agency to make genetic engineering its new hobby." "And the best way to keep that from happening is to take both Rhodes and the GSA back across the border to the U.S. with us," Jesse said decisively. "Huh?" Mac and Brennan said in unison. "We can't allow Rhodes to fall into your agency's hands," Jesse said to Mac. "It's too dangerous." "How do we get Rhodes across the border?" Brennan asked, more to interrupt the looks two men shared than anything. "And what do we do with him once we've got him there?" "Who knows?" Mac said, maintaining his gaze at Jesse. "I bet I can dig up something," the blond mutant replied. "He started out in the U.S. and fled to Canada after running afoul of federal regulations about testing on human subjects. I'd be willing to bet that there are outstanding warrants on him." "So if you can lure Rhodes out of hiding—." "And you've just given me the perfect way to do it," Jesse finished for Mac. "I don't like it, Jesse," Brennan warned. "You want to set this guy up and—." "Hey, don't worry, Bren. I'll have both of you watching my back, right?" "I'll be watching your back. Lover boy here will be watching your backside," Brennan said derisively. But Mac only smiled. "Guilty as charged. Either way, we won't let you out of our sight." "So where do we go from here?" Jesse asked with a reproachful look at Mac. "We can't go back to the hotel. The Director will be waiting for you," Mac warned again. "Well, why don't we go somewhere else and just steer clear of her?" Brennan asked. "We've got to go back to the hotel," Jesse insisted. "How else do we lure Rhodes out into the open?" "True. Hey, I have an idea," Mac said. "Brennan, you and I share an interesting criminal past; ever do any con jobs?" "A few," Brennan said, curiously. "What did you have in mind?" "Well, first I have to spin a little story for the Director," Mac began. "Say, who's this Director you keep talking about?" "You don't want to know," Mac said with a dramatic shudder. "What's the scam?" Brennan asked, not amused. "You're the wild card here, Brennan. Rhodes doesn't know you and neither does the Director. So you become the muscle hired by Nexxogen to recover their stolen merchandise. Let's call you a bounty hunter." "Okay," Brennan said, intrigued. "You go to Rhodes with an offer; you've been following Jesse in hopes of recovering the merchandise and you've managed to locate it. You'll offer to sell him the Nexxogen disk if he can outbid your employers." Jesse smiled, but Brennan was less than convinced. "How does that get him across the border?" "We'll work out the specifics later. Maybe you agree to the deal here but insist on doing the transfer back in the states," Mac said. "The important thing is that we get Rhodes on the hook." "How do we get the Director to back off?" Jesse asked. "You let me worry about that," Mac said. "I'll go to her with intel on Brennan and his plans for screwing Nexxogen out of its database." "But then she'll go after Brennan," Jesse argued. "Hey, I can handle it," Brennan insisted, ignoring Jesse's scowl. "She wants Rhodes," Mac said, "and she has absolutely no idea where to find him. Brennan will be the key to getting him so she'll let him sell his disk and then move in." "That's all well and good except we don't know where to find him, either," Jesse said. "And how do we know she won't just take Brennan and demand that he turn over the disk?" "It's not her style. Given a choice, she goes for clever and devious every time. She'll let Brennan do her dirty work and then close in for the capture of Rhodes." "Since you've got all the answers, smart guy," Brennan said, "how do we find Rhodes?" "We let him find us. We go back to the hotel and wait," Mac replied. "You call that a plan?" "Have you got a better one, Einstein?" "One that doesn't involve putting Jesse's life on the line, you mean?" Brennan spat back. "Hey, we'll both be with him, dumb ass!" "Hey, you two!" Jesse cried. "This isn't getting us anywhere. For what it's worth, Brennan, Mac is right. Our best bet is to return to the hotel and let Rhodes' people find me. When they show up you let them know that what they're after is no longer in my possession. You tell them you want to speak to their boss in person and how to contact you." "And before we go, I'll give the Director a heads up to let her know that I've found Jesse," Mac said. He slipped out of his seat and walked to the door to make his call. "You trust this guy?" Brennan said when Mac was barely out of earshot. "Yes, I trust him," Jesse replied firmly. "You're too gullible, Jess. We don't know anything about him. He could be leading us right into a trap." "Why should he?" "Hello? He's one of them!" "I think he's sincere about protecting new mutants up here and keeping Rhodes out of his agency's hands." "That guy's only sincere about one thing and that's getting you in bed." Jesse sighed exasperatedly. "You've been with him what—three days, Jess? How many times has he propositioned you?" "He hasn't propositioned me at all!" Jesse said defiantly. "Well, once, sort of; you showed up before he got very far." Brennan threw up his hands and shook his head in disgust. "Look, I know Mac comes across as fast and loose, but he's got a good head on his shoulders and he knows when to play games and when to be serious. We need him in this, Bren." "We can manage on our own. And if we can't we can call Sanctuary for reinforcements." "No; the lower our profile the better it will be for all concerned. We only alert the others if things go royally down the tubes." "Well, with that loser hanging around that's highly likely." "Brennan!" Jesse rolled his eyes. "Trust Mac. He'll get us through this." "You really like him, don't you?" Brennan said after a moment. "Yes, I do." "Well, if he's what you want..." "This is not about what I want. It's about what we need to get out of Canada with Rhodes. You know, it might be good for us to establish a reliable contact up here." "Good for you, you mean." "Good for Mutant X and the underground." Brennan sighed. "Whatever you say, man." Mac flipped his phone open and dialed the Director's number. He was put on hold for several minutes and he worried his lip as he watched Jesse and Brennan engage in a terse conversation while Mrs. Lau cleared the table of empty dishes. "Mac, if you're calling with another excuse..." "I've located Jesse," Mac said bluntly. "Where is he?" "We're on our way back to the hotel." "Bring him to me." "I really think you want us to go back to the hotel." "And why should I want that?" "Because the answer to all our questions is there; seems Jesse hid something in his room before he did his disappearing act. He's not saying what it is, but I'm guessing it is the disk his dad stole from Nexxogen." "How very interesting. Bring Mr. Kilmartin and the disk to me." "I live to serve." Mac closed the phone and went to pay the check before he made his way back to the table. "Let's move," he said. Jesse rose to his feet but Brennan glowered at Mac for a moment before following suit. He led the way back to the car while Mac stopped to speak with the owners of the tea house. "What about when this is all over?" Brennan asked when they reached the car. "What about it?" Jesse asked quizzically. "You and him?" Brennan asked as he gestured toward Mac with his chin. "What I said last night still stands, Brennan," Jesse said evenly. "What I choose to do with my life is my business." "Not when it affects Mutant X." "And this has nothing to do with Mutant X!" "You just said it did! Or did I not just hear you say we needed someone up here?" "I was talking about him!" Jesse said angrily. "Geez, Brennan, are you even listening to yourself?" "Am I going to have to separate you two?" Mac said as he unlocked the doors with his remote. He had heard the heated words, but chose to pretend that he hadn't. Jesse slid into the passenger seat and Brennan climbed into the cramped back seat of the car for the ride back to the hotel. When they arrived, they split up. Mac escorted Jesse upstairs and Brennan entered the hotel separately and went to the bar. "Home again, home again," Mac said as he watched Jesse slide his pass card through the electronic lock. Before he could open the door, however, Mac grabbed his wrist. "It's probably bugged and I'd bet my left lung that it's also been searched. Of course, Brennan's already stolen the disk, theoretically, so make a scene," he whispered in Jesse's ear. Jesse nodded and reached for the knob, but Mac stopped him again, this time grabbing him by the shirt and pushing him up against the wall beside the door. Jesse's mouth gaped open to protest, but before he could utter a sound Mac pressed himself against the startled man and gave him a searing kiss. Jesse quickly recovered and gave as good as he got, but it ended far too soon for either man's liking. "Sorry," Mac said unrepentantly, as he backed off and straightened his jacket. "I had to do that—in case I didn't get another chance," he said staring at Jesse's succulent mouth. "Oh, you'll get another chance," Jesse said, licking his lips like a cat. "I guarantee it. Hell, you just guaranteed it," he grinned as he turned toward the door. He looked up at Mac. "Anything else we need to cover before I do this?" He smiled at Mac's groan and pushed the door open. As he stepped into the room, Jesse did a quick visual sweep. He spotted the camera easily; there weren't many places to conceal it. Jesse pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the bed as he forced his attention away from the smoke detector. "I'll just be a minute," he called out into the hall. He went into the bathroom and came out a moment later swearing. Right on cue, Mac banged on the door and Jesse let him in. "What's wrong?" Mac demanded, reaching for his gun. "It's not here!" Jesse cried. He went back into the bathroom. "I don't believe it! I checked it before I left earlier. There's no way it—." Mac drew Jesse out of the bathroom and sat him on the edge of the bed. "Calm down and tell me what's missing," he said. "It's personal," he said stonily as he rose and began digging through the top drawer of the dresser. "I must have moved it and forgot," he said as he began to throw clothing on the bed as he frantically search for the missing object. "What are you looking for?" Mac asked as a pair of black briefs hit him square on the chest. He was certain that it was no accident and suppressed a smile as he plucked the garment from his chest and reluctantly dropped it on the bed. Slipping them into his pocket would have made the Director all too happy. Jesse didn't respond; he was too busy pulling the drawer out of the bureau. He carefully checked the underside and back and sighed when he found nothing. He placed the drawer on top of the bureau and sat down heavily on the bed amid his scattered laundry. "Jesse," Mac said as he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Talk to me, man." "It's not here," he said in a strained voice. He ran his hands through his hair and if Mac hadn't coached him in the hall he would have sworn that Jesse had really lost the disk in question. "What's not here?" "The disk. It's a data disk I brought with me. It contains valuable information and I always made a point of hiding it in a safe place before I left the room." "Why didn't you just take it with you?" Mac asked as he sat down next to Jesse on the bed. "With those guys after