MAIZE

"So the Captain arranged for a safe house."

"Where?"

"Mexico."

It was later into the night, still at Alec's apartment even after the sun had sunk below the city line. The three of them had only just begun discussing their next plan of action, once Alec had gotten a call back from the Captain a few hours later because it was evident that the city was no longer safe. Though, as Maize sat on the edge of her seat, she was only half listening as the conversation went on, distracted from her own thoughts running through her mind.

When she agreed to the job as the FBI agent's bodyguard, she had seen it as an opportunity to do something different from simply hunting down criminals, now she would be protecting one—though Kishan was not a criminal, he had been in the gang that called themselves Zmeya, and Maize would be damned if she passed up an opportunity to get some intel about a new crime gang in the States, connected to the Russian syndicate no less. Even if Kishan refused to give her the details, knowledge was knowledge. And knowledge was useful.

Besides, it wasn't like she was completely in the dark. Sure she didn't know much about Zmeya in Los Angeles, but she did know about the Russian syndicate. After all, who didn't? They were a powerful group, centred in Russia, but which extended to branches across the world that tethered countless individual groups into one, into their own. In turn, each of these gangs, groups, and crime families took on a Russian name, to show their alliance to each other and to the syndicate's cause—ruling over the entire crime world. Maize knew this much from experience, after doing her own research, asking the right questions to the right people when she saw an opportunity, listening to whispers that carried on the streets. The syndicate was everywhere, that was a fact. But Zmeya was only a grain in their bucket of rice. And now it was Maize's job to make sure they didn't get to Kishan, her job was to protect—and she had to do it alongside the one person who got on her nerves more than anyone...She had to work with Alec fucking West.

Fate was ironic, wasn't it?

For the most part, he didn't exactly try to hide his reluctance to work with her, and in turn, neither did she. But perhaps, in this situation where there was, literally, a life on the line, the bounty hunter could learn to tolerate his presence. Just so long as he stopped referring to her as— "Maizey!"

Oh for the love of— She let out an exasperated sigh and rolled her eyes. West was anything if not great at shattering her resolve to put up with him.

She could tolerate his condescending demeanour. She could tolerate his rambunctious sense of confidence. She could tolerate the fact that he had to disagree with her on everything.

But she could not tolerate that stupid nickname.

"What do you want, idiot?" She snapped at him, suddenly noticing how not just he, but the agent as well, were both staring at her expectantly, as if waiting for something from her.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you listening to a word I just said?" The fact that she made no move to respond seemed enough of an answer and he rolled his eyes. "I just finished explaining how we have a problem with getting Kishan through airport security without it getting picked up on the FBI's radar...or were you too caught up in your daydreaming to hear me?"

Maize clenched down on her jaw, but chose to ignore the jab as she focused her attention on the rest of what he had said. "So...you need to somehow pass airport security?" She mumbled out loud as a few new considerable thoughts ran through her mind.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself..."

Maize paused her thoughts to flash a glaring look at the detective, who stared back with a condescending amused expression. He just loved to tick her off, didn't he? But she chose not to retort. Instead, finding it within herself to take a deep breath and ride to her feet.

"Hey—where are you going?" Alec exclaimed as she walked past him and headed for the door. "It was a joke dammit!"

She rolled her eyes and turned to give him a look, her annoyance pushed down as she spoke directly. "Do you think you can hold up here and get everything else ready for the next few hours on your own?

"Of course I can," he stated, as a matter of fact, crossing his arms over his chest at the implication that he would possibly need any help from her. But the question look did not leave his steel gaze.

She smirked. "Then just leave that last part of the plan to me..."

She didn't give them time to ask what that meant as she turned and closed the door behind her before they could say anything.

So they needed a way to bypass security?

Well, in that case, there was someone Maize needed to find.

* * *

9 HOURS LATER, AIRPORT

They didn't carry much with them as they made their way through the bustling airport, a single pack for each of them, seeing how—according to Alec—there would be things they needed provided at the safehouse.

Maize noticed how the detective kept a lookout in the crowd, searching for any signs of something that might be wrong. He hadn't been allowed to bring his gun on the flight, since he wasn't there as a cop, and she could tell it put him a little more on edge.

