by Jaci Wheeler
“Aria, one of your best attributes is your looks. It will carry you far in this job. You are beautiful and men underestimate beautiful women. As much as I hate the fact that they do, you can use it. Use your brains by knowing when a man will only see your looks. You can get out of so much trouble by flirting. If you have a leg up, why not use it?”
He’s actually for real right now?
“Because I’m more than my looks! I shouldn’t need to flirt to get what I want. I’m smart and strong enough to physically back me up enough not to have to rely on flirting. Why have you been training me if you just want me to flirt my way in and out of missions? What’s the point?”
“The point is to always be prepared, but use your natural assets when you can. One of these days you are going to get yourself out of a jam by using your looks and you are going to be grateful you have them.”
“Never! I’m more than my looks, and I trust my mind any day over this,” I say, smacking my butt. I take his stunned silence as my cue to get the heck out of there. There’s nothing like having your dad tell you to use your body to get what you want. Oh, what a dysfunctional web we weave.
***
I’m with Corbin on my way to another training mission. It’s called a training mission, but it’s an actual mission. It’s a standard B&E, nothing too hard. It’s busting into a highly monitored and secure building.
I haven’t worked with this type of safe yet, but I’ve done all my research and I’m pretty confident going in. Corbin is my partner for this op and he is the lookout and comms guy. We are in and out in under five minutes. On my way back to the car I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. Something is up. Corbin picks up on my hesitation.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I’m not sure, but something is off. That was just too easy.”
“I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but you are right; it did go a bit too smooth.”
That’s when I hear them, the sirens. No freaking way; I knew it.
“Give me the keys,” I shout to Corbin.
“What the? Did you trip a silent alarm or something?”
“Absolutely not. He set us up.”
“Who? What are you talking about?” he asks, running around the car and jumping into the passenger seat.
“Edward!” I shout as I jump in the driver’s side and look behind us. The sirens are closing in fast; there’s no way I’m going to be able to out maneuver him now. I take off at full speed and come up with a fast plan.
“Why would your father set us up?” Corbin asks, bewildered.
“Because he’s proving a point. Just sit back and do everything I tell you, and grab my pickle.”
“Grab your what?” he asks, looking horrified.
“My small bag, grab it. It’s my in-a-pickle-bag; there’s everything you could possibly need. I want you to take out an Alka Seltzer, but wait until I tell you and put it in your mouth.”
Corbin looks at me like I’m totally nuts, but nods his head. I see the lights flashing now to pull over.
“When he comes up to the car I want you to pop it in your mouth and then start seizing, you know shaking and stuff.”
“I know what seizing is, Aria.” he says, sounding offended.
“Ok, well then just do that, no matter what I say stay in character.”
I pull over and check my rearview mirror. The officer who approaches is alone, young and good looking, he also holds himself like a rookie. This was no mistake.
My father wants to knock me down a peg by proving I will do whatever I have to in order to stay out of trouble. I will go to jail before I flirt with this guy just to prove my point, but if my plan works I won’t have to. He knocks on my window and I quickly speed up my breathing. I roll it down and start frantically flailing my hands and pointing to Corbin.
The officer starts to ask me questions and I start signing “I’m deaf.” Then I point to my ears and shake my head. Luckily, on the off chance this guy signs I, in fact, do know ASL. By the look on his face, he doesn’t and he is starting to panic.
“Hold on,” he screams right in my ear and puts a finger up. Like screaming is going to help if I were actually deaf. It takes everything in me not to allow myself to flinch at my now aching eardrum. He gets his radio out and says something. Then he comes back to me and starts screaming again and I refuse to wince at the sound.
“Ok, you follow me. I take you to the hospital. Ok?” he shouts at me.
I shake my head a little and point over at Corbin, who is almost blue. Dang, now I’m going to owe him for sure for his commitment to this, and I hate owing people anything.
“Follow me,” he shouts again. He points to his car, and then to mine. I nod and he takes off to his car. He turns on his lights and siren and leads us to the closest hospital.
“Yes!” I shout and fist pump.
“Are you kidding me? I could have choked on that nasty stuff. I thought that idiot was going to stand there forever,” he said, rapidly spitting the foam out of his mouth.
“Yes, but we got out of a ticket or worse and I didn’t even have to flirt!” I say