Sooner or Later

Authors Note: This is the sequel to ‘Never Again’ I couldn’t let those characters go, and aside from killing Sable in the other fic... that was the only chance I had at actually ENDING it. Lol. As it is, a short summary and then the real story will start.

So much had happened in the last few days, Sands leaned his head back again the brown upholstery and closed his eyes. After the phone-call telling him Sable, his lover, partner, and the only person he truly gave a damn about was gone unless he was willing to barter, things had all gone down-hill.

His boss, and the head of the CIA, Arnoldo had assured him that everything possible would be done to get her back. The entire agency was in an uproar, Dawes had betrayed them all and taken them unawares.

The shot glass Sands held in his hand shattered sending blood laced tequila running through his fingers.

“Shit” he muttered getting to his feet. He was in the living room of his house, alongside the radio and bookshelf crammed with books, there was a fireplace. Red-brick and cut to fit into the wall, it was the main attraction of the room.

If he wanted to listen to the television, he could go to the adjoining room, this one was for unwinding after a long day.

He threw the shards of glass into the iron wrought ashtray hissing in pain when a sliver cut into his palm. There was no more on the cushion of the sofa or the hardwood planks of his floor so he settled back and again closed his eyes.

The blood that welled up from the stray scratches would stop soon. If not, the red would blend into the black color of his pants when he swiped at his leg unconcernedly. He was still able to hold and shoot a gun, he had sustained worse injuries.

Perfect example, the two gaping holes where his eyes used to be. Souvenirs from his first, and last, trip to Mexico. He had been sent there to protect the president. Things hadnt gone exactly as planned, after meeting up with the legendary guitar gunfighter El, then the cartels, he had known that a lot more needed to be done than just protecting the president.

Ajedrez, the Barillo cartels daughter, he had only realized that as he lay strapped down to their laboratory table-

The phone rang three times before Sands reached for it. Dawes was on the other end, he knew it before he heard the voice. Dawes had access to all of files, or at least he did when he worked for the CIA. He would know their addresses, phone numbers, and any other snippet of personal information located in the case-files.

Had Arnoldo not kept his address a complete secret, Sands had no doubt that a kidnapping wasn’t all that Dawes would have planned. It was a risk going against the CIA, an even bigger risk when the one who turned was a major in control of a special branch. The only problem was that Dawes was too well trained, he could stay hidden for months before word spread of his activities.

Months, years, Sable would be dead by then Dawes would have no further use for her, as much as he hated to admit it, she would be killed. How to stop a psychotically challenged man, barter for a life, and keep hold of the aces up his sleeve, when they didn’t know where the fuckmook was?

“Hello.” Dawes replied twirling a screwdriver unconsciously in his right hand.

Sable lay in a corner of the room conserving her energy for the next round. She had been there four days already, but time had passed so slowly it seemed like four years. The black, blue, purple, and yellowing bruises attested to that feeling.

The room held nothing but white walls and a small space in the back that served as a bathroom. The sink ran brown water, same as the toilet, which discouraged drinking and any chance at extra sustenance. There were no windows or furniture of any kind. Dawes knew better than to let a potential weapon, not matter how inconsequential, fall into her grasp.

He relished the sight of small red drops on the floor and on one side of the room. Sable might be considered one of the best agents, but blood still flowed crimson through her veins. He’d prove that to himself another couple of times this day, if he was in the mood.

She had never made a sound, not when he sprained her rib, or nearly fractured her arm. Only the small winces when she moved in the wrong direction proved that she felt any pain at all.

Dawes hadnt let her get any sleep, maybe a grand total of five hours at most, and that was more give than take. It took a lot of determination not to drift off where she lay. She knew that if she did, Dawes would kick her awake and it was difficult enough to move on her own.

“Here.” Dawes threw the cell-phone at her expecting her not to catch it. Just the sight of her made his stomach churn. She was so damn arrogant it made his teeth clench, no better than a whore yet she had Arnoldo and everyone associated with them hanging on to her every spoken syllable.

Sable caught it, her brown eyes narrowed in anger and rage. She could hardly catch her breath due to the pain in her chest, but she’d be damned before letting him know that.

“Has that son-of-a-bitch hurt you?” she heard Sands’ voice growl into the phone. The hatred between the two men had always been a tangible thing, Arnoldo had gone above and beyond when making sure the two stayed apart.

“Jeff, yeah, I’m fine. Better than expected at any rate. How’re you.” She trusted him knowing that everything was definitely not ‘fine.’ It was a word that wasn’t in their vocabulary, and no one called him Jeff. Ever.

“Arnoldo has everyone hunting him down. He won’t win this, Sable.” He fought the urge to punch the nearest wall at the hoarseness of her voice.

“I know.” She kept what she hoped was a sweet love-sick smile on her face. Dawes would wonder what was going on, she wasn’t even sure why he had let her talk in the first place.

“Has he hurt you?” Sable could imagine him holding the phone so tightly his knuckles were white.

“No more than the coyote is.” She replied sure Dawes wouldn’t understood the reference. Taken from Looney Tunes, she knew Sands would get it straight off. He had once had a watch with that character on the face.

Dawes took the phone back with a blow that Sable reflected easily, her reflexes had much improved from constant use.

“Now that wasn’t a very nice thing to call me.” Dawes smirked, “Touch a nerve, did I?”

She stayed still and quiet straining to hear what Sands was saying. He wouldn’t be outright hostile because he knew that she would pay for whatever he said, but neither would he play Dawes’ sick, twisted little game.

“Yes, make sure you do.” Dawes laughed as he hung up and severed connection. “That was five minutes.” He announced pocketing the phone. Sable didn’t reply, she had such a good comment to make, but staying quiet was much easier. “You owe me for’em.”

She watched him, tense and ready for any attack he might make, his behavior was unpredictable and often well planned.

“Not going to say anything?” he taunted, “You missing him already? Its been four whole days, you haven’t whored-“

“Shut up.” Sable snapped, she was so tired of the references Dawes made both to her and to Sands. He never stopped with the blatant accusing and outright hatred.

“Arnoldo’s favorite, the both of you have caused enough damage to start a war! You think you’re so much better than us, don’t you.”

“No.” she replied never breaking eye-contact. “Just better than you.”

“Guards!” Dawes yelled and instantly four heavily-armed soldiers appeared. Sable fell into a fighting stance, there were only four of them! She took the nearest of them out with a round-house kick to the chest. The second was momentarily stunned with a blow to the head, but was saved when one plunged a hypodermic needle into Sable’s right arm.

Within seconds her sight blurred and her muscles grew weak. She managed to kick the legs out from the soldier who drugged her as she fell to one knee. The last thing she was the guards’ head hitting the floor next to her.