[ Session IV ]

Ena never knew bounty hunting made such good money. During the past few months, she saw Caine return from his jobs with his card full of creds. That was the only part of the bounty chasing Ena didn't see from behind a screen; she never accompanied him in the actual chase. In fact, sometimes he didn't even need her help. Today was a good example of that.

She was alone in the Achilles while Caine dealt with a "small fry" somewhere in Mars. The ship was orbiting outside of the planet's gravitational pull, waiting for his return. Usually it was the small bounties that took the longest. He had been gone since yesterday morning. Though time seemed to stand still while hovering in space, there was a clock and calendar for each planet by Ena's bed to keep her time bearings straight.

She looked at it now. Evening was settling in on Mars. She yawned and stretched on her bed, almost kicking her tablet off the mattress as she crossed her legs, eyes now caught by the ceiling. It was in shadows, the dim light from the hallway filtering in her dark room. Within the patterns she kept seeing lit cigarettes set in lips with devilish grins.

He's fine. He com–called earlier today and said he'd be here by tonight or tomorrow.

She shook her head.

Stop worrying. These small ones aren't the dangerous ones.

It was only for the "big ones"—the actual dangerous ones—that Caine would ask for her help. 

Ask.

He always asked, even though she'd tell him countless times there was no need. On one occasion, she had retorted his question with one of her own.

"Can I come along with you on the bounty?" she had asked. "I can help you from your desender."

His eyebrows shot up and then down in a light glare. "No. You stay here on the Achilles."

Ena sighed as she remembered his words. She wasn't stupid. She knew there was more to it. More to what he was allowing her to see, but whatever he wasn't telling her she found out all the same.

She recognized most of the names from the big bounties. The names he gave her were usually the targets' nicknames, but it was easy enough to find their real names. Names she had heard countless of times. Ena knew the power and danger carried by them as well.

It was understandable for there to be bounties on them, but these "big ones" were supposed to be the untouchables. They were the drug lords among drug lords: the sources. Mankind had gone into space but so did their drugs and these men were making sure they would stay. It was a narcotic empire that literally went beyond the stars, networking between planets and colonized moons. It was their empire.

And for Caine to have things on them like their scanner encryptions. How does he get such information?

Maybe he was an undercover badge? That somehow made him sexier.

Of course Ena never voiced her concerns to him. Why should she? He never asked about her business. It also didn't help that every time she saw him her stomach fluttered with such intensity she'd forget any words that were on her tongue. Besides, she had no reason to doubt he was going to hurt—Hurt? Why would I even go to such thoughts?—her in any way.

Caine, if a little flirty, always respected her and made time for her. When he wasn't bounty hunting, they would sit in the living room, the blue stars from the window looking upon them, and talk about too many subjects to recall. Plus, the fact that she swept her room for cameras or bugs and found none when she first moved in gave him more credibility. He had even bought her a very flattering dress a few weeks ago, and he had insisted she wear it to dinner that night.

Ena felt her heart beat faster as the memory replayed for the upteempth time in her head.   

Caine had suggested taking her to Blue Saturn's Sapphire Galleria so she could shop for shoes and jewelry to wear with her dress. The thought of her stepping out in public sent her into a panic. What if she was recognized? When she tried to decline his offer as sincerely as she could, she had seen the disappointment in his eyes. It was followed by a peculiar look Ena couldn't place. It looked like an "oh yeeeeah" expression.

They had settled on staying inside the Achilles. Caine had told her to stay in her room and not come out till 7:30pm. In her dress. Ena walked into a candle lit kitchen with already served food over a tablecloth she didn't know they had. Caine was standing by the entrance, arm held out to her to escort her to her seat. He was dressed in the suit from the casino bounty, but his tie was straightened and his shirt was tucked in this time.

"You can close your mouth now, corazón." He had grinned at her.

Ena sat up from the bed as her embarrassing moment marched her to her window to find something else to focus on instead of her humiliation. She sighed, placing a hand on the cool window pane. Her eyes fixated on her own reflection, the floating stars in the background becoming blurred stains. These stars didn't look blue. Only the window in the living room turned them blue.

The buzz of the hanger door opening was heard followed by the dying wheeze of a decender parking and turning off. Caine had arrived. She heard his footsteps in the hallway and turned, waiting for him to pass by her room. He did and kept on going.

Her heart sank.

Caine always stopped by her room, leaning on her doorframe, to greet her. Did something happen? Ena stood staring at the lit hallway for a few minutes before she decided to follow him. He hadn't passed by again which meant he was either in the living room or the bridge. It turned out to be the first one.

Ena walked down the small staircase to see Caine slumped on the couch. His hair was all strands as they hid his face, and his black coat sat too heavy on him giving the impression he was a shadow instead of a man. Crawling smoke snaked from his dipped head.

"Caine?" Ena called as she walked to him.

She gasped, eyes wide when she saw the blood on his shirt and jeans. It plastered the clothing up against his left side.

"What happened?" she exclaimed. "You're bleeding! And why are you smoking while you're bleeding?"

She took the cigarette from his mouth and smashed it in the ashtray.

"Ena?" His voice was dry.

"Take your coat off." She gently tugged on the sleeves.

He obliged, slipping his right arm out but grimaced when he stretched his left. It pained and frustrated her to hear him like that. 

"What happened?" she asked again.

He threw his head back and through gritted teeth said, "I got shot."

"Shot!"

"I already took out the bullet on the way here."

"You what? Did you even sterilize—no. I'm getting the first aid kit," Ena said and ran across the room, jumping over the stairs. She could hear his low chuckle as she dashed through the hallway to the restroom.

Jerk. Laughing at a time like this!

She returned to the living room with the silver case in hand and popped it open next to Caine. She grabbed the disinfectant spray and a handful of wipes.

"Take your shirt off," she told him, supplies in hand.

He gave her a weak grin. "So demanding, corazón."

"Come on, Caine!" She blushed.

"I can't anyways. Holding my arms up will make it bleed again. Just cut my shirt off."

Her fluster overtook her face. "I...okay."

Ena placed the supplies down and picked up the curved bandage scissors. She peeled the shirt off his skin, cut it all the way up to his collar and through his sleeves, so she could pull it off. She averted staring too long at his defined chest and looked at the injury. It wasn't as bad as she thought. The wound wasn't deep, and it also didn't seem to have penetrated any organs. His lack of shortened breath and nonexistent signs of internal breathing was proof of that. Ena could treat it, no problem.

She dabbed off the drying blood with the disinfectant wipes, jumping a little each time she heard Caine hiss. With the sterilizer spray, Ena misted the inside and outside of his wound. She didn't have to see him to know he was baring his teeth.

"Almost done," she said.

He let out a long sigh. "But I finally have you touching me."

"Just be quiet!" she huffed and kept her head down as she picked up another bottle from the first aid.

She shook it and lathered Caine's opening with its contents. The foam–like substance was meant to pull and stich his flesh together as it dispersed. Caine leaned forward as Ena finished up and wrapped his stomach with gauze.

"You sure know how to treat a bullet wound, corazón," Caine said. The tease in his voice was gone. Even his pet name for her sounded sour.

She froze for a moment. "Yeah."

Her vision blurred with the threat of tears. Ena turned away, hoping Caine wouldn't notice. The azure stars through the window caught her sight instead.