Spank & Correct: Trust & The Trusted

"I hardly recognized you with your clothes on," Jack said, grabbing my arm as I walked through the door into Q5.

"I always thought you were looking somewhere other than my face," I said. Jack steered me into his office and closed the door giving us the semblance of privacy from the rest of the team. "What's up?" I asked.

"I should ask you," Jack said circling around his desk and gesturing for me to be seated. "As far as I know, you are the first person to ever be released from disciplinary duties early."

I did not intend to be cocky, but a sideways smile flashed across my face as I sat down. Jack shook his head, taking his own seat and resting his hand on the desktop. I said, "I'm sure you know the relevant details."

"To be honest, I don't really care," Jack said watching me with a studious eye. "You're still on probation for the next month and that means if I even get the tingle of a feeling you might be thinking about causing trouble, I'll have you out of your suit before you can flutter your pretty little eyelashes."

"And here I was beginning to wonder if you had even noticed," I said smiling mischievously at the thought of sitting naked across from him.

"Notice what?" Jack asked, either playing dumb or being a complete fool.

I leaned forward resting my arm on his desk while fluttering my eyelashes and said, "That I'm pretty. That is what you said isn't it?"

Jack leaned back in his chair, a faint pink coloring his cheeks as he swallowed. "I also said you were trouble."

"Are you tingling?" I asked leaning a bit closer. "Should I undress for you?"

Jack cleared his throat and said, "Fortunately for you, we have more important matters to discuss, unless of course you would prefer to be naked?"

I leaned back in my chair still smiling and said, "So, what's up?"

Jack glanced down at his lap and then pulled himself closer to the desk. Like a typical guy, he did not think I noticed, but it was hard to miss. I played nice though and kept my thoughts to myself. Jack cleared his throat again and said, "You'll be working under Dr. Michaels until further notice."

"Whatever makes you happy," I said.

Jack said, "Gene has fallen behind since taking on your responsibilities as my second. I need the two of you to get the translations completed from Easter Island and quickly because they may be our only chance to get back on the trail."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to just put things back the way they were so Dr. Michaels can focus on the work requiring his expertise?" I asked.

Jack said, "If I could rely on you, it would. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to trust you with the safety of this team."

"Get over it," I said, the smile disappearing from my face, "The longer you mess around, the further we fall behind and when it comes right down to it, you know Dr. Michaels isn't the right man for the job."

"I trust him," Jack said.

"So do I, but that doesn't make him a leader," I said.

"It's my decision and I've made it," Jack said.

"Then you're a fool," I said.

"You must really not like wearing clothes," Jack said.

"I'm not afraid of you Jack," I said, staring straight into his eyes, "What I'm afraid of and what you should be too, is what will happen if we lose this race to the man in the shadows."

"And just by being my number two you are going to stop that from happening?" Jack asked incredulously.

"Without me, your team wouldn't have found much of anything lately," I said shrugging, "My track record speaks for itself."

"So does Gene's," Jack said narrowing his eyes, "Unless I'm mistaken he saved your butt in the Arctic."

"True enough, but his decision was rash and endangered his own life as well as everyone aboard that helicopter," I said.

"And you've done better?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If you'd stop fighting me and start working with me, then I wouldn't have to take rash actions to get the job done," I said.

"So you're blaming it all on me?" Jack said.

I shrugged and said, "If the shoe fits."

"Antagonizing me isn't the best tactic if you want me to change my mind," Jack said.

"I don't really care what my technical position is on this team so long as the lines of communication are open and you don't dismiss my thoughts just because they don't fit into your neat little box," I said.

"Fine," Jack said pushing back from the desk, "I'll think about it. In the meantime, Joe tells me you have some family problems that need resolving."

I frowned at the thought of Joesph Candle revealing anything about my personal life to Jack Barker. "Nothing I can't handle," I said.

"I'm sure it's not, but I need you focused when you're here," Jack said, standing up.

"Not a problem," I said.

"Good," Jack said, stepping toward the door, "You can go home solve your personal problems and be back Monday morning."

"Excuse me," I said, looking sideways at Jack as he opened the door.

"You heard me. Go home, fix the family stuff and I'll let you know what I've decided for you come Monday," Jack said.

I blinked at him.

"Go, get," Jack said, "Unless you want a spanking first?"

I stood up and straightened down my skirt, as Jack watched impatiently. Walking out of his office I kept my eyes on him wondering why, with all the rush to get back on the trail, he would send me home. There was definitely something more going on, but Jack was not going to tell. I sauntered out and headed toward the exit feeling Jack's eyes watching my every step until the security door slammed closed behind me.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal Tom Clark. "Leaving so soon?" He said as we stared at each other from opposite sides of the threshold. His lopsided grin and teasing eyes said a lot more, but left me unsure how exactly to respond. Obviously, he was as in the dark as I was about Jack's plans. I stepped inside the elevator.

"Jack's sending me home," I said.

Tom hesitated in the doorway, keeping the doors open. With a sideways glance he asked, "What did you do this time?"