me?" Jesse scoffed. "Are you insane?" "Jesse, is that why 'those guys' are after you?" Jesse averted his gaze and Mac idly wondered if he was ever going to be able to get a straight answer from Jesse about anything. "A few months ago, my father called me out of the blue and said he needed my help. Some people were after him and he needed—well, long story short, he left something with me for safekeeping. I put it away and forgot about it until he called last week and told me to come up to Canada." "What did he say, exactly?" "He told me to check into this hotel and that he'd make all the arrangements." "So he booked this room for you?" "Yeah," Jesse shrugged. "Why?" "It's possible that he's the one who took whatever it is that you're hiding." "Why would he sneak in here and steal it? All he'd have to do is ask for it." "Jesse, your dad passed you something he'd stolen, didn't he?" Once again, Jesse averted his eyes and Mac fought the urge to grab him and kiss him again. He never imagined that stubbornness could be so damned sexy. "Why would he sneak in and leave again without seeing me?" Jesse said after a moment. He flicked Mac a pained glance that told a story Mac could well empathize with. "My dad has used me more times that I'd care to admit," he replied. He rubbed Jesse's back soothingly as he spoke as a wave of old disappointments washed over him unbidden. "I don't believe it," Jesse said bitterly, shrugging off Mac's hand and returning to the bureau, where he began digging through another drawer. "Maybe I put it somewhere else. I moved it every day, sometimes twice. I was feeling pretty paranoid about it." "Jesse did your dad say that he was going to meet you here or did you just assume he would?" Jesse froze and straightened up but he would not turn and look at Mac. "Has he been in contact with you since your arrival? Did you ask at the desk whether he'd made a reservation for himself?" Jesse finally cracked and turned around. "He wouldn't—. I don't believe it," he said plaintively. "Give me another explanation, then," Mac reasoned. "Who else knew about the disk?" "Well, obviously those guys who've tried to beat me up three times. And there was that dark-haired guy at the airport." "What dark-haired guy?" "Tall, handsome, muscular, well-dressed—I got the impression he was following me, but I could be mistaken. I'd seen him before, once or twice back home and then twice here in Toronto in four days." "Not very likely," Mac agreed. "Not that I'm saying he's got anything to do with this," Jesse said. "But I won't be convinced that my dad would sneak in here and make off with the disk. Not when there are more plausible explanations, anyway." "You're right," Mac said speculatively. "It could have been the GSA." "What's the GSA?" Jesse asked so ingenuously that Mac looked up sharply. "Are those the guys who've been after me?" "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Mac grinned. "Why would they chase me all over Chinatown today if they've already got the disk?" "Subterfuge; they know what a kick-ass fighter you are so they kept you busy elsewhere while they searched your room." Mac rose to his feet. "Stay put. I have to check something out." Jesse regarded him quizzically, but he nodded and sat down as Mac headed for the door. Mac stepped into the elevator and pushed a floor at random. He pulled out his phone when he stepped out and called Brennan. "Mulwray." "Hey, Bren," Mac said sarcastically. "We're going to need you upstairs." He quickly cued Brennan in on the updated scenario. Brennan was immediately suspicious. "You give us a plan and fifteen minutes later you're changing up on us? I don't like it. Put Jess on," he demanded. "Jess isn't here," Mac began. "You've lost him again? Damn it, Ramsey! I'm on my way up!" "Listen, shit head! I haven't 'lost' Jesse. He's in his room. I stepped outside so I could call you without the bugs picking up our conversation. Of course, with you yelling like that they might just hear your half of it from the first floor," Mac said angrily. "Now, get up here and do your part. Remember, everything you say and do will be captured for posterity, so don't blow it." "Hey, I know my job." "Do it," Mac spat before he shut the phone and stepped back into the elevator. He returned to Jesse's room. "Be up here in five." "Where have you been?" Jesse asked as soon as he'd let Mac in. He'd removed his shirt and had apparently been washing up when Mac knocked on the door. Mac inhaled sharply at the sight of his bare chest and walked past him into the room. "I've been making inquiries," Mac said as he picked up a discarded tee shirt and tossed it at Jesse, who took the hint and pulled it on. "Your father hasn't reserved a room." "Maybe he's staying at another hotel," Jesse suggested. Mac returned a doubting look. "Look, I know you want to believe that your father wouldn't do something like this to you, but—." "I know, I know," Jesse said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I should know better. This wouldn't be the first time he's snookered me. I guess I want to believe that things will change but they never do, do they?" Mac sighed empathetically and shook his head. "As a kid I lived in constant hope that my dad would change—that one day he'd come back for me. He never did. I didn't see him again for twelve years." "Ouch," Jesse said. "Well, I guess I have to face the reality that my father's come and gone and my job here is done." He rose from the bed and looked around the room. "There's no point hanging around. Dad obviously left no message so I have to assume he has no intention of seeing me." "The Director still wants to see you," Mac reminded him gently. He knew they were playing a scene but Jesse was plainly speaking from the heart and Mac felt lousy about unintentionally dredging up old wounds. "What for? I can't tell her anything. I never knew what was on that disk and I don't have any part in or knowledge of whatever my dad has in store for it." "Let's just humor her, shall we?" Mac said with his trademark grin. It broke the tension slightly and Jesse smiled. "She's a real bitch, isn't she?" he said mischievously. "I can just tell she scares you shitless." Mac's eyes went wide but before he could reply, there was a knock at the door. He signaled for Jesse to stay put and went to open it. Jesse frowned in confusion at the sight of his associate. "What do you want?" Mac demanded. "I have business with Mr. Kilmartin, if you don't mind," Brennan replied. He brushed past him and strode into the room. "What are you—?" Jesse blurted before he could stop himself. "The name's Brennan Mulwray," he said as he came to a stop before Jesse, "and I represent some very important people who have reason to believe that you are in possession of something that belongs to them." Jesse frowned and glanced at Mac while Brennan walked over to the chair, pausing to pick up the pair of briefs that had fallen to the floor. "Don't you have maid service? This place is a pig sty," he said as Mac grabbed the briefs from his hand and surreptitiously shoved them into his pocket. "What's this about?" Mac asked, ignoring him. "Who are you?" Brennan asked. "He's a friend," Jesse said quickly. "What's this about?" "As I told you, I represent—." "Yeah, we heard that," Mac spat. "Cut to the chase." "Your friend needs to learn some manners," Brennan said with a sly smile. "I was hired to recover the data disk your father stole from Nexxogen and left with you for safekeeping." "Well, he no longer has it, so why don't you slither back to whatever hole you dragged yourself out of?" Mac said. Brennan shot him a venomous look and turned his attention back to Jesse. "I'm well aware of the fact that you no longer possess the disk. It's been moved to a safer location—hotel rooms are all too easy to break into," he said as Mac grabbed him up from the chair. Jesse quickly intervened. "Mac!" he shouted as he pushed in between the men and fended the taller man off. Brennan straightened his jacket and smiled. "What do you want?" "It's simple," Brennan said. "It seems to me that there are at least four parties that want what's on that disk. It stands to reason that there are plenty more out there, so I've decided to hold an auction. The disk will go to the highest bidder." "What?" Mac cried. Jesse shot him a look. "Why tell me?" he asked. "I don't want it." "Oh, but your daddy does," Brennan said as he straightened his jacket. "I just hope his pockets are deep enough to make a serious bid." He walked past the other two men and went to the door. "I'll be in touch." Mac stared at the door, fighting the urge to follow Brennan out into the hall and beat him senseless. He seriously disliked the man and he'd played his part so convincingly that Mac had to remind himself that they were on the same side—for now. He gathered his wits about him and turned to look at Jesse. "We don't even know for sure that he's got the disk," Mac said. "What are you talking about? You heard him!" "I saw the guy's rap sheet. He's a thief and a con artist. I wouldn't put it past him to try and scam both his employers and the competition." "What? How?" "Suppose he knew that your father had already taken the disk? All he'd have to do is contact Nexxogen or the GSA and tell them he's got it. They pay him a king's ransom and he skips off leaving them with nada." "If that's the case, why tell me?" "It's his way of convincing the other parties that he's on the level. He wants you to leave town so all the other players will focus on him." Jesse sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. "What?" Mac asked. "What if he didn't steal it from my room? What if he took it from my dad?" "Let's go to down to headquarters. If there's any intel on your father it'd be in the Agency database," Mac said. He took Jesse by the arm and led him to the door, pausing only long enough to allow him to grab his jacket. They headed to the elevators in silence. It wasn't until they reached the car that Mac broke out of character and winked at his companion. "'She's a real bitch, isn't she?' 