A/N: Achilles is the only character that is mine... so far. All the rest belong to JE.

Mine Fields

Chapter Five

Six months of working my ass off for Alexander and Ranger finally caught up to me. There was a vague memory of removing my Kevlar vest and stashing my guns before I laid down on Max's bed, passing completely out before my head even hit the pillow. It was weird though. Sleeping was not one of the things that I kept in my repertoire for amusing myself while in flight. I was always too jittery to even think about it. But Achilles gave me one look and told me to sleep. Something in me refused to argue.

Voices finally woke me out of the comma I had fallen into.

"-prepare for landing in Prague in thirty minutes."

"Thanks," Achilles voice grumbled fairly close to my head.

The door closed as I opened my eyes and looked straight into his eyes. A small smile tilted up the corners of his lips as he reached up slowly and tucked a curl behind my ear. How had I missed him crawling on the bed with me?

"You were exhausted," he said quietly as he started to frown. "Haven't you been sleeping?"

"I average six hours a night," I said as I rolled onto my back to stretch out. "I've been pretty busy the last few months."

"Two government contracted deals for Ranger, about twenty jobs for Alexander, plus working at RangeMan full time," Achilles said as he sat up and looked over at me. "You've been a little bit more than busy."

My eyebrows raised. "How'd you know?"

He smiled lightly. "I have friends."

And I knew that'd be all I'd get. "I really slept through Madrid?"

He nodded. "Like a rock. But you needed it, so I didn't wake you up for it. It was only fuel anyway."

Achilles stood from the bed and walked over to the corner. He crouched down after pulling keys from his pocket and unlocked a cabinet. Leaning over the edge of the bed to get a better view, I watched as he pulled a duffel bag out of the cabinet and sat it on the bed. He locked the cabinet before turning to the bag.

"Jump in the shower really quickly," he said as he pulled out clothes and handed them to me.

I frowned down at the pair of jeans and white t-shirt. Looking closer, I realized they were both in my size. "Either you often travel with woman who wear my size, or you are the most organized and paranoid person I know."

"Organized. I always have a contingency plan." He hesitated as he looked down at me. "And ever since Deal, you've been a part of that plan." He turned and opened the door, reaching into the bathroom to turn on the shower. "Try to be quick. I want a shower, too."

If he didn't want to discuss that comment further, than I wasn't going to push. Besides, what exactly was I suppose to say about that? I grumbled my way to the shower. It turns out that it a plain as small as the one that we were in, the shower was the tiniest one I had ever seen in my life. It couldn't have been more than a two and a half foot cubed shower stall. Definitely a single person experience. Showering quickly was really the only option I had. There just wasn't enough room to luxuriate in anything.

Fifteen minutes and a lot of cursing later, I stumbled out of the bathroom and Achilles went in. Men are amazingly fast at cleaning themselves. At least that's the way I like to look at it. The other option, they don't actually clean themselves at all, was just to much for my brain to handle. Achilles took exactly six minutes from walking into the bathroom and walking out, completely dressed. It had to be some kind of record.

"When we get to the apartment, let me know if you need anything and either my brother or I will run out to get it," he said as he loaded his dirty clothes into the duffel bag.

He pulled out a stick of deodorant and used it before tossing it to me. I grimaced but used it anyway. Better to smell like a man then smell like a stinky woman in my book.

Tossing the deodorant back to him, I said, "You get this weird look on your face every time you mention your brother. Is there something that you want to tell me?"

"Ask me again when we get in the car."

He threw my vest at me and I started suiting back up. That cute little smile was crossing his lips again when I turned back to him as I finished. We were like the Bobbsey Twins. White t-shirts, jeans, boots, vests, and enough guns to successfully rob a Swiss bank. It made me smile.

A chime echoed out of the small speakers in the ceiling, indicating that it was time to buckle up for landing. We moved to the front of the plain and sat in two of the lounge chairs. He reached into his backpack, that still sat on the floor next to his seat and pulled out two ipods.

Tossing a light pink one to me, he said, "Zen out for a few minutes."

Frowning at it, I put the buds in my ears as I turned it on. My frown was replaced by a smile as INXS's Need You Tonight started thumping into my ears. Michael Hutchence had been one extremely sexy man with a hypnotic voice. I let him sing me into a state of peace, focusing on the words and his voice. George Michael's Freedom 90 popped on after than and my smile grew as I closed my eyes and started bopping in my seat.

Nirvana had been reached when my ipod flipped over to the next song, Stay by Shakespeare's Sister. My eyes opened and I looked over at Achilles. His eyes were closed, but I knew by the grin he was trying to hide, he was proud of himself. The little shit. How long had he been watching me for? When had he gotten the chance to break into my car without me figuring it out? I looked back down at the ipod I was holding. The one that I kept in my car was actually red, but the same brand and model. Achilles had copied all the songs and down loaded them all on to this one.

Was that sweet or creepy? If it had been almost anyone else, I would have said creepy. But this was Achilles. He didn't do anything without having a true purpose. The only thing I couldn't figure was what that purpose was. Was he trying to think about my personal comfort? Or was he trying to rub it in my face that he had been in Trenton and I didn't even know?

Leaning my head back on the head rest, I stared at Achilles as the plain came in for landing, listening to Kate Bush's This Woman's Work. Every time I thought about Achilles over the last year, there were so many things that I had wanted to say to him if I only had the chance. A little voice in the back of my head would pop up every time I climbed on a plain and headed to Europe. Look for him, the voice would demand. Call him. Find him. Do something!

But do what? Sitting here and looking at him,being wrapped up in his presence, I still didn't know what to do. It was dangerous for him to stay with me and he knew that. But back in the garage, he said he wasn't letting me go. A knot tightened in my chest. Could I really put his life at risk because I thought that I might love him? Was it fair to let him risk his life if I didn't know? Where was a magic eight ball when I really needed one?

The plain landed, then taxied, then parked. We de-boarded, walked to a Passat that was parked in a private parking lot, and drove away. It was all very efficient. And silent. Neither one of us said a single word as Achilles drove us around Prague. It occurred to me that I should really be looking out the windows and watching the roads to get my barrings. But I was to stuck in my head to even think about it.

"Why are we here?" I finally asked. "If this isn't home, what's the point in being here?"

"Word will get out that I'm here and Alexander will, inevitably, get pissed that you are still breathing," Achilles said quietly. "He'll send at least three more people to try to get the job done. I know that it's too much to ask to not have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. But I'm pissed at this whole situation and what better way to get back at Alexander than to take out a few of his hired guns?"

He had a point. "So you think someone's going to see you, Alexander will put two and two together, and send in his plan 'B'?"

"Someone's already seen us," he said as he grinned over at me. "I purposefully drove by a deli that one of Alexander's associates owns. He was standing out front and he saw me... and you. It's only a matter of time now. The good news is that we have a little time to prepare."

Turning my head towards the window, I sighed. "For another blood bath."

"Don't underestimate me or my brother."

"I don't even know who your brother is!" I winced at how loud my voice got. "Who is he?"

We stopped at a light and I turned to Achilles with my eyebrows raised at his silence.

He looked into my eyes and dropped the mother of all bombs. "My brother is Hannibal."