Covert

Chapter Three- Room Bound

Declan positioned himself near the window of the hotel having used two fingers to pull back the blinds to try and make note of the large burly man in search of him. He was able to notice a figure from behind having seemingly begun to look for something and dodged back behind the window just as the man had turned to face him. Autumn had studied the man before her at this time, trying to understand what it was that he wanted with her. Of course, her mind began to wonder if he had been a fellow spy trying to infiltrate the same intel she was outsourced to attain-but he was a clear local-not exactly someone working for a prestigious anti-criminal organization. She was able to detect his latin aesthetic, complete with sun-kissed skin and a muscular physique that hid poorly beneath a blue denim-esque colored shirt paired with a set of white pants. From the outside looking in, he appeared almost like a tall drink of water for the sexually deprived Autumn, but regarding the fact of being held  hostage by his gun-she was not allowing herself to think of him in such a way. Even if he had been her exact type, seemingly single, and understanding of her line of work. 

“What are you planning to do?” Autumn finally asked, hoping to gain his attention to earn his trust just enough until she could find a way to escape this potentially dangerous situation. He turned to her, lowering his weapon, upon feeling as though he had been in the clear. 

“It isn’t even loaded…’ He confessed, replacing it within a spot between his belt and his back to keep it on him. “I just needed to buy myself some time-”

“You mean to tell me that other people don’t like having a gun pulled on them?” She asked sarcastically as he glared playfully at her before c*****g his jaw to the side. 

“What is an American like you doing in Spain anyway?” He asked, changing the subject to make her answer a question of his own. Now realizing that his gun was just a prop to instill fear in her so he could get out of her what he wanted, she rose from the bed, hiding the phone number by skillfully sliding it onto the floor between the bed and the side table, not wanting her true nature to be known. 

“Just on vacation…” She commented with a true nonchalant tone. It was clear that she was not anxious in the sight of danger-especially in regards to hand-to-hand combat. She was able to hold her own, but the man before her had still allowed her to become a bit hot under the collar, as she was a sucker for any accent-especially one that sounded so sensual. 

“Okay...I see that we can both be liars, Americana…” He began a nickname for her as she had yet to give him her name and he had to act as though he was oblivious to what it had been. Just as Autumn had read up on her target-Justin, Declan had done so to Autumn; knowing every detail he could about her-without having spoken more than a few sentences to her. 

“Why did you lock me in a closet?” She asked him, not allowing his blase reaction to being interrogated to be the end of their interaction. 

“Why was it that you were in that room that does not belong to you?” His English had been a tad broken, seemingly staying away from contractions. She realized she had met her verbal match of someone that gave it just as much as she had given it to him. The curiosity and desire to know his motive for being present was enough to make her curious of the situation they found themselves in-unsure if he was a threat, someone she met by chance, or an ally; as truth would have it, he was a collection of all the aforementioned. 

“You have been following me...first in the lobby...then into that room...and now you pulled a gun on me...I have ever reason to report you to authorities…”

“You won’t.” Her brows shot up, truly taken back by the fact he was unshaken from her threat. 

“Why not?”

“Because you and I both know that your ID and passport are not who you really are.” Her heart began to race as she came to understand that the man before her was someone she wouldn’t be able to lie to. Either he was an incredible bullshit detector or he knew more about her than he had originally let on. With this in mind, she carefully answered him-cautious to not give away too much, as she looked to him with a quizzical gaze. 

“Who are you?” She asked, desperate to get some inking of just who this man was, as she knew he was familiar-but someone she would have seen in passing...not a prior enemy or even a prior case-but still someone she would have to be weary of. 

“It is probably best if you and I remain on a need-to-know basis…” He spoke as if he had been the one in control of an operation that involved both of them. Autumn was fine with being held at gunpoint, even with being stalked-but when it came to being directed by a man like him who expected girls to fall at his feet-she had had enough. As he had been distracted by the blinds of the window, she moved quickly to escape, knowing that he was posing as more of a danger to her than an ally. But just as the door had come open, he took hold of her and sandwiched her between him and the door. Within seconds, they managed to be in a rather compromising position as Declan kept her in place by the weight of his own body. He stood a good head over her, making her have to force her chin to move upwards to see him. 

“Fine...I was here to get information on the guests…”

His expression seemed surprised that he had been given an answer so easily. “There is a piece of paper in the dresser drawer with an address...it is where my contact is...I’m just a journalist...please...just...let me go…” Declan knew things about Autumn, but he was neglected to knowledge to know that she had been a spy-just that she had been undercover; he thought that perhaps there was truth behind her being a journalist. After all, she had documents around the room and notebooks spread out-almost as if anticipating this moment. Yet, he also knew how sly women like her could be and so he instructed her to stand on the other side between him and the door-so she would not be able to move past him without him noticing. Unaware that he was eating right out of the palm of her hand. Unbeknownst to Declan, Autumn held a set of handcuffs in her bag that was hidden beneath the room’s sink. As he was searching for a piece of paper, that she explained she placed in the Bible set in the drawer, she was able to get to her handcuffs before he had the chance to hear what she had been doing. As he looked to her, he saw that she was acting froggy, but was unable to pinpoint what it was about her that had changed. Knowing she couldn’t get out in that direction, he was relieved-until she motioned to a piece of paper upon the ground. 

“There it is…” She commented, pointing to the bottom of the bed. He looked to her suspiciously, unsure if he should trust her. 

“Get it for me…” He spoke as he rose his brow. Usually she would fight for her free will, but in this instance, she didn’t care as it was all part of her plan to get close enough to him to use those handcuffs to keep him within the room until she could disappear through the front door. She acted as if she was adamant to him getting it at first, until finally ‘folding’ into it and leaning down to reach the piece of paper. Making the excuse that her arms were too short, she quickly used an open section of the cuffs to lock him onto the bed and moving away just before he could catch her arm-just grazing her skin. A wide smile of self-satisfaction spread across her face as he tried to use his strength to pull the cuffs from the bedpost. 

“Goodbye, sweetheart…” She teased him, allowing his own comment to be thrown against him, as he c****d his jaw-having been impressed. 

“I will see you again, Americana…” He promised her as she moved to the door, pulling it open just enough for the late afternoon air to approach within the room itself, before she turned back to him, allowing herself to get the last word, to hopefully put him in his place. 

“We’ll see about that…” She commented while being able to move freely from the door, unaware of the set of eyes that had followed her from the moment she left.