Lawyers and Spies

Project XIX

Amanda stared at Ralph's wide eyes. He appeared to be in a trance like his mind and body were no longer existing together. She took a step toward him, giving him a nudge on his shoulder. "Bushwick? Ralph?"
"I-I...I know...I know. It can't be."
"What do you mean, Ralph? Is that the man who drugged you or not?" Elijah asked, squinting his eyes at the screen. "Cause it doesn't exactly match your..." he trailed off, reaching into his pocket for his iPhone. And then he looked from his phone to the screen. "...doesn't exactly match the drawing." He showed Amanda the drawing on his screen.

Ralph starts to shake his head. "I know, but the names..." he bit his lips, eyes fixed on the computer screen. "It can't exactly be a coincidence they have the same names."
Very true. Amanda thought. "But how?" she, too, was confused. She didn't understand how Bushwick is related to their puzzle. "Let's say this Bushwick is the Bushwick who drugged you...how and what is he doing with Victor and Patrick?" she asked.
"Where is the connection?" she turned to her friends, who also had lines of confusion marred in their foreheads.
"Unless..." Ralph started.
Amanda could bet she knew what he was thinking. "Unless Bushwick works for ApexIan." She said, completing his sentence. Ralph nodded.
"Then we have to find out who Evans Bushwick is...who knows, he might lead us to Ian Bushwick."
Amanda nodded, agreeing. If this will help them find who hurt Ralph, then it was worth it. "I will reach out to my contacts to see what they can find," Elijah said assuringly, and then he paused – curiosity etched on his face.
Noticing his sudden mood change, Amanda asked, "What is it?"
"How is it that Jean-Luc gives us a case that leads us to Charlie Perry, and then this leads us to Bushwick?"
"Well, we don't know who this Bushwick is." Amanda shrugged. They didn't know even if there was a chance that Evans Bushwick may be related to Ian. "Let's see what we have on Evans. We can't ask Victor or Patrick about project XIX, but we might just be lucky getting something from Evans."
"Perhaps arresting Ian." Ralph chipped in.
Amanda and Elijah turned toward him with forlorn expressions. "That will definitely be a win," Elijah said while Amanda gave Ralph's arm soothing rubs.
****
Amanda stared intently at her crazy wall. Everything seems to get more confusing by the day and with every detail they find. She exhaled heavily as she stared at the man in the shadow, who appeared to be coming out of the factory – CBDOL.
It was seven in the evening, and Ralph stepped out, insisting he would see his bartender friend. Elijah had come to visit so they could work on the case together. "You should take a break," Elijah said from behind her.
She blew out a gush of air and turned toward the direction of his voice. Amanda raised her shoulders, letting it drop down an inch. "I don't, Elijah..." she shook her head, glancing back at the crazy wall. "What's your theory?" she asked.
Elijah drifted from Amanda to the crazy wall, and then he strode into the room, folding his arms across his chest. "I think Victor, Patrick, the Bushwicks, and Jean-Luc are not to be trusted."
Now it's Amanda's turn to chuckle. I'd be a fool to trust Jean-Luc. "You know I don't trust Jean-Luc."
"I know," Elijah said, coming to stand behind her.
She turned toward the wall and continued, "My best guess is Evans is Ian or related to Ian, and he is a maniac scientist working for apexIan." She swirled around to face Elijah. "it's the only way this makes sense."
Elijah pursed his lips, glancing at the wall and then at her. "So are you saying Project XIX is something scientific, like a...biological weapon?"
Amanda chewed on her button lips briefly. It did sound like something that could happen in a sci-fi movie. "I don't know, maybe."
"But Jean-Luc gave us an embezzlement case," Elijah said.
"Yes, but where did all the money go...what was it for?"