I laughed. Tom raised his eyebrows clearly not understanding what I found amusing, but then he was assuming I had done something. I said, "Beats the hell out of me. It felt more like Jack wanted me out of the office for some reason or other."

"That doesn't make any sense," Tom said.

I said, "No, it doesn't. Walk me out?"

Tom glanced at the door to Q5 and then looked back to me before shrugging and stepping back inside the elevator. I pushed the button for the ground floor and waited for the doors to close. "What do you know about Patrick Hughes?" I asked.

Tom's head tilted as he looked at me and said, "He's been with Quondam as long as I have. Started out working the reception desk to HR and now he's one of the top people down there. I think he works acquisitions."

I nodded listening to Tom's summary. Patrick Hughes was something of a conundrum. If my guess was correct, he was in trouble and in his own way he had asked me for help. The problem was figuring out who could be trusted and exactly how to help without making matters worse. Out of all the people at Quondam, I trusted Tom the most because he was simple. His actions and motivations were transparently clear without the shroud of mystery surrounding everyone else around him.

"I need your help," I said looking him straight in the eye, "But you have to promise to keep it just between us."

Tom nodded, the grin disappearing from his face and a solid touch of seriousness glazing over his eyes. "What can I do?" Tom asked.

"Outside," I said as the elevator came to a stop. The doors slid open and I hooked my arm into Tom's allowing him to lead the way out. I caught him off guard for a moment but he recovered smoothly enough and smiled once more as we walked through the lobby and out the front doors. A few people took notice of us, but none said a word.

We stopped in the middle of the garden on the path to the parking garage and being late morning there was no one else around. It occurred to me the planters might be bugged, but it was a chance I had to take because there was no place I could be completely certain of in any case. Tom seemed to understand although I doubt he shared my paranoia.

"You are aware of the leak caused by Mrs. Elliot's activities?" I asked.

Tom nodded and said, "I understand that's what got you off duties early."

"Right. Unfortunately, I don't believe that was the leak at all," I said, pretending to look at the flowers.

Tom said, "Kyra proved someone was hacking in through the device."

"I don't doubt it, but it's a feint," I said.

"What do you know?" Tom asked.

"Patrick Hughes is the real leak," I said, turning to look at Tom and hoping he would read the seriousness in my eyes.

"Are you certain? He doesn't seem the type," Tom said, skepticism written all over his face.

A gentle breeze rustled through the garden making me look around, nervously tracking every noise. I shook my head feeling silly, but I could not shake the feeling we were being watched. Tom stepped closer to me, his own eyes darting around the surroundings. My gut told me we could not both be wrong. I wrapped my arms around his neck and planted my lips next to his ear.

"He's in trouble," I whispered, "You have to find out what they have on him, how they are manipulating him."

Tom's arms wrapped around my back and pulled me in closer to him. His hot breath tickled my neck as he leaned down and brushed his lips against my ear, his cheek brushing aside my hair. "I'll help because I trust you V," Tom whispered, "but it might be a little easier to put it all together if you trusted me enough to tell me why you suspect he's in trouble."

"Alright," I said in his ear, "He mentioned Allison Beaumont to me, very cautiously, very specifically and at first I thought it was a threat but in retrospect I think it was his way of asking for help because it seems he's kept that knowledge to himself."

Tom pulled back, just enough so our eyes could meet and I could read the absolute befuddlement on his face. "Who is Allison Beaumont?" He asked.

"Me," I said.

The memory faded to obscurity as the window in front of me solidified back into view. The feeling from the garden remained though, the prickling sensations running up and down my spine screamed about the hidden eyes watching me from some distance. Dad was still pacing the floor, shaking his head, obviously lost for more scolding words, but still trying to find something relevant to say. If I were not so tired and sore, I might have smiled, amused at the situation, but under the circumstances it was best to remain contrite or neutral at worst.

Dad stopped in his tracks, staring straight at me and said, "It's late and I'm tired of looking at the three of you. Allison, get upstairs to your room and go to bed. We'll talk about the future in the morning."

I did not too much like the sound of the impending discussion, but I was more than happy to lower my tired arms and walk up the stairs to my bedroom. As I went, Dad continued dismissing everyone, sending Mom to their bedroom and Steve and Jenny home. Behind my closed door, I watched through the window of my dark room as Steve and Jenny walked to their car and drove away. I no longer felt the prying eyes upon me and as I laid down to sleep I wondered if the eyes were still out there waiting for me to reappear someplace more visible or if they were following Steve and Jenny. If Mr. Candle was right, following Steve and Jenny would lead them to Geoff and if they discovered Geoff....

It was more than I could worry about for one night. I closed my eyes on what felt like the longest day of my life. Sleep came without much effort despite the relative discomfort my backside throbbed from even the lightest touch of the bedsheets. I dreamed of mountains and caves with reflections that were not quite reflections, but somehow a view into another world. My grandmother was there, two halves of a whole fighting for freedom and dominance and when they looked to me I realized I would decide who would win, but was it my choice or the woman's staring back at me with an evil grin from the other side of the dark water.