|
  |
During Lent Matt has always visited church more often. The Wednesday night service comes right before he nightly rounds and right after he finishes his work. With the promise of a bite to eat after before he gets dressed in red, this is really the only time a gal can see him, Natalie, Natasha, or otherwise. So he offered her to come with.
There is like no one here.
And that's a good thing because the Priest is already going on 4 minutes late. Matt doesn't know the time, but he can hear the lady down the way mention just that. In addition to Matt, there are about 5 other people in the pews.
*
Plucky secretary extraordinaire, Natalie Rushman treads into the back of the church — late, but still present. The red head tugs a black veil over her hair; lacy and a touch mysterious as she does so before slowing her paces and then slipping next to Matt on the pew. She casts him a smile that she knows he can't see.
Of course, her paces were more than audible thanks to the silence of the church and the all-too-familiar tap of her heels against the wooden floor. She lowers her chin. She reaches over to squeeze Matt's hand.
*
Matt returns the squeeze of her hand and smiles back at her. He couldn't see the smile, but he could guess. Peeling back ones lips changes the temperature in the air slightly. The natural breath, one he's tasted a thousand times, is released more easily through a smile. And there are slight sounds, too.
"You haven't missed anything," Matt says, deadpanned as he leans in next to her.
*
Matt's smile prompts a vague shake of Nat's head, along with a silent assessment and consideration of how he 'sees'. It's an oddity in its own way — the way he seems to feel her smile, and, bears with it a measure of intrigue. The comment though causes Nat to hum. "It's like they knew I aimed to be fashionably late," she murmurs quietly.
She slides closer to him, lightly pressing her shoulder against his as she does so. "It's a nice church," she says lowly.
*
"We came here a few times when I was a kid," Matt whispers. "I always got the idea that my dad knew someone here, but he never said anything. It was odd. Sort of a church away from a church for us." Just as Matt is reaching for a laminated card that sits in front of the hymnals, he stops abruptly. "Something's wrong."
*
Nat's eyebrows lift and she peers around the church silently. Her black veil is slid slightly to allow for her to see the room with more ease. "Wrong how?" her jaw tightens and she peers at the front and each of the sides, taking in the details with the deft efficiency. It's good to be a spy.
*
"There's a man," Matt begins quietly. "He's holding up Father Joseph. Crazed. I smell oil. Gun oil. And something else." Matt gets up as if he's going to get out of the pew, but these tight, old wooden things mean he's almost going to need to climb over Nat entirely. Either way he's moving quickly. The graceful Matt usually never missteps, but he nearly trips coming out into the aisle.
*
Nat moves when Matt does so he doesn't have to climb over her. She glances around the room to regard each of the parishioners before shaking her head. "Where are they?" her voice remains low. Again her eyes trail to each of the people present.
*
"Out by the rectory," Matt says. "He's leaving. I couldn't quite hear what they said." Father Joseph is busy coming in just as the pair are leaving. "Matt?" he asks.
Sorry father, I forgot something at home. I'll be back next Wednesday, I promise," Matt replies as he carries on quickly. He leads Nat out into the cold air and picks up the pace. "Just around the corner. We're gaining on him."
*
Nat shoots the padre a vague smile of apology as she follows Matt outside. Her paces increase and she breaks into a small run. There's something vaguely hilarious about the secretary in the heels along with he blind man going after the fellow around the corner. As they move, she very subtly pulls up her skirt on one side and grasps a small handgun.
*
"Oh shit," Matt says as they turn the corner. "He's got a device."
In front of them, a man in the trench coat is crossing the busy street. Straight ahead is the entrance to a police headquarters for the local precinct.
*
A sharp breath is inhaled and Nat shoots Matt a sidelong stare. "If I get made for this and there's no device — " she murmurs; the threat is implicit even if never actually uttered. But even as she says the words, she's already on the move. She's following the fellow in the trench coat. And then, with a loud scream, she points towards the man with the trench coat, "Stop that man! He stole my purse!"
