Retaliation

in the area. I can’t believe he didn’t invite you, the geek of headquarters.”
Dave’s face turned sour.
“The geek of headquarters might still receive his invitation, thank you very much,” he drawled. “That’s a good idea though? Using the cameras, I mean. I’m sure those men will show up on tape sooner or later.”
Pain shook her head. “I doubt that. They’re copying our tactics, keeping to the shadows and avoiding busy streets. We need more cameras around where they’ve been seen, but we can’t cover every yard, so it’s pretty much pointless.”
Dave’s face fell. “Oh. Did you come up with anything else at the meeting?” he asked, instantly seeing Pain lose interest in the conversation, as usual when she’d found out everything she wanted to know.
“Ask Peter. I gotta go find Jane before she feels too much of that sweet freedom.”
She got up, and Marco followed her. “Thanks for reminding me. Same with Ryan.” He ruffled Elena’s hair before Dave could smack his hand away. “See ya, kids.”
“Kids.” Dave scoffed. “I’m older than you!”
“By two months,” Marco parried with a snort and disappeared in the crowd.
Dave returned to watching Elena stab her already dead chicken without actually eating it.
“You’re quiet today,” he noted, picking at the cold fish with little appetite himself.
She shrugged. “Just tired. It’s the season, I guess. I should get some vitamins or something.”
“Right. Vitamin Bora Bora.” He wiggled his eyebrows, making her shake her head.
They had been at it for a while, he trying to talk her into going on vacation together, and she not willing to skip training when she was finally making progress. Dave, however, suspected that it was more about the difference in their social status, which she’d never admit and he, personally, didn’t give two shits about. Unlike all the girls he’d met before her, Elena always seemed to draw a line between what he was and wasn’t allowed to do for her.
Giving her a pretty necklace? Fine, thank you. Buying a tropical island? No way in hell.
Dave said, “One day, you’re gonna wake up and find yourself in some bungalow in the middle of the ocean, and I won’t even feel bad about kidnapping you. I bet Peter will back me up on that.”
She laughed, her entire face lighting up, making Dave’s heart feel too big for his chest.
He grinned and leaned closer, pressing on while he had the chance. “Listen, I know you’ve spent years in this building since…” He bit off the rest of the sentence, Since your grandma died. “Since you were a kid. I know this is your home and Peter’s the only person you trust. But you have me now, too. And you’re allowed to take a break every—”
“Okay,” she interrupted him.
“Okay? As in, okay I hear you, or okay I agree with everything you said?”
Her smile turned into a grin. “As in, okay, I’ll think about it.”
He smiled and took her hand, planting a kiss on it.
“But I want to spend Christmas here,” she said. “So if you want to go somewhere, let’s do it soon. And nothing too crazy.” She wiggled her finger with a smile.
“Really?” Dave perked up.
“Really. God, you’re like a stray dog with a bone with this idea. Do you really want to get out of here so badly?”
“No, I want you to get out of here just once.”
She made big eyes as he leaned in for a kiss, but for once he ignored her dislike of public display of affection. Some vague thought got snagged in the back of his head then, making him break the kiss.
“Stray dog, huh?” he said, earning a surprised look.
Dave jumped to his feet, the final piece of the puzzle clicking into place in his mind.
“You’re a genius, babe. Be right back,” he said, and hurried to Peter’s office followed by Elena’s incredulous gaze.
*  *  *
“So?” Marco didn’t bother to hide his agitation as he watched Ryan unpack. His friend struggled to get his clothes out of the bag with one good arm, the other bandaged from shoulder to elbow. “Hey, Major Tom, I asked you a question.”
“That’s not a question,” Ryan muttered, finally picking up the big stack of clothes and pinning his bag down with his foot to pull it out.
“Whatever, you heard me. Have you talked to her?”
Ryan took a breath, as if to sigh, before his chest deflated in resignation. “No.”
He carried the clothes to the bathroom, looking grim with his deep frown and bloodied t-shirt. Seeing that it wouldn’t be easy, Marco drew a deep breath and prepared for a debate.
“Okay… Different question: Did you speak to her at all during the mission?”
“Of course I spoke to her!” Ryan’s arms flew up, and he winced at the pain, turning away. Marco hadn’t seen him this irritated even once in the five years they’d known each other.
“And? Just tell me about everything that happened there.”
“Shh!” Ryan hissed, pointing at the wall. “Nothing happened, okay? Will you stop talking about it?”
His hand closed on his ruined shirt, trying to pull it off, while his foot sent the bag into a corner. “I don’t want this in my head when I’m working. If it wasn’t for this, I bet I wouldn’t have gotten shot, Jane would’ve been out of there safely, the whole mission wouldn’t have been endangered. I feel like such an idiot, thanks to you!” he hissed in a furious whisper, his head sticking out of the shirt he’d gotten completely tangled in. His hands wiggled helplessly. “Some help here?”
A quiet sigh escaped Marco’s lips as he came up and pulled Ryan’s bandaged arm free, not too carefully.
“Ouch!” Ryan growled, glaring at him.
“You’re like a tall-ass, helpless baby,” Marco grumbled. “You’ve been driving me nuts with your jealousy, so