Elijah closed the space between them, placing his hands on Amanda's arm. "Charlie wanted us to know Evans Bushwick knew something, and once we find him, we will have the answers to all of these questions." He said, giving her a small smile. Amanda nodded and sighed softly. "Now, don't you worry, your pretty head." he leaned toward her and kissed her forehead. His lips stayed on the spot longer than normal, and when he pulled away, Amanda looked into his blue hazel orbs.
"Elijah." She whispered.
His bottom lips disappear into his mouth, and when he releases them, they glisten under the white light in the room they are in. "You are so beautiful," he whispered back, reaching to caress her cheeks.
Heat rushed into Amanda's cheeks, and she found herself leaning toward his touch. "Eli..." she tried to say, but he hushed her. "Don't say you don't feel it too." He said, leaning his head towards hers until their foreheads were touching. "cause that will be a lie." He continued, shaking his head. "Because I feel it, and I like to believe you do too."
"I...i-i..." Amanda tried to say.
Elijah crashed his lips into hers. Without hesitation, Amanda wrapped her arms around his neck while Elijah's hands fell to her waist. They continue to kiss passionately, intertwining their tongues with each other. Elijah lifted Amanda off her feet and placed her on the work table in the room. He gently pushed her backward so he can have access to her neck.
Amanda placed her hands on the table to balance herself, then leaned back to give Elijah more room to her neck. His lips left wet kisses from her neckline to the back of her ear. "Amanda..." he moaned into her ear. and then he straightened up and grabbed her legs, pulling her toward his body and returning to kissing her.
A small gasp escaped Amanda as his lips crashed into hers again. And then, without thinking, her fingers start to tug against his buttons. She managed to peel off the first three, and then Elijah joined in. When the buttons were undone, Elijah shrugged off his chest, exposing his tanned, rippled chest. Amanda panted as she took in his sturdy-looking chest and pink nipples, and her eyes traveled down to his abs and to the frail trail of hair leading deep into his pants.
Snap out of it! A voice in her head chipped. Amanda blinked, her eyes almost popping out of their socket as she took in Elijah's naked chest again. He marched toward her, and she placed her hand on his chest to stop him. "We can't," she said breathlessly.
Elijah inhaled and exhaled so deeply that his chest followed, rose, and fell. "I'm sorry." He apologized, closing his eyes briefly.
No, you shouldn't be. Amanda shook her head, "No, it's not entirely your fault. I'm sorry, too."
They both stared down at her hand, which was still keeping them apart. Elijah frowned and then took a step back. He bent to pick his shirt from the floor while Amanda hopped off the table. She grimaced at the site of paper and files that were now rumpled up.
"We should..um...I will be in the living room," she said, trying to smoothen back her ponytail. She hurried out, leaving Elijah to dress.
Amanda hurried to the living room, plopping down on the sofa and staring at the wall. She rose to her feet abruptly after a few seconds and headed toward the kitchen to get a bottle of water. She needed the hydration after that intense moment with Elijah.
Why did I kiss him when my heart was still with Philip? She asked herself as she pulled out a bottle of water. Philip, who is having a baby with Sage? Her inner voice asked back.
For fuck sake. Even her own mind just had to remind her of her predicament. She exhaled the breath she had been holding, peeling the bottle cap away. This was the second time she was kissing him.
And she'd be lying if she claimed not to feel butterflies fluttering in her belly. She let out a ragged sigh and then downed some water.
"Hey," Elijah called from afar.
Amanda's body immediately tenses upon hearing his voice. She pulled the water bottle from her lips and secured the cap. "I just needed a drink." She said, placing the bottle on the counter. Elijah was standing by the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. He stared at her for some minutes and then strolled toward her. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Amanda responded with a quick nod.
Elijah picked up the water bottle from the counter and gulped down the remaining liquid. "We can't," Amanda said, brushing past him and heading to the living room. Oh, god, why did it hurt to say that to him? she winced, shaking her head. Elijah's footsteps were loud behind her.
"Amanda, come on. You can't tell me that didn't feel right."
Amanda swirled around, ready to tell him she didn't feel it because she knew this wasn't the right time. But when her eyes met him, she couldn't bring herself to say these words.
"Tell me, and I will never kiss you again." Elijah pressed.
Amanda stared at him, suddenly dumbfounded. She wanted to object but couldn't find a valid reason that wouldn't hurt Elijah's feelings. "Um...err...Riley??"
Elijah hissed, shaking his head in disappointment. The look on his face told Amanda he didn't expect her to go that low, but she didn't have a choice. "Riley and I never dated–"

The chirping of his phone cut him short. Elijah raised a finger to Amanda, excusing himself. Amanda nodded and plopped down on the sofa while Elijah answered whoever it was that called him.
She stared at the blank TV, thinking of the kiss they had shared. Elijah's back was turned to her, but two minutes into the call, he whipped around towards her. His work face mode is activated. Amanda sat up immediately; she saw his body tensed up. "What?" she mouthed at him.
"Okay, thank you very much, and please keep me updated," Elijah said before sliding the phone back into his pants pocket.
"What is it?" Amanda straightened up.
Elijah took his sit next to her. "Evans Bushwick...my contact has a lead on him."
Phew! Amanda sighed with wide eyes. "Where? Let's go." She said, standing to her feet. Elijah grabbed her hand swiftly and pulled her down to the sofa.
"Not so quickly, princess. Evans is in the UK."
Amanda shrugged. Left to her, she didn't care if Evans was in Japan. "If we can travel to Russia...what is the United Kingdom?" she said. This was their chance, and Amanda wasn't ready to let it slip.
Elijah chuckled darkly, eyeing her as she freed her hand from his. "You are forgetting one thing." He said.
What the hell can that be? Amanda wanted to ask, but she settled for shooting Elijah a questioning look. "You now work in the DA's office...you basically just started, and I don't think Elena Landmark will let you take a week off."
Oops. Amanda pursed her lips. That was indeed true. It seems too early to seek breaks from work. "If I can't go, who will go?" Amanda asked. "You?" she added.
"I think Philp and Ralph will handle it."