Specific Enough?

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"We have five people trying kill us now. Any suggestions?"

Natalia's green eyes met his as they hid behind a dumpster. The smell was atrocious, but really they couldn't complain, it was giving them cover from enemy fire and they'd take the smell over a bullet any day of the week. They'd been on the run for three days now. Every time they came close to escape something new blocked them. One thing after another and both of them were very ready to go home.

"I counted eight."

"Oh I'm sorry, was I not specific enough for you?"

Natalia growled as she peaked out behind the brown can. So maybe it wasn't the best time to correct her. She held her Glock 19 up as she looked around. She had torn the right shoulder and left knee of her suit. Not an easy task to do with kevlar reinforcing. But when one gets into a knife to knife fight with an AIM agent he supposed anything was really possible. Hs own tactical gear was torn in several places. A bullet had grazed his left thigh, leaving him with a flesh wound and ripping his favorite pair of pants. His jacket had seen far better days, the right elbow was torn through after he found himself skidding across a rooftop. The same incident had torn his right knee up as well. 

They could both use a shower, and a good meal but for now they would take a smelly partner and protein bars. It was better than exposing themselves. Their coms had gone down the first day after they watched AIM use their transport as a training target for their newest weapon. After their cover was blown they had tried to find a way to contact anyone and get an extraction, but it seemed like AIM was one step ahead every time. 

"There is no other exit option." She muttered as she watched a yellow clad man pass the alley way. "Roof tops or head on? Your choice."

"Why is it always my choice?" 

He groaned and checked his own gun. He had 7 bullets remaining, if he was lucky there might be a handful in his belt but not enough for a head on. Natalia's Widow Bites had run out long ago, and he was sure her own ammunition had to be running low by now. 

"So that if it's the wrong choice I can blame you." She turned back to him and gave him a wink. 

"I hate you."  He pushed his gun back into the holster on his belt. He should have brought another gun, or five. 

"No you don't"

"No. I don't." 

He laughed and she quickly placed her hand over his to hush him. She narrowed her emerald eyes into a glare. It had been a stupid thing to do, but truth be told he couldn't help himself around her. And she knew that as well as he did. They sat silently waiting to see if his mistake had got them caught. After five minutes of nothing he nodded to the roof. 

"Didn't work the first two times, but I hear third time is a charm." 

Natalia nodded and made her way to ladder that led to the roof.  She climbed the first few rungs while James kept look out, Once she had made it far enough up he could follow he began his ascent up. Each rung made him cringe as it echoed through the alley way. He could see Nat rolling over the top of the building to keep herself low. Within seconds he was next to her again. 

"See not so bad right? At least we got up this time."

She rolled her eyes and punched his right shoulder. He caught her hand before she pulled it away and held her close for a moment. 

"Not the time James." She whispered, her eyes darting from his lips to his eyes before she tried to pull away. 

"You sure about that?" 

He moved his head closer leaning his forehead on hers. 

"We've got five people tracking us and trying to kill us." she muttered, but she didn't move away. 

"Eight." He corrected before kissing her. "Besides, if they are going to kill me I don't want to have any regrets."

She laughed softly, and he pushed his hand to her lips a smirk on his own face. She rolled her eyes and pulled his fingers away. 

"I am about ten times quieter than you Barnes." 

Despite the joking she smiled as she began laying items out to take inventory. She placed her to Glock-19s on the roof top, two electroshock batons that had long since lost their charge, beside them she dropped a handful of bullets. Nine to be precise. 

"Any in the guns?" 

James raised an eyebrow as he started to pull out his own weapons. He placed a p226 next to her Glocks. While she shook her head. He pulled out the last magazine and laid it beside the gun. Next his Gerber Mk ll, Yeri ll, and Benchmaker. Knives would do much good in this fight though. Natalia shuffled through the bag they are carried around, out came a few protein bars, a travel size bottle of rubbing alcohol, a half full canteen of water, and one last clean bandage. 

"Not much left..." She sighed and checked James' p226 to see how many bullets he had left. 

"We've survived worse. We will survive this too."

She smiled up and him and nodded. They'd been in worse places, with less. Brutal Russian tundra's, the Congo trying to survive off the food they could find, Paris when Natalia had been hit with a poison dart, Red Room. If they could survive those this would be no problem. They just needed to get to a communication device. 

"On the roof! I saw something!" 

The shout came from near by and the two shuffled to put everything away quickly. James griped the benchmen in his hand as they moved towards the other edge of the roof, 15 feet to the next building. With a running start it would be easy enough for the two of them to clear. James took the bag from Natalia and she backed up, she started her run just as a yellow hat peaked up over the roof from the same ladder they had used to climb up. James took aim and fired. The man dropped and he heard the grunt of another below him. Most likely the body of the first hit the second on his way up. Hopefully it would slow them down a bit.

Natalia jumped, and James watched nervously. She hit the next roof and rolled to soften the landing. James backed up ready to start his run. He took the first few steps when he heard a crack behind him.  He knew he couldn't look back now, it would be too distracting. So he kept going but the electrical shock stopped him. His body tensed as the waves of electricity coursed through his body. 

"James!" Natalia's voice echoed across the alley way. 

"We got him!" 

James hit the roof. Taking deep breaths he tried to clear the pain and get back on his feet. He heard nine shots ring. Nine. That was all she had. He finally got himself back up, body still feeling slightly numb. He reached for one of the MK ll's on his belt. 

"Nat run!" 

He could at least hold them off so she could get help. They would be fine. Just need a little backup. That was all.

He gripped the knife in his left hand, watching the men coming up the ladder. Three. Better than eight. They moved towards him together, a slam on the rooftop behind him made him groan. She had come back even though he told her to run. She never did listen to him. 

"Told you to run." 

"How stupid do you think I am?" She moved beside him batons held up. He almost laughed but the first man made his move. Lunging toward Nat. James twisted and through the knife into his chest. The man grunted and the second came at James. He didn't have time to grab a new knife before the man was on him. He blocked the first attack with his left arm and slammed his fist to the mans stomach. The man hit the ground but used his foot to sweep at James' legs. James hit the roof again and groaned, rolling over and reaching for his other MK ll.

He tried to glance at Natalia and check on her but the man he was dealing with was too fast. He was coming at James again. And then with a loud smack he was on the ground. Natalia stood behind him, baton bloody. 

"What would you do without me?" 

"I would probably be dead a dozen times over." 

Her sweet laugh echoed over the rooftop. "So we are down to five?" 

"Four if you count the one I got before you jumped." 

"Four it is then. I think there's an apartment complex down the road, if we are lucky someone there left a phone behind, or something we can highjack." 

"You're turn to choose which way we go. That way I can blame you when I get electrocuted again."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and took off on a run to make the jump again. James followed quickly. Just another day. They'd be fine. They always were. 




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