'I can just tell she scares you shitless'? Were you trying to give me a coronary back there?" Mac laughed. "Who, me?" Jesse said innocently as he pulled a small device from his pocket and turned it on. He aimed it at the car, waited a few seconds. Mac frowned at the green light emitted by the device and leaned against the car. "What's that?" "It's a bug detector, among other things," Jesse replied as he switched it off and slipped it into his pocket. "You're clean." They got into the car. "I want to go and work for your side. You've got better gadgets," Mac said boyishly as he fastened his seat belt. Where are we going?" Jesse asked as Mac started the car. "You heard me; we're going to see the Director." "Does Brennan know?" "Not unless you told him." Jesse smiled briefly and pulled out his phone. "Bren?" "Jess! What's going on up there?" "We're no longer 'up there.' We're headed down to Agency headquarters." "Are you nuts?" Brennan cried. "I don't want you anywhere near there!" "I'm frankly not crazy about the idea, myself, but it's necessary." "I don't like it. How do we know this all wasn't just a set up so Mac could lure you downtown?" Mac could hear Brennan swearing into the phone. He plucked it from Jesse's hand and shut it off before handing it back. "He's a little overprotective sometimes," Jesse said sheepishly. "The man is crazy about you, you know." Jesse didn't respond. He stared out the window as the car moved briskly through light city traffic. Mac didn't force the conversation and the silence persisted until they reached Agency headquarters. "I don't know if you'll be searched, but you will be subjected to a security screen. You may want to leave your gadgets out here," Mac said. Jesse nodded and placed a small case the size of a handheld computer in the glove compartment, along with the flash drive to his laptop and a small multi-purpose tool. Having emptied his pockets he glanced at Mac, who locked the compartment and smiled briefly before turning to exit the car. "Maybe you should empty your pockets, too," Jesse said. Mac looked back at him as Jesse reached into his pocket and removed the purloined briefs. "Kinky." Mac shrugged and smiled shamelessly as he took the briefs and shoved them into the cup holder. The exited the car and walked to the entrance. "Dobrinsky, ever the Director's faithful watchdog," Mac said when he saw the tall, black agent waiting for them. "She's waiting for you," Dobrinsky said as he eyed Jesse head to toe. Jesse coolly mimicked the gesture before he followed Mac inside. As expected, Jesse was made to walk through a scanner as was Mac, who off-loaded an impressive array of weaponry into a small box before walking through. "Paranoid, are you?" Jesse said as he watched Mac re-holster three guns, a knife, and a length of fine wire. "No, but my regular partner is; I only carried two guns before we started working together," Mac said as he finished and gestured with his head. The pair walked to the elevator and took the ride down to the lower level. They stood a few feet apart and stared at one another. Mac intended to say something but it completely slipped his mind as he stared at Jesse's wry smile. Mac smiled back and took a step closer to Jesse just as the car stopped and the doors stood open. He sighed and turned to exit the car, but froze in his tracks. The Director was standing before him with her hands on her hips. "Well, it's about time," she deadpanned. She turned her glare on Jesse and her demeanor became predatory. "Well, Mr. Kilmartin, we meet at last." Jesse blinked back at her with that same tiny smile. She gestured for him to exit the car and led him down the corridor to her office. "This ought to be very interesting." Mac muttered as he followed the pair. The Director barred him from entering the office, however. "Go do something, Mac. I'd like to speak with Mr. Kilmartin alone." The Director shut the door before Mac could respond. He remained where he stood and did a slow burn while the interrogation took place. "Who are you, Jesse Kilmartin?" the Director drawled as she slowly walked around him. "You obviously know who I am, so why don't we skip the preliminaries? Why was I brought here? What do you want with me?" "I'll ask the questions here, Mr. Kilmartin." "Can we skip the clichs, too?" Jesse folded his arms and stared back at the Director defiantly. "You think you're rather clever." Jesse shrugged, refusing to be baited. "What do you want from me?" "I want to know why you're here, Mr. Kilmartin," the Director said as she slid into her seat and crossed her legs provocatively. Jesse resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm here because you had Mac drag me down here—against my will, I might add. And while we're on the subject of Mac, why was I saddled with a bodyguard, anyway; or do you do that for every tourist?" "Oh, you're no ordinary tourist, Mr. Kilmartin. Ordinary tourists don't have gangs of thugs chasing after them." "That's good to hear. I was beginning to think Toronto was a very unfriendly city." "Then why have you stayed?" "I was getting ready to leave when Mac decided to glom onto me," Jesse said exasperatedly. "He told me I was in danger and needed to stay put for a few days. No offense, but if I have to be in danger I'd rather be in New York where I could at least be protected by people from agencies with names." "Sit down, Mr., Kilmartin," the Director demanded impatiently. Jesse pulled out a chair and sank down into the seat, deliberately crossing his legs in a perfect imitation of the Director, who was quickly losing her patience. "Very amusing, Mr. Kilmartin, but your little antics won't work on me." "What antics? All I'm trying to do is get out of here." "You'll get out of here when you've answered my questions," the Director said leaning forward for emphasis. "Ask away," Jesse challenged, extending his arms wide. "Why are you here?" This time Jesse did roll his eyes. "I needed to get away from work for a while," he shrugged. "I'm just here taking in the sights." "What is your work, Mr. Kilmartin?" "Oh, I phase in and out of things," Jesse replied easily. "You aren't taking this seriously, Mr. Kilmartin. Believe me," the Director said, "this is very serious. Where is your father?" "My father? What does he have to do with anything?" "He's the reason why you're here, Mr. Kilmartin. You received a phone call from him a week ago and he told you come up here, didn't you?" "Yes," Jesse said seriously. "Finally, a straight answer. What did he tell you exactly?" "I told him that I was stressed out and needed to get away for a while. He suggested that I come to Toronto. He said there were great restaurants and night life," Jesse said with a smile. "What did he tell you about the disk?" The Director said in a tight voice. "You know, I can never understand why people ask questions about things they already know. You've obviously bugged my room, so you know everything I told Mac. You also know that I don't have the disk anymore," Jesse said as he rose to his feet and headed for the door. "We'd like to help you get it back," the Director said. Jesse turns and looked at her, frankly stunned by her statement. "What makes you think I want it?" he said, recovering quickly. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly like being a target." "Your father wants it," the Director said smugly as she rose from the chair and closed the distance between them. She moved to step into Jesse's personal space and he put out his hands to stop her. "At this point, I could care less. I'm tired of being a pawn. First my father used me and now you want to do the same. What's in it for you?" "That doesn't concern you." "The hell it doesn't!" Jesse spat. "I don't want any part of that disk or my father." With that Jesse turned and strode from the room. "I'm outta here." "Mr. Kilmartin!" The Director called after him as she followed him into the corridor. Mac, who'd been leaning against the wall outside the office, started when the pair burst through the door and went storming past. Jesse stopped and spun around so that the Director nearly collided with his chest. "You can't keep me here," he said evenly. "All right, Mr. Kilmartin. We'll do this your way. Will you come back inside? I'll answer your questions." Mac's mouth fell open. Jesse glanced at him and then strode back into the office. The Director smiled and followed him, slamming the door in Mac's face a second time. "What do you want?" Jesse demanded. "I want that disk." "I can't help you." "Oh, but you can," the Director purred. "How?" Jesse asked suspiciously. "Mr. Mulwray said he'd be in touch. You can help us to acquire the disk." "Why should I? And what do you want with it?" "That's no concern of yours." Jesse shook his head and turned toward the door. The Director reached out and held his arm. He looked at her as she stroked it and pulled away. "I really don't have time for games. Either you level with me now or I'll disappear." The Director went to her desk and picked up a folder. She selected a photograph and handed it to Jesse. "Do you recognize this man?" "I've never seen him before," he replied as he returned the photo. "His name is Scott Rhodes." "Who is he?" "He's an American biogeneticist currently residing somewhere in Canada. He's the reason I want that disk." "Why?" Jesse persisted. "Really, Mr. Kilmartin, you're becoming quite tedious." "If you want him what does the disk have to do with it?" "I have reason to believe that some of his men have been pursuing you as well as the GSA. He wants that disk and I want him. Understand?" "So you want me to acquire the disk so that you can use it to lure Rhodes out of hiding?" "I knew you were more than just a pretty face, Mr. Kilmartin." "I'm smart enough to see the flaw in your plan, too," he said cheekily. "Presumably, you don't want to get a hold of him just to make nice. So even if you get the disk he's likely to try and elude you. And therefore you don't simply want Rhodes; you want the disk and Rhodes. You've got an agenda." "What if we do?" the Director shrugged, annoyed at Jesse's display of mental acuity. "Your agenda has nothing to do with either me or my father. I don't see any possible reason why I'd want to play along with it. And even if I wanted to, as Mac said, we can't even be sure Brennan Mulwray has the disk." "Aren't you the slightest bit curious—for your father's sake?" the Director asked as once again she ran her hand along his bicep. Jesse fought an urge to phase his arm; he wouldn't give the Director the satisfaction of knowing that she was making him uncomfortable. He could easily imagine Mac squirming under her unwanted attentions, and he was sure she used sexual harassment to manipulate him every chance she got. "Quite frankly, no; I've had enough of him and his games. I was better off with him out of my life. " "Oh come, Mr. Kilmartin," the Director cooed. "You at least want reassurance that your father is alive and well, don't you? All you have to do is force Mulwray to prove he has the disk." "Thanks for the opportunity, but I think I'll pass." Jesse turned and headed for the door. "Say goodbye to Mac on the way out. You won't be seeing him anymore," the Director said slyly. Jesse stopped at the door. "Throwing me to the sharks, are you?" Jesse turned around and smiled at the Director. "Well, good luck finding Rhodes," he said as he turned and left the room. "Well?" Mac said when Jesse emerged. "I'm done here," he replied. He turned to the Director, who, as he expected, was at his heels. "Will you at least allow him to drive me back to my hotel? I have no idea where I am or how to find a cab out here." "I've changed my mind about throwing you to the sharks," the Director said. "You may be of some use to me after all. Take him back to the hotel, Mac. Don't let him out of your sight again." "Sometimes I love my job," Mac said with a sloppy salute. Jesse smiled to himself, but Mac was still confused by Jesse's exchange with the Director. He followed Jesse back to the elevator positively brimming with curiosity. "What the hell went on in there?" Mac asked when the elevator doors closed. Jesse simply smiled serenely. Mac sighed, knowing from experience that it would be fruitless to press him for an answer he was unwilling to give. The walked in silence till they were outside. "What a piece of work!" Jesse said after taking in a long breath. "Welcome to my life," Mac said as he led the way to the car. "You have my sympathies." "Are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to play twenty questions?" Mac asked finally once they were on the road and Jesse had satisfied himself that neither the car nor his possessions had been tampered with. "She wanted me to help her