The bounty hunter didn't synthesis with his newfound apprehension, but she could understand the restless nature. They would be going on a several hour flight, locked in a flying tube, knowing that there was a possibility someone in the crowd could be there with malicious intent. Alec probably wasn't used to not carrying his gun, and it was bound to make someone like him uneasy. On the other hand, she could tell him there was no reason to worry...but where would the fun in that be?

Besides, if he found out about the one or two blades tucked within the fabric of her sleeve—undetectable within the special material of her jacket—he probably would have just gone off about how that was 'breaking the law'. In her mind, she wasn't breaking anything, only bending it slightly. After all, she didn't even plan to take out the weapons—unless things called for it. And she highly doubted that would happen.

"So, you sure this is going to work?" Alec muttered close to her as they came up to security.

"You ask me now?" she mocked with a touch of humour at the look the detective sent. "I'm positive. Have some faith in me will you?" she smirked.

6 hours ago, Maize had gone to visit an old aquantience she met a while back for help with their little bypassing security problem. No less than 3 hours later, and they were standing at the head of the security line, the last thing they needed to get through before they could board.

"Right..." Alec answered with a twitch of sarcasm, "and do I even want to know why you know an identity forger?" he questioned with a raise of his eyebrow. She merely shrugged her shoulders.

"A while back I ended up bringing in a guy who was harassing him about his business, and in return for my not turning him in as well, he ended up owing me a favour," she smirked at the detective's still questioning look. "Don't worry, he's good at what he does."

"Then that's great then that he's out freely distributing false identities for everyone," Alec replied sarcastically, muttering about how many felonies that counted for.

"Well if he wasn't, we'd still have a problem then wouldn't we?" Maize replied coolly, trying to refrain from smirking ahead in amusement. "This'll be an easy one. If I'm right, security won't even suspect a thing..."

And sure enough, she was right.

Kishan's fake identity cleared the checkpoint without so much as a second glance from the security woman at the booth. They boarded like all the other passengers, finding their seats.

They had three tickets between them, at first it didn't matter who got which one, until of course, Kishan had to go ahead and snatch the one that was across the aisle from the other two—meaning Maize and Alec were stuck sitting together in the two pair seat arrangements.

She wished she could have snatched the ticket back, but that wouldn't have looked very inconspicuous of her now would it?

So, biting her tongue, she dropped down next to him and slouched down in the cheap leather. Alec didn't say anything—and hopefully, it stayed that way.

Five minutes. Seven minutes. Ten minutes.

"You're not to going to put up a fuss about being near me?" Alec broke the silence, throwing her a half questioning, half-amused sideways grin. "Truly, Maizey, I'm stunned. I never knew the Ember Bounty Hunter could act so placid..."

Maize bit down on her jaw. "Well, I never knew Alec West could not be an annoying pain in the ass," she countered mildly. Before adding, "And I still don't."

Alec took a minute to process her words and blink at her before he shook his head and muttered under his breath. "I was trying to compliment you but you, somehow, managed to turn that sideways as well."

Maize narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "No you weren't. Don't even act like you were."

Alec rolled his eyes, but had an amused glint in his gaze. "Still, you are acting quite calm—surprisingly, might I add. Did you take something before the flight to make you so calm and endurable? Because I swear if you did I will personally be happy to pay for a lifetime's worth supply for the mission."

"Not even close," she snapped back, struggling to refrain from punching him right there in the middle of the plane. It took an amirable amount of self control. "I just keep calm by picturing something, anything really, that I would rather be doing right now."

"So what is that exactly?" he continued to press.

"Well...right now, it would be getting some duct tape and sealing your mouth shut for the rest of the flight..." she faked a dreamy sigh as the detective scowled slightly.

"Well you're welcome to spend the next seven hours in the plane bathroom instead," he said.

"I considered it. But sitting with you won by a hair, so..."

"Wow, that makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside," he retorted, his tone dripping of pure sarcasm.