*
The man, shocked, stops and looks back at Natalie and can't make sense of what she's doing. Matt can't see into his brain, but he wonders if the man is wondering whether or not this could be the worst case of mistaken identity ever. The footsteps keep carrying him towards the stairs, even as two police officers are making their way downward. Just as the would be attacker is turning back around to hurry up and do what he came her to do, he's tackled roughly by two men in the blue. The trigger, for the device he was about to use tumbles harmlessly out of his pockets and falls down the steps, just as Matt finishes crossing the road. Reaches down. And picks it up.
"Jesus saves," he mutters.
"So does the widow, I guess."
*
Natalie trails up to the man in the trench coat and the pair of officers. "Thank you, officers! He stole my purse — " her lips part wordlessly as she studies his face. She squints. "I'm guessing its in his coat." Her eyebrows draw together. "Maybe you should check it? I really need my purse — my keys are in it," she blinks hard as her eyes begin to burn with threatening tears.
Her eyes trail towards Matt, satisfied that the trigger has been retrieved, but said device still needs to be recovered.
*
Matt puts his arm around Natalie as if consoling the poor woman, even as one of the officers opens the trench coat. Sure as hell, a neatly packed set of explosives right across the midriff. "Dear god, this guy is loaded!" yells one of the cops. The one closest pins the man's arms down and the other begins to yank at the duct tape.
"Oh my!" Matt bellows out dramatically as he pulls Natalie away as if he's afraid the whole block is going to blow.
Out of ear shot, he grins towards her. "That was good thinking."
*
Natalie's eyes widen with shock, but she's drawn away from station and fellow in the trench coat. When Matt speaks, she can feel her smile quirk higher. "Thanks. Everyone wants to help a damsel in distress. And in front of a police station? Yeah, I figured there'd be a response." She actually winks as she links arms with Matt.
"Sorry about church though," her head tilts to the side. "I know it's important to you." She finally tugs the veil she's been wearing from her head.
*
"It's alright. I'm sure we get out of saying several Hail Mary's after that," Matt says with a smile. "I wonder what the guy wanted to attack a police station for. Couldn't make out what they were saying. Muffled behind those big doors." He walks on like this, hold her arm against his tightly, until they come to the road that leads to Matt's place. And where's he's got to head to go out and protect his neighborhood. "Well, I guess this is it." He says as he faces her more fully. "When do I get to see you again? No pun intended."
*
"I'd almost think that an invitation," Natasha rather than Natalie responds coyly. Her head turns to the side and she looks towards Manhattan. "Something is brewing," she finally offers. "The people I work for — " her tongue clucks. "Well, they have a desire for me to move on some of what I've been learning." She hums quietly. "But I'm around. Always around. If you wanted though, I mean, an up-and-coming lawyer and a secretary could have dinner together sometime. Maybe."
*
"Yeah?" Matt says as he takes a step closer to her. "Maybe the lawyer could meet the secretary at about 6. Maybe tomorrow. Which is early, but that gives more time. If the secretary were so inclined, I mean."
*
Instinctively, when Matt steps closer to her, Nat reaches upwards to adjust the lapel of his jacket. She soothes it with her fingertips, making a silent fix that would mostly go unnoticed. Innocently, her head cants to the side, "More time for dinner?" And then she nods, "Well, there's certainly an opening in the secretary's schedule at 6 tomorrow. Italian. Preferably."
*
"Italian it'll be, then," Matt says as he moves to give her a quick, chase peck on the lips, should she let him. "Don't be late. I'll be counting the minutes available to me."
*
The peck is easily returned. "A lady is never late," Nat asserts. "She only arrives when she means to, knowing full well the party won't start without her." A twitter of mischief lilts in her tone. "Be good, Matthew~" she virtually sings.
*
"Yeah right. You too." Matt gives her a wry smile before pulling away and heading home to head to work.
*
And as Matt heads to work, Nat treads to the police station to sneak into the secretary pool… if only to investigate the man in the trench coat.