trap Rhodes. I told her to get lost." "What did she say?" Mac persisted. "Oh, she tried to guilt me into getting the disk back from Brennan so she could use it to trap Rhodes." "That's consistent with our plans." "Yeah, but I'm not about to agree to anything with that woman. I wouldn't trust her as far as I could throw her." "Your instincts are flawless," Mac said with a smile. "So what was that bit about the sharks?" Jesse smiled. "Oh, she threatened to take you away from me," he said puckishly. "That bitch!" Mac said. "Don't worry. She fully intends to keep us together. She knows that whether I want to or not, I'm going to see Brennan again and she intends for you to be there when he shows up. If she can't use me, she certainly can use you." "So now what?" Mac asked as they reached the downtown area. "We'd better check in with Brennan before he pops something," Jesse said. He dialed Brennan's number but got no answer and was forced to leave a message. "Dinner?" Mac said. "Sounds good to me. I good go for a burger right now." "Say no more, I know just the place." "You do realize your room is still bugged," Mac said as he toyed with a puddle of ketchup on his plate. "Don't worry. I fully intend to pull it all out the moment I get back to the hotel. She'll expect me to." "And she probably has a set of secondary bugs." Jesse nodded. "Once I put the camera out of commission I can do a sweep for listening devices. She's probably bugged your room as well," he said. "In that case, can I stay in your room?" Mac asked. "I could just loan you my sweeper," Jesse suggested with a teasing smile. Mac sighed dramatically. "Nah, if you remove your bugs she'd be cool with it. If I remove mine I'll get a midnight visit that'll give me nightmares for a week." "Does she intimidate everyone at the Agency?" "To my knowledge, she's only got a handful of agents to terrorize. She seems to have a special thing for me, though." "I can see that," Jesse said, leaving Mac to interpret his words. "Let's change the subject while I still have my appetite," he said as Jesse leaned forward and used his napkin to remove a drop of ketchup from the corner of Mac's mouth. He sat back and watched as Mac slowly licked his lips. "That reminds me," Jesse said. "I should try Brennan again." He pulled out his phone and punched up the number. "How does my mouth remind you to call Brennan?" Mac frowned, affronted. Jesse smiled. "I was wondering what Brennan would say if he knew about that kiss we shared earlier," he said. "Damn, where is he?" He shut the phone and tried to reach him on the com link and got no response. "I don't like this," Mac said as he signaled for the check. "You don't think he's gone and done something crazy, do you?" "Like what?" "I don't know, but from the way you were talking about him earlier—." Jesse didn't wait for him to finish the sentence. He rose and pulled out his wallet and when the waiter handed him the check, he gave him a bill and shoved the wallet back into his pocket, gesturing for Mac to get moving. "Where to?" Mac asked as he put the car in gear. "The hotel," Jesse suggested. "If we're right and he's going to pull something to protect me that would be the logical place to do it." Five minutes later they pulled up in front of the hotel. Mac lucked into a parking space across the street and they entered the lobby at a jog. "Where?" Mac asked again. "Let's try your room," Jesse said. "My room?" "He'd want to find out what he could about you so he could plot his next move," Jesse said as they caught the elevator. "Have I mentioned that I intensely dislike this guy?" Mac said, fairly brimming with nervous energy. He put his hand to his waist near his holster and Jesse quickly grabbed it away. Mac glared at him, but Jesse glared right back. "If he's up there, let me handle it." "Can't I shoot him just once? I'll just wing him, I promise." "No; we need him, remember? Besides, you don't want to piss Brennan off. He can be extremely dangerous to mess with." "Now you tell me," Mac said dryly as the door opened. As Jesse predicted, they found Brennan outside Mac's door. He was in the process of applying a jolt of electricity to the electronic lock. "Breaking and entering is so rude," Mac said as he strolled over to Brennan. There was a woman standing beside him. She looked up and spotted Jesse just as he caught sight of her. "Shalimar?" he gasped as she pushed past the other two men to enfold him in a hug. "Are you all right?" "Of course I'm all right! Why shouldn't I be? And what the hell are you doing here?" Jesse demanded, gently pulling away so he could look at her. "I sent for her after Mac pulled his fast one," Brennan said. "After your little disappearing act I decided that we should have Shal in on this." Jesse just stared at him in disbelief, his mouth agape. "I told you where I was going, Bren! Why'd you push the panic button?" "He was just trying to help, Jess," Shalimar said. "He was just second guessing me like he always does, you mean," Jesse spat back. "Hey, you I trust. It's your new boyfriend, here, I don't know about," Brennan said with a glare at Mac, who simply leaned against the wall and shook his head. Shalimar turned and looked at him for the first time. "Nice try, Sparky," Mac said as he pushed the door to his room open. "But if you don't trust me, then you essentially doubt Jesse's judgment. Congratulations, loser." He went into his room and shut the door, leaving the others to talk. Jesse just shook his head and turned to his door. He was too angry to speak so he held his tongue as he dug in his pocket for his passkey. "Jess," Shalimar said, reaching out to touch his arm. "You should have trusted me, both of you," Jesse said softly. "We do trust you, Jess. Brennan was just worried about you," Shalimar said. Jesse turned around and raised his eyes to Brennan, who averted his gaze. Jesse shook his head in disgust. "Well, in spite of what either of you may think, things are going exactly according to plan. At least they were before you two decided to mess around up here; if Mac's boss has tapped into security cameras in the hall—and I certainly wouldn't put it past her—we're all busted," Jesse said with annoyance. "Let's go somewhere where we can talk safely, then," Shalimar insisted. "What's to talk about? Brennan's already explained everything, hasn't he? He's the one who knows everything. He's the one with the street smarts and the experience. What the hell do you need to talk to me for?" "Jesse?" Shalimar replied, stunned by the bitterness in his voice. "I'm tired, Shal," Jesse said as he turned back to the door. "Please, Jess, talk to me," she said softly. "I need to know what's going on with you." "My room is bugged; you can't come in." With that, he opened the door and went inside, closing the door without looking back. Shalimar turned and glared at Brennan. "Mac's got Jesse completely turned around," Brennan said defensively. "He hasn't been thinking straight since he got here. That's why I called you." Shalimar sighed and headed for the elevator. Brennan started to say something and she silenced him with a fierce look. As soon as he was inside his room, Jesse went straight to the camera in the smoke detector and yanked it out. Then he pulled out his sweeping device and located three listening devices in the bedroom and another camera in the bathroom. "Kinky bitch," Jesse growled. There was a light knock on the door and Jesse clenched his jaw as he went to it, prepared for an argument. He relaxed when he saw it was Mac. "Everything okay?" he asked as he looked past Jesse to see if the others were in the room. "Yeah," Jesse said, stepping back to allow him entrance. Mac sauntered into the room, looking for signs of the bugs. "It's okay, they're all gone," Jesse said. "I just flushed them." "Nice touch," Mac said with a smile as he leaned against the wall. Jesse walked over to him and then seemed to hesitate for a moment before leaning in and kissing Mac. It was a tentative, needy kiss and Mac brought his hands up to Jesse's face and pulled him closer. The kiss quickly intensified and Jesse wrapped his arms around Mac's waist and pressed their bodies together. Mac licked at Jesse's mouth and gained entrance to the moist heat within as Jesse moaned and buried his fingers in Mac's hair. When Jesse pulled away to nuzzle his throat, Mac took a deep breath and gently pulled him away. Jesse looked at him in confusion. "Are you sure this is what you really want right now?" Mac panted. "Yes, I really want this," Jesse said with a slightly hurt expression. Mac reached up and caressed his cheek but before he knew it they were kissing again and Jesse was insistently grinding himself against Mac's thigh. Mac was more than ready to lose himself in Jesse's passion, but once again he forced himself to pull away. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, because I want you more than my next breath at the moment," Mac said unsteadily, "but maybe we should wait until—." Jesse abruptly turned away and threw himself on the bed. "You know, I wish just once someone would let me decide what's best for me," he said petulantly. Mac went over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Have you decided that I'm what's best for you?" he asked. "Yes," Jesse said as he reached out and ran his hand up Mac's arm. "Good, at least we're in agreement on that," Mac said cheekily as he grabbed Jesse's wandering hand and entangled their fingers. "I think our only disagreement, then, is on a timetable." Jesse groaned and tried to turn over but Mac held his hand firmly and prevented it. "Call me crazy for worrying about this because when all this is over you'll probably pack up and go back to the States and I may never see you again. But I still think you deserve better than a frenzied coupling that's more about a need to feel something than a need to be with each other. I can do the former if you really want it, but I'd much prefer the latter. I hope you do, too." Jesse pouted for a moment, but conceding the correctness of Mac's assumption, he sat up. "So what's the timetable?" Jesse said, brightening a bit. "You call it; any time, any place. My only stipulation is that there be no hidden agendas, okay?" "I'm sorry, Mac. I wasn't trying to use—." Mac placed two fingers over Jesse's lips. When Jesse stopped talking, he removed them and gave him a lingering kiss. "I'm going to leave now," Mac said firmly as he rose and headed for the door. He glanced back at Jesse, who was sprawled across the bed, and shuddered. Jesse laughed and Mac shook his head and left. Part Four Mac crossed the hall and started to slide his passkey through the lock when he noticed that it was slightly open. The arousal that had threatened to overwhelm him a moment earlier completely disappeared as he made a quick threat assessment. Drawing his gun, he pushed the door open and slowly advanced. But he was surprised to find not Brennan, but Shalimar, waiting for him. "You're back sooner than I expected," she said as she used the remote to shut off the television. She was stretched out on his bed, in a position very reminiscent of the one in which he last saw Jesse. "I was about to find a movie." Mac holstered the gun and glanced up at the smoke detector. Shalimar pulled a small device from her pocket and held it up. It was identical to Jesse's. "I've temporarily jammed the signals," she said. "We need