"You guys realize you're kind of making a scene, right...?!" Kishan asked from Maize's right, leaning across his seat and throwing a look at the people behind them to prove his point. Both Alec and Maize immediately shut up, though that didn't stop him from sending glaring looks at her, and vise versa. Then the flight attendant's voice came on over the speakers.

"Will all passengers please finish taking their seats, the plane will be taking off in fifteen minutes."

Maize leaned back into her seat and rested her head on her elbow, when suddenly she got the prickling feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes narrowed as her gaze travelled around, until she found the source. A few seats down, in the next row over to them, a perky looking blond was facing her way—though after a few seconds, it occured to Maize that she was not the direct target of her attention. She didn't even seem to notice her, not when her attention was so transfixed on the detective beside her. Was that look...desire in her eyes?

Oh god...Maize thought with hurling feeling in the pit of her stomach as she glanced between the woman and the oblivious Alec. When suddenly she was sparked by an idea.

What if this could work to her benefit?

Without a word she rose, ignoring the questioning look on her back as she approached the blond. She plastered what she hoped came off as a friendly smile, as her appearance snapped the blue-eyed girl out of her oblivious stare.

"O-oh, hello..." the girl said. She was probably around the exact same age as Maize, though her voice was much more high pitched despite her hesitant stutter. And she looked both a little confused and suspicious at Maize's sudden approach.

"Hello," Maize said, playing as just a regular civilian-type passenger. The girl gave her a look but Maize pretended not to notice as she continued. "I just couldn't help you eyeing..." she made a light gesture behind her at Alec, "—my companion over there..." she trailed off a little akwardly. She didn't want to refer to him as her 'partner'—that would send the wrong message. Nevertheless it seemed to have done something. It got a reaction at least.

"Oh my—was I staring?" the blond's eyes went wide as her voice squeaked loudly. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked between Maize and back at Alec. "Sorry, my bad, doll. I just got a little caught up...you don't find many guys that can look so ruggedly dreamy everywhere," she sighed with a gigglish laugh as if she had told the world funniest joke.

"Right..." Maize tried to make it come out as convincing as she could without rolling her eyes. Screw the detective. "Anyway...I was wondering if you might like to sit beside him—"

"Girl, for real?" the blonde visibly brightened, her blue eyes sparkling with joy.

"It wouldn't be a bother to me at all," Maize smiled slowly, this was working out too well. "Just be warned, he's a big talker," she said.

"Oh so am I!"

Perfect.

The girl stood from her seat just as people were finishing up finding their places, and Maize slide in as she watched the blond sashay over and take the vacant seat beside the startled and very confused looking Alec, who was staring at the girl as if she'd just popped out of a magician's hat.

"Hi there, I'm Sophia..." she purred as she leaned as forward as she could into his personal space, batting those long eyelashes seductively as she bit her bottom lip.

This only seemed to confuse the detective further as he shot a questioning look over at Maize. She just smiled innocently, even as Alec nearly jumped out of seat because the blond shamelessly hooked her arm through his, and almost as if a switch had suddenly been turned on as soon as that happened, she began launching into some story, and then another, and another.

Even throughout takeoff, she was still speaking close to his face, talking with him and leaning into him, clearly trying to seduce him with her looks and her talk. And it didn't look like she had plans to stop any time soon.

Maize had to disguise a laugh into a quick cough as she caught a glance at the detective that already looked about ready to shoot himself, or her. Too bad for him, he didn't have his gun.

Twenty minutes after they had rose to the air, the girl was still chatting away, doing all the talking. West looked so uncomfortable that Maize actually almost felt bad. Key word being; almost.

He caught her glancing at him and send her a murderous look, which went unnoticed by the chatty blond, and Maize suddenly got a message on her phone.

I swear I'm going to kill you for this...

She could feel the detective's glare burning into the back of her head, if looks could kill, something would have definitely burst into flames by now. But she paid him no mind as she wrote back her little reply.

You can feel free to try...

In 7.5 hours

And with that, Maize relaxed into her new seat, satisfied smile on her face as she swore she could hear a certain angry detective's muttering cursing her out.

Revenge is a sweet thing isn't it?