to talk." "Do we?" Mac said as he sat on the chair a safe distance away. "Well, Jesse won't talk; I figure you could give me some answers." "What do you want to know?" "I want to know what you and Jesse have planned." "I'm sure Brennan already told you." "I want to hear it from you," Shalimar said. "Please." Mac sighed and sat back before laying out the plan as far as they had worked it out. "So how do you plan to lure Rhodes across the border?" "We haven't quite worked that out yet," Mac admitted. "I may be able to help you there. I came up on the Double Helix." "Really," Mac said, clearly clueless as to what she meant. "The Double Helix is a jet," she explained. "We can simply fly him back to the States." "And how are you going to explain him to the authorities?" "You let us worry about that," Shalimar said. "So tell me about you and Jesse." "What's there to tell?" "You obviously care about him. Even Brennan had to admit that he thought so." "And what's your interest in this? "Jesse's my closest friend. If you make him happy then you and I will get on famously. But if you hurt him I'll rip out your heart with my bare hands." There wasn't a doubt in Mac's mind that Shalimar intended to make good on her threat, but he couldn't resist turning the tables on her. "You should have tried that line on Brennan," he said cockily. "In fact, from what I've heard, you should have practiced it in the mirror." Mac's words hit their target and Shalimar averted her eyes uncomfortably. "Yes, I've made mistakes, and so did Brennan. But that's why I don't want to see Jesse hurt again." "Doesn't Jesse get to make mistakes?" "Are you a mistake?" Shalimar challenged. "That's for him to find out," Mac said, rising to pace. "I get the distinct impression that you all treat him with kid gloves, like he's some sort of precious object you're afraid will shatter. He's a grown man, for Pete's sake. Let him live his life! Why do you think he left the States? He needed to get away from Sanctuary for a while, to do some thinking on his own. And what do you do? The two people who threw his life into confusion in the first place, follow him up here, butt into his personal affairs and start second-guessing him. What gives you the right?" Shalimar rose from the bed, pouting. "Is that what you think we're doing?" "Prove you aren't doing it!" Mac spat back. Shalimar looked up at him and smiled. She pulled his face down to hers and kissed his cheek. "I think Jesse's going to be fine with you." She reached past Mac to pick up her discarded jacket and walked to the door. "And you don't look anything like Brennan," she said with a wink before departing. She was about to shut the door before she pushed it open it again and held up the device. She flipped the switch, waved and closed the door. Mac sat down on the bed, ran his hands over his face and laid back on the bed, cognizant of the fact that he was now under surveillance. He glared up at the camera on the ceiling. "She is one kinky bitch," he muttered as he reached up to turn off the light. Mac put his arm over his eyes and allowed his mind to travel back to the moment when Jesse launched himself at Mac and kissed him. He savored the memory of Jesse's intensity, his scent, his taste... Mac groaned and rolled over onto his stomach. Mac's phone rang early the next morning. He grunted and rolled over, blindly reaching for the phone. "Mac?" Jesse said before Mac could even grumble a hello. "There's someone outside my door." Mac threw down the phone and sprang out of his bed. He grabbed his gun from the nightstand and went to peek through the peephole. He swore and threw open the door. Ignoring the fact that he was clad only in a pair of burgundy silk briefs, he went across the hall and knocked on Jesse's door. "Go ahead and open it," he called. "It's dick brain and cat woman." Mac went back to his room and shut the door as Jesse opened his door. "Get in here," he said to Brennan and Shalimar. They turned in surprise; they had both turned to stare at Mac as he departed. "I said get in here!" The pair exchanged glances and did as they were bidden. Jesse shut the door behind them and scratched his head. "What the hell are you doing here?" "I thought it was time for me to pay you another visit," Brennan said. "I did say I'd be back." "Before dawn?" Jesse asked around a huge yawn. "It's well past dawn," Brennan countered. "Not much," Jesse replied as he checked the clock. "And you can skip the act; the cameras are gone so you°¶re going to have to accost me in a more public place next time." There was a knock at the door and Jesse opened it to admit Mac. "What are you two doing here so early?" Mac asked as he strode in. He'd put on a pair of pants and a tee shirt but he was still barefoot. "Shal did a little prowling last night," Brennan replied as he sat down. "She found two GSA guys and one of Rhodes' men lurking around the hotel." "I let the GSA weasels go after playing with them a little," Shalimar said with a feral grin. Mac blinked when he thought her eyes momentarily flashed a golden glow. "I did interrogate Rhodes' little minion, however. He took a message back to his boss." "Shal told him she was my associate and that she wanted to arrange a meeting," Brennan explained. "You didn't reveal any of your powers, did you?" Jesse said worriedly. "I knew both the GSA people from previous run-ins so I didn't hold back," Shalimar said. "But I knew when to be subtle. I only used karate on poor Tony." She walked over to Jesse and looked at him hopefully. "Are you still mad at me for coming?" "Yes," Jesse said even as he pulled her into his arms for a hug. "It's nothing personal, Shal. I just think that the more of us are here, the more danger we'll bring upon ourselves." "Hey, we're almost out of here," Brennan said. "As soon as Tony gets back to Shal about that meeting, I'll move in and arrange the sting. We lure Rhodes into our trap and you can kiss Toronto goodbye," he said with a pointed look at Mac. "You make it all sound so simple," Mac sighed, ignoring the obvious bait. He shook his head disparagingly and went into the bathroom. "You two shouldn't be here," Jesse said. "You're supposed to be the bad guys, remember? If anyone sees us consorting—." "How else are we supposed to know what's going on?" Brennan demanded. "Telephone?" Mac suggested as he came out of the bathroom drying his face. "Email? Carrier pigeon?" He dropped the towel and sat down on Jesse's bed, feeling the residual warmth. He laid down and stretched out, observing the loose fitting pajama pants that constituted Jesse's entire outfit. "I don't suppose either of you thought to bring coffee?" "You look pretty comfortable there, stud," Brennan said disparagingly. "Thanks, 'stud,'" Mac replied. "All right," Jesse said, interrupting them before they got into it, "We need a game plan, people." He ran a hand over his face and thought as he fingered the stubble. "It's simple," Mac said, "We stay here. They go away." "You call that a game plan?" Brennan said. "He's right, Bren," Shalimar said. "We should steer clear of them till Rhodes shows up. Otherwise, he'll smell a rat." "And we all know who that is," Mac said. "Mac," Jesse said as he shot Brennan a warning look. "Look, I'll tell you what—we'll dress, go down to the lobby and spend the day in plain sight. You two can stalk us. That way you'll be on hand when Rhodes' people show up." "And what if the GSA shows up?" Brennan asked. "Don°¶t worry," Mac said as he sat up. "Shal will protect you." Shalimar laughed as Brennan bristled and Jesse quickly jumped between the two men to prevent a fight. "Shal," he said wearily. She grabbed Brennan by the arm and led him from the room. "We'll be down in a little while," he said as the door closed. "And as for you..." "Moi?" Mac asked as he stood up and stretched. "You're incorrigible," Jesse said. "Do you think you can manage to stop baiting Brennan till this is over?" "I think I can, but really, what's in it for me?" Mac asked puckishly. "Mac," Jesse groaned, but his heart wasn't in it. Mac pulled Jesse into his arms and smiled lewdly. "Aren't you the guy who recently counseled me to behave?" "I wanted you to behave," Mac replied playfully. "I didn't say anything about myself." He pulled Jesse closer and kissed him. He tasted even better than Mac remembered. Too good; Mac reluctantly pulled away, lest he forget himself entirely. "All right," he said. "That ought to make me cooperative for a few hours." He winked at Jesse and released him. "I'll meet you back here in twenty." With that he left Jesse to shower and change. Mac and Jesse met up twenty minutes later and headed for the hotel's caf for breakfast. They placed their orders and Mac sipped coffee while Jesse scanned the morning headlines. "Brennan looks bored," Mac observed. Jesse glanced up and saw Brennan and Shalimar sitting at the rear of the caf. "He doesn't like waiting," Jesse replied. "He's not exactly the patient type." "Tell me; is he actually good at anything?" "Mac," Jesse drawled reproachfully. "Hey! You accused me of incompetence and I haven't even bungled anything." "I apologize. You aren't incompetent and neither is Brennan." "Why don't I believe you?" Mac asked boyishly. "You don't want to believe me," Jesse said. "Guilty as charged, but then, I have my reasons." "And those would be entirely subjective." "Subjective? Let's see; he tried to break into my room yesterday—twice. He tried to fry me in the middle of a public park after I explained the need for him to keep a low profile. He had cat woman fly up here after you told him there was no need to call in back up—." "Mac..." "And he's a lousy dresser." "Hey! I bought him that shirt!" Jesse said defensively. "You wasted your time. He's got no style," Mac said critically. "Mac..." "You know, I love it when you say my name like that." Jesse sighed and shook his head. He looked up again when the waiter brought their food and saw something out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over at Brennan and Shalimar, who were engaged in discussion. "Hey, you two got your ears on?" he said softly. "Hello? There's only one of me," Mac said. "Thank God," Brennan sneered in Jesse's ear. "I wasn't talking to you," Jesse explained to Mac. "Listen, you guys. There are two men near the door. See where the waitress is pouring coffee? Unless I miss my guess, those two aren't tourists." "Rhodes' boys?" Brennan asked. "Oh lord, what's she up to now?" Mac said after turning to glance at the newcomers. "You know those guys?" Jesse said. "Yeah. They're the Agency's contract killers." "Contract killers?" Shalimar said in Jesse's ear through the com link. "Hold on, Shal. I'll ask," Jesse replied. "Can they hear me?" Mac asked with a frown. "Yes, they can hear you, Mac." He smiled impishly and Jesse shook his head like a scolding parent. "Don't even think about it. Who are these contract killers and why are they here?" "They're called 'the Cleaners.' I don't know much about them except that they're damned good at what they do. I can only imagine that the Director sent them here to make a point." "Which is?" Brennan said. "Which is?" Jesse repeated. "She doesn't trust us." "Us or you, Mac?" Brennan spat. "Bren!" Jesse warned. "Are they here to take us out or—." "My guess is that they're here for Brennan," Mac said. Brennan promptly rose from his seat and Shalimar sat him down again. The Cleaners casually observed the scene. "Now you see what I mean about incompetence? He'll completely blow it if he—." "I'll blow something all right!" "Brennan!" Shalimar said firmly. Jesse sighed and shut the com link. "Maybe it's better if you and I just sit here and enjoy our breakfast alone," he said. "Now, you're talking," Mac said with a smile. "I was serious, by the way. My guess is that the Director doesn't trust Brennan. She wants what she thinks he's got and she's undoubtedly aware that he's been snooping around our rooms. She may even have seen our conversation in the hall last night. I hope for your sake she couldn't hear it; otherwise she'll be convinced that we're all scamming her." "Damn," Jesse said. "Yeah, really," Mac replied. "So what's the worst case scenario here?" "Well, scenario one: she saw and heard us in the hall last night and knows that we're all in cahoots. That being the case, she's here to make sure you don't walk off with the disk or me." "You?" Jesse smirked. "Not a joke; people aren't allowed to walk away from the Agency. You either leave on their terms or not at all." "Ouch." "Worst case scenario two: she somehow managed to forget to bug the hallway and didn't hear what transpired last night. She did have people around, though, so they would have seen Brennan and the cat woman poking around last night and this morning. That would lead her to believe that Brennan's talking out of his ass and doesn't have the disk. That would also lead her to conclude that you've scammed her and are in on it with Brennan." "To what purpose? Why should we come up to Canada and put on an elaborate show?" "Jesse, Jesse, Jesse..." Mac sighed. "Why not?" "Mac!" "I love that!" Mac said gleefully. "Could you focus here for a minute?" Jesse said, glancing over at Brennan and Shalimar, who were watching them intently. "All right; let's say your dad stole the disk and gave it to you for safekeeping. What's to say that you didn't decide to screw everyone and sell it yourself? You bring Nexxogen, the GSA and Rhodes into a bidding war. Brennan becomes your accomplice." "Why should he?" "Have I mentioned that you're cute as a button?" Mac said seriously. He pressed on before Jesse could respond. "He was sent after you but you used your considerable charm to lure him into cooperating in your scheme. Now the two of you are trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes." "So the Director would try to take out Brennan—. "To force you to give up the disk and Rhodes. But I don't think she'll try to off Brennan yet. Trust me; if the Cleaners were sent to kill Brennan he'd be dead already." "So what do we do?" "We sit tight," Mac said. "That includes Mr. Excitable over there." "Okay," Jesse said. He touched his thumb to the back of his ring to activate the com link and spoke to the others while giving the outward appearance of chatting with Mac over breakfast. He filled the others in on what Mac had just told him. "How do we know we can trust him?" Brennan asked. "Come on, Bren. We've been around this bend a dozen times, already. We've got to trust someone, and I for one am going to trust Mac," Jesse said. Mac beamed back at him and Jesse succumbed to the infectious grin and returned the smile. "Well, I for one am going to continue to keep a close eye on things," Brennan said. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Bren," Jesse replied. "Just keep your distance until it's show time, all right?" Brennan gave Shalimar a look of disgust and nodded begrudgingly. "You know, if he's still trying to win her he's blowing that chance, too," Mac observed. "I don't want to discuss it," Jesse said firmly as he dropped his napkin. "Sorry," Mac said sincerely. He observed Jesse for a few minutes as he pondered the confusion that must still be holding sway in his head. Brennan didn't seem to be faring any better. He had to be between a rock and a hard place, caught between the man he loved and the woman he'd chosen. Mac could only imagine how Shalimar felt about what was going on. And he thought he had problems with Vic and Liann. Mac's lot was a comparatively simple one. When Mac and Jesse were done eating, they left the caf and walked out of the hotel. They walked aimlessly for a bit, window shopping and just taking in the sights as they talked. "So where's a good place to be accosted around here?" Jesse said good-naturedly. "Hey, you're the one who's been the target of three kidnappings. You tell me." "Four, but who's counting," Jesse corrected. He stopped and did a full turn. "Oh, here are our GSA friends now. Shal, Bren; do you see them?" "Got 'em," Shalimar said. Mac grabbed Jesse's arm. "Wait. Don't let them do anything," he advised. "Just keep them in your sights," Jesse told the others before closing the link. "Why not? We don't want them in the way." "The Director's watching, remember? If she sees those two trying to rub out the competition things can get messy." Jesse nodded. Mac slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go find some quiet, secluded place—." "Mac!" "...And get you attacked, shall we? Not too secluded, though. We don't want to give the Cleaners any ideas." Jesse sighed and Mac led him toward a little park. "This is too public," Jesse complained. "Maybe they'll ask you to come along quietly," Mac suggested. "Let's sit here near the playground. That'll give Bren a chance to get in a little exercise on the monkey bars." Jesse glared him but Mac smiled unrepentantly. "So what are you going to do when this is all over?" Mac asked as he opened a pack of gum and offered Jesse a stick. "I've got to go home. I've already been here twice as long as I expected to be and I've got work I've got to get back to," Jesse said. "I see." "I wish I had more time to just hang out." "Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about 'hanging out' with you, too," Mac confessed. Jesse glanced up and chuckled. But a moment later he leapt to his feet. "They're here." "Amazingly predictable, aren't they?" Mac said as he rose to face the approaching trio. "Are your little friends ready to play their part?" "Bren? Shal?" Jesse called. "We see them," Shalimar replied. "Tell Brennan not to blow it," Mac said. "Don't blow it, Bren," Jesse said. Mac looked at him, surprised that he repeated the remark. Jesse shrugged. Mac looked around as Jesse faced the approaching men. "They brought company. I count six, including these three in the bad suits." "Good," Jesse replied. "Let them take me." "What?" Brennan spat. "I am so not—." "You've got the Helix, Bren. Pick up Mac and follow me wherever the trail leads. No arguments," Jesse said tersely just as the three reached him. "That's not part of our plan," Brennan replied. "Jess! Jess!" The three assailants pulled guns on Mac and Jesse, who immediately raised his hands in surrender. Mac, however, had already drawn his weapon and was felled by a single shot fired by one of the men behind them. Jesse screamed his name and tried to reach for him, but he was dragged away kicking and screaming. Shalimar pulled out a device and began to track Jesse's com link even as she ran to Mac's side. Brennan just stared in shock for a moment before he sprang into action. He rushed over to where Mac lay on the ground. "Is it bad?" he shouted. "I'm shot, not deaf," Mac said in annoyance. "And what constitutes a good bullet wound in your undoubtedly warped opinion?" "Let's get him to the Helix," Shalimar said. "We've got equipment aboard that can take care of this." She helped Mac to his feet and helped him walk to the street, where Brennan hailed a cab. "What did he hit?" he asked when they were on their way to where Shalimar had left the Helix. "I don't see any blood." "So sorry to disappoint you," Max said. "Give me your pen knife and I'll try to make the wound a little bigger for you." "It was a lucky shot. It just nicked the fleshy part of his side," Shalimar said. She had a handkerchief pressed over the small wound on Mac's right side. "It was a lousy shot," Mac countered. "At that distance I should have been hit square in the chest." "Just my luck," Brennan said as the cab pulled up at the spot had asked for. The driver asked him if he was sure he'd given the right address. Brennan paid him and helped Mac out of the cab. They waited till it left and then walked Mac over to a bare patch of ground in a large empty lot. "Look, I don't want to sound skeptical or anything, but where the hell are you taking me?" "Just watch, Mac," Shalimar said. She pulled a device from her pocket and hit a button. The Helix came out of stealth mode and appeared right in front of them. "You've got mutant airplanes, too?" Mac smirked. "Even injured he can't shut his mouth," Brennan griped. He led Mac to a seat and Shalimar got the first aid kit and set about patching him up. Jesse, meanwhile, was dragged into a waiting car screaming for Mac. "Shut up!" One of the men shouted. "You didn't have to shoot him!" Jesse cried. "I would have come along peacefully." "I said quiet!" the man said, raising a fist. The man on Jesse's other side stopped him before he could strike. "I need him in one piece," he said firmly. Scott Rhodes sat back and the car sped along the highway. "I apologize about your friend," the man said to Jesse, "but he had a gun and we had to do what was necessary." "Where are you taking me?" Jesse demanded. "Somewhere we can speak privately." "We could have spoken in the park and without gunplay." "There were too many distractions there. You're a very popular man, Jesse Kilmartin. I'm dying to find out why." "I'm darned if I know. One minute I was minding my own business and checking out the tourist spots, the next people started chasing me." "Very amusing; but I doubt the GSA is just chasing you for sport. There must be something they want from you." "What's the GSA?" Jesse said ingenuously. "Thanks a lot, Shal," Mac said gratefully. "But right now, I'm more concerned about Jess." "I've got him, don't worry," Brennan said from the console. "We're closing in on him now." "Closing in? This thing is moving?" "It's an aircraft, Mac. That°¶s what it's supposed to do," Brennan replied. "That's it!" Mac said, throwing down the bloodied handkerchief in his hand. "I'm going to bitch slap that—." Shalimar grabbed his arm and threw him back into his seat. "Stay put," she commanded before she left him to join Brennan. "I've had it with you two," she said with a glare for Brennan. "How the hell Jess put up with you two, I'll never know." "Well at least he didn't try to tear my arm out of its socket," Mac said. Shalimar sent him a look that made him fall silent. He turned to look out of a window and saw the ground seem to rise up to meet the Helix as it touched down. "Smooth," he said with a smile. Shalimar rose and went to him. She kneeled at his feet and opened the first aid kit once more. She pulled out a needle and smiled. "What's that for?" Mac asked doubtfully as she injected him just under the ribs. "Painkiller." "It'll take a much bigger dose than that to put him down," Brennan said. Shalimar's eyes flashed a warning. "Let's move," he said. "I've got Jesse's location pinned down inside a house about a quarter mile from here." Mac got to his feet gingerly and Brennan put a hand on his shoulder. "You stay here. You're no good to us in your condition." "Even wounded I bet I'm a better shot than either of you," Mac said as he pulled away. "You might just need to do things the old-fashioned way." "He's right," Shalimar said. "Come on." She led the way out of the Double Helix and flipped the switch. The jet twinkled and disappeared. Shalimar tapped Mac on the shoulder and started through a small copse toward where Jesse was being held. It was a large farmhouse a few miles outside the city. Shalimar settled in the bushes just at the edge of the lawn and checked for guards and surveillance cameras. Mac looked over his shoulder. "Where's Brennan?" he asked warily. "He's supposed to be paying Rhodes a visit, remember?" A rumbling noise was heard in the background and two men came out of the house as a motorcycle pulled up in front. "Right on cue," Shalimar said as Brennan got off the bike and removed his helmet. "You guys get all the good stuff," Mac pouted. "Are there any civilians in Mutant X?" Shalimar laughed as she watched Brennan speak with the two men. "How's the pain?" "Oh, never better," Mac said as he attempted a deep breath. It hurt and he grit his teeth. "Hang in there. Jess may need you," Shalimar said. "I'm ready," Mac said firmly as Brennan was led into the house. Brennan entered the farmhouse and was led to a study. As the door opened he saw the man who'd taken Jesse sitting behind a large desk. Jesse was sitting in a chair to one side of the room. There was a man holding a gun standing behind him, but he appeared to be unharmed. "Jesse?" Brennan said after he was announced. Jesse looked up but didn't register any sign of recognition. "You two know each other?" Rhodes asked. Brennan quickly caught himself and fell into character. "Yeah," he said boldly. "We've had some business—haven't we, Jess?" "If by 'business' you mean you stole something from me, yes," Jesse said crossly. Brennan shrugged. "Hey, you have your way of doing business, I have mine." "And just what is your business, Mr. Mulwray?" "I trade in very valuable commodities, right Jesse?" "I have no idea what you're talking about," Jesse replied. "Why don't you explain yourself, Mr. Mulwray?" Rhodes suggested. "I am in possession of a very valuable data disk from the Nexxogen Corporation." "And what, precisely, is on this data disk in your possession?" "Frankly, I have no idea," Brennan admitted. "I'm no scientist. I am, however, a shrewd businessman. Nexxogen wanted whatever's on the disk badly enough to pay me $50,000 up front to get it back. The GSA has been tracking our little friend here halfway across the continent in hopes of getting their hands on the disk. And unless I'm greatly mistaken, you're equally anxious to get your hands on it as well." "And you are here to name your price," Rhodes said in a bored tone. "How much do you want for it?" "Well, Jesse's dad was prepared to sell the disk to a buyer in Italy for $250,000," Brennan said cagily. Jesse looked up and glared at him. "I have to imagine that with competitive bidders the price should go up considerably. I'll part with the disk to whoever is willing to pay the most for it." "And how do I know you actually have the disk?" Rhodes asked. "Well, Jesse can confirm that, can't you, Jesse?" Brennan said. "But I'm willing to offer additional proof. You'll receive a message from my associate tomorrow with the location of the auction." "I'm a very impatient man, Mr. Mulwray," Rhodes said, rising to his feet. "Why don't you just name a price now and I'll pay it." "Now that's not very sporting, is it?" Brennan said as he began to pull on his gloves. "You'll have to excuse me; I have other arrangements to make for tomorrow." Jesse watched Brennan leave and waited till the door was closed before he spoke. "So now you know why I was being chased," he said. "And you also know that I've no longer got what you want. Let me go." "Not so fast, Mr. Kilmartin. I still want to know what's on that disk." "I don't know!" Jesse shouted in frustration. He rose from his seat as he spoke and Rhodes' minion pushed him back down. "Why don't you believe me?" "How can I possibly believe you when you've just told me that you had the disk?" "I have no idea what's on it," Jesse insisted. "My father stole the disk from Nexxogen. He asked me to hold it for him and I put it in a safe place. I never gave it another thought until he asked me to bring it to Canada." "And he never gave you any indication of what might be on that disk?" "No!" Jesse cried. "How is he?" Shalimar asked as she and Mac waited in the bushes. "It looks as though he's unharmed," Brennan reported as he sped away from the farmhouse on his motorcycle. "Rhodes is quite the smooth operator; he's got a car tailing me. I'll lose it and head back to the Helix. Don't do anything till I get there." "Gotcha," Shalimar said. She turned to Mac, who was trying to find a more comfortable position to sit in. "Brennan wants to stay put till he gets back to the Helix. How are you holding up?" "I'm just peachy," Mac said, wincing in pain. "Hang in there," she said, patting his knee. "You can't keep me here," Jesse said. "Oh, but I can, Mr. Kilmartin," Rhodes said with a smile. "That gun assures it." "Oh really?" Jesse said rising slowly to his feet. He looked a challenge at the man holding the gun and then started to walk toward the door. "He will shoot you," Rhodes warned. Jesse turned around and smiled before he simply phased and backed his way through the closed door. The last thing he saw before he turned and ran were the shocked expressions on the faces of Rhodes and his gunman. Outside the house, Shalimar suddenly leaped to her feet and began to run. "What's happening?" Mac asked as he scrambled to his feet awkwardly. "Jess has made his move. Where are you, Jess?" she called on the com link. "I don't know and I'm not in the mood to stop and ask for directions," Jesse replied. "There are three gorillas coming after me. I left through the rear of the house and entered a small wood." "Great," Shalimar said as she took off at a run. "You're running away from the Helix. Any chance of circling back?" "I'll let you know," Jesse replied. "We're on our way," Shalimar said. She looked back at Mac, who was struggling to keep up. She felt for him but she was more concerned about Jesse's welfare at the moment, so she sprinted into the woods, leaving Mac to fend for himself. "Go...run," Mac panted. "Don't wait for me. I'll catch up, maybe...someday." He leaned against a tree and fought a wave of nausea. After a moment, he started to run again. But his burst of energy was short lived; he blacked out and fell to the ground. Brennan was nearly at the entrance to the highway when he spotted a caravan of black cars coming his way. He knew they weren't after him, but his instincts told him that the cars meant trouble. He turned the bike around, no longer caring about the men who were following him. "We've got company," he warned the others. "GSA?" Shalimar asked. "Not unless they suddenly acquired a fleet of vehicles and a dozen more men. I'm guessing they're Mac's people. I knew we couldn't trust him." "Where's Mac?" Jesse asked breathlessly. "I left him back at the house. He's in no condition to run anywhere," Shalimar replied. Jesse wanted to know more about Mac's condition, but one of Rhodes' men was closing in on him. It was time to turn and fight. Brennan reached the farmhouse and jumped off the bike, peeling off his gloves and helmet as he ran into the house. Much to his surprise, he found Rhodes alone. "You're coming with me," Brennan said. Rhodes reached into his drawer and pulled out a gun. "I say differently," he said, but the smile that was forming on his lips faded when Brennan conjured up a Tesla coil and shot it from his hand. "As I was saying..." He closed the distance and took Rhodes by the arm. Rhodes didn't put up a fight and Brennan took him out the back way and led him toward the Double Helix just as the Agency caravan pulled up in front of the house. The Director emerged from the lead car and immediately started barking orders for her men to go in and get Rhodes. They surrounded the house and entered it while others fanned out and searched the immediate area. One of the men came back a few minutes later and reported that the house was empty. "I am not pleased," the Director said as another agent called her. She turned around and glared at the sight of two men carrying Mac. "I am extremely displeased." "Shal, I've got one man down here," Jesse said. "There are two others still out here." "I've got them in my sights," Shalimar replied. "I'm on my way back to you." "No; you head for the Helix. We've got to get out of here." "I've got Rhodes on the Helix," Brennan cut in. "Both of you get back here. The place is crawling with agents." "As much as I'd like to stick around and kick a little ass, you're right," Shalimar admitted. "I'm heading back. We'll leave this pair for the Agency to find." "Hold on," Brennan said. "On second thought, there's a clearing just up ahead of Jesse's position. Head over there and I'll pick you up without you having to evade the Agency's people." "What about Mac?" Jesse asked as he stared at the spot where the cloaked Helix kicked up dust in the clearing. "He's with his friends," Brennan said tersely. "I know what you're thinking. He didn't call them in, Bren," Jesse said as he boarded the jet. "There was no way he could have." "And yet they just happened to show up here," Brennan said sarcastically. "He's right, Bren. Mac's been with at least one of us the whole time since leaving the hotel," Shalimar said in Mac's defense but Brennan refused to be swayed. "We can't just leave him there," Jesse said as the Helix took off. "Watch me," Brennan said. "Brennan!" Jesse shouted as Shalimar took his arm. "We can't go back, Jesse. Brennan's right. Look down there. The place is crawling with agents." "He was shot," Jesse reasoned. "It was a fairly minor wound. I treated it myself, but he'll be better off in a hospital for a couple of days. His people will see to it that he's taken care of." "I hope so," Jesse sighed. "He's a big boy, Jess," Brennan said. "I didn't even have the chance to say good bye." "I know," Shalimar said, "and for what it's worth, I'm sorry." Mac awoke some time later in the Agency infirmary. He had no idea what time it was or how long he'd been unconscious. He carefully tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in his side. "So nice of you to rejoin us, Mr. Ramsey," the Director said. Mac looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. "As usual, my timing is impeccable." Mac sighed and laid back as she strode into the room and stood over him. "Where are Rhodes and Kilmartin?" "I have no idea," he replied. The Director lifted her hand and for a moment he thought she was going to press it into his wound. But she merely folded her arms and regarded him suspiciously. "Try again." "I'm telling the truth. I passed out." "Who shot you? And who bandaged your injury?" "Jesse and I were taken by Rhodes and his men. I put up a fight and was shot. When I came to we were at that house. I was bandaged. As soon as we had a chance, we tried to escape. Jesse got away, but I didn't make it. Guess I'd lost too much blood." "From a flesh wound?" the Director said doubtfully. "What became of the others?" "I have no—." Mac sat up abruptly and nearly passed out from the wave of pain that overtook him. "Jesse? He's gone?" "We found neither hide nor hair of either man, and believe me, we searched quite thoroughly." Mac just stared into space for several minutes. In his heart he knew that Jesse had to be safe. Shalimar and Brennan must have been successful in getting both him and Rhodes out of Canada. But he couldn't be sure, not without some kind of proof. "How long have I been unconscious?" "About two hours; they insisted on letting you rest. Something about delayed shock. I was all for reviving you immediately." The Director walked to the door and turned around. "Get well soon, Mac. I have another assignment for you." "Another solo assignment?" "Oh, yes. There's no reason why Liann or Vic should be punished, is there? Neither of them has failed miserably." With that she walked out, leaving Mac to his troubled thoughts. Vic Mansfield stepped off the elevator and strode over to Mac's door. He'd been away fro two weeks, first at an international conference of security agencies and then on an assignment in Banff. On his first day back at work, he'd missed seeing Mac by just a few minutes and decided on impulse to stop by his place and drag him out for a beer. He knocked on Mac's door and received no answer. He knocked a second time when he heard movement inside the apartment, but again he got no response. Frowning, Vic put his ear to the door for a second and reached for his gun. He stepped to the side of the door and knocked again. "Come on Mac, I know you're in there." The door opened and Vic rested the muzzle of his revolver at the throat of the stranger who opened the door. He wore an unbuttoned shirt and jeans and gave every appearance of having made himself comfortable in Mac's home. "Strange way to greet your friend, isn't it?" Jesse said with more composure than Vic would have expected. "You're no friend of mine, pal," he said tersely as he pushed Jesse inside the apartment. "Who are you and why are you in Mac's apartment?" "I'm a friend of Mac's and I'm visiting him," Jesse said as he sat down, apparently oblivious to the gun Vic still pointed at him. "Where's Mac?" "I haven't the faintest idea," Jesse said. "Look," Vic said angrily as he grabbed Jesse by his shirt. Mac held up the bag containing takeout and inhaled deeply before he stepped off the elevator. He looked up when he heard the sound of Vic's voice coming from inside his apartment. He ran to the door, which was wide open, and took in the scene before him. "Vic, what the hell are you doing?" "You know this guy?" Vic said tersely. "If I say yes will you let him go and put the big gun away?" Mac said warily. He gazed at Jesse, who shrugged. Vic withdrew the gun and let Jesse go. Jesse calmly sat back in the chair as Vic re-holstered his gun. "What are you doing here?" Mac asked, his eyes glued to Jesse's bare feet. "He asked you a question," Vic said threateningly. Mac looked up. "I was talking to you, Vic," he said as if coming out of a fog. "I just got back into town and thought I'd drop by and get caught up on what's been happening these last two weeks. You know—maybe have a beer." "I've got company." "I can see that," Vic said. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Another time, maybe." "Yeah," Mac replied. "Give me a call." Vic nodded and backed away as Mac returned his gaze to Jesse. Vic noted that Jesse's eyes had never left Mac. Vic wondered what there was between the two of them and decided that he didn't want to know. "Bye," he said sheepishly. He closed the door and stood there for a moment. He shook his head and went back to the elevator. Jesse rose to his feet as soon as the door closed. Mac dropped the bag and they closed the distance between each other. They stood inches apart, close enough to hear each other breathing. Mac reached up and caressed Jesse's cheek as he brought their mouths together. Jesse pulled off Mac's jacket as their tongues met and tangled. He ran his hands up and down the sides of Mac's torso. Mac held Jesse's face till he needed more and pulled Jesse to him, pressing their bodies together. "When did you get here?" Mac asked as he trailed kisses along Jesse's throat. His hands began to peel off Jesse's shirt as he spoke. He gave a brief thought to the cameras and other listening devices in the place. He assumed that Jesse had dealt with them and if he hadn't Mac was really beyond caring at the moment. "About two hours ago. I've been bored out of my skull," Jesse replied between kisses. Mac stripped off Jesse's shirt to get at bare skin. Jesse's hands were equally busy, tearing at Mac's shirt and pants and insistently tugging him toward the bedroom. He pushed Mac down on the bed so he could finish undressing him and then stripped off his own pants. Mac grabbed Jesse and rolled him over onto his back. It was Mac's dream come true. He'd dreamt of making love to Jesse since the night they met. Circumstances had prevented it earlier and Mac had been haunted the past ten days by vivid memories of all too brief kisses and whispered words. Now Jesse was here like some wet dream come to life, warm and yielding, writhing and moaning as Mac explored his body. He kissed every inch of Jesse's face before reclaiming his mouth while his hands roved over his torso. Mac reluctantly withdrew from his lips to kiss Jesse's throat, shoulders and chest. He kissed, licked, and nipped his way down Jesse's pecs. "How long can you stay?" he managed to ask despite his sudden fascination with the undulation of Jesse's abdomen. "I've got a few days," Jesse replied. "We've decided to establish a safe house up here. After our run-in with your boss we decided that we need one for those mutants who've decided to settle in your neck of the woods." "Cool," Mac said, making a mental note to ask questions later. At the moment he had another agenda. He lowered his head to dance his tongue over Jesse's erection. Jesse's groan in response was all the invitation Mac required. He took it into his mouth savored the sensation and the taste of his lover. Jesse groaned and squirmed as Mac worked his magic. When he could no longer stand it, Jesse pushed Mac off and rolled over onto his stomach. "Make love to me, Mac," he panted. Mac shifted his position and began to kiss Jesse's back as he reached toward the nightstand. Blindly opening the drawer, he felt around for a moment for lube. Not finding it, he frowned and turned to look in the drawer. "I didn't think you'd mind if I took a few liberties," Jesse said, rolling over to look up at Mac. Mac frowned again as Jesse reached into the drawer for a condom and began to unwrap it. "You see, I had two hours to kill..." Mac swallowed hard as Jesse rolled the condom onto his penis. When he was done, he reached for the lube, which was under the pillow. As he lubricated the condom, he continued to explain. "As I said earlier, I was bored and I figured that when you finally got home I might be more than ready to jump your bones. So I thought I should be prepared." He smiled lewdly and Mac swallowed again. "Of course, your friend showed up and I had to get dressed again, which completely ruined my plan to greet you in..." Jesse never completed the sentence. Having agreed that being ready for Mac was an excellent idea, he wasted no time in taking advantage of Jesse's thoughtful gesture. At some point during their energetic lovemaking, Jesse had become entangled in the sheets. He laughed about it as they recovered from their exertions. "I knew that you were a kinky bastard, Mac," Jesse said, "but I never suspected you were into bondage." Mac sat up and extricated his legs. "I just wanted to make sure you'd be sticking around for a while," he said as he laid back again and pulled Jesse into his arms. "Why would I want to be anywhere else?" Jesse replied with a kiss to Mac's chest. They were silent for a few minutes and Jesse had nearly fallen asleep when Mac spoke again. "You just disappeared," he said softly. He lightly stroked Jesse's back. "I had no way of knowing whether you were alive or dead." "I know, Mac, but it was out of my hands. Believe me; I wouldn't have left you like that. The last time I saw you, you'd just been shot. Shal and Bren assured me that you were okay but I've been worried sick." Jesse's hand slid down Mac's side and lightly ghosted over the still-healing wound. "I'm sure Brennan couldn't wait to get you out of Canada," Mac replied with a kiss to Jesse's hair. "So what's this about a safe house?" "We like to have a few places where new mutants can hide when the heat's on. I'm up here to scout for a site in the area." "Need any help?" "I'd love some," Jesse said before nibbling on Mac's lips. "Have you got some free time?" "For you? All weekend," Mac said, returning the kiss with interest. "Unless the she-devil comes calling to find out why her spyware is on the fritz." "She won't," Jesse said. "As far as she's concerned, your place is empty. She's looking at virtual—." Mac kissed Jesse into silence. "Spare me the technical details. So, you'll find a safe house and set it up. Then what?" "Then I go home." "I hate this plan," Mac frowned. Jesse smiled and kissed away his pout. "Of course, every safe house has to be maintained." "How often?" "Well, all the safe houses back in the States are checked over and restocked at least once a month. And it would be especially important to make sure that all the security and monitoring systems are in working order." "Sounds time-consuming," Mac said between kisses. "Nah; it can be done in a weekend—with plenty of time left over for other things." "I like doing 'other things' on weekends," Mac said archly. "I was hoping you might." Jesse sat up and gazed at Mac. "Look—I'm not asking for any sort of commitment or anything, but I would like to think—I hope—." Mac pulled Jesse back into his arms. "You come; I'll be waiting here with open arms," he said. "Of course, if the dragon lady has me off working somewhere—." "I can give you a means of contacting me," Jesse said. "And I can try to time my visits to when you're free." "And what if I was to wander across the border every now and again?" "Even Mutant X gets the occasional vacation," Jesse smiled. "I can take some time off." "I actually met a member of Mutant X on vacation, remember?" "Oh yeah," Jesse said as he rolled over so that he was lying on top of Mac. "This doesn't hurt, does it?" "Other than the fact that you're lying there doing nothing productive, no." "I'd better do something, then," Jesse said. He lifted Mac's face and kissed him as Mac ran his hands over Jesse's back. "I have a few ideas," Mac said when he was free to speak again. He whispered something in Jesse's ear just as Brennan activated the com link. "Jess? Got your ears on?" Brennan asked. Jesse pulled away from Mac and removed his ring. He placed it on the nightstand and settled into Mac's arms once more. The End jalabert@hotitudinosity.com

TITLE: Across the Line AUTHOR: Jalabert PAIRING: Mac/Other RATING: R STATUS: Complete (Part 1/4) ARCHIVE: The Agency, Hotitudinosity FEEDBACK: jalabert@hotitudinosity.com DISCLAIMER: All characters are the property of John Woo and Alliance. SUMMARY: Mac's on his own and he's got his hands full WARNING: OAT/Mutant X crossover (have a little faith, will ya?)—If you've never seen Mutant X you may want to check out the official site (www.mutantx.net) for background information, but the story is set firmly in the OAT universe. Complete ignorance of Mutant X should not impede your enjoyment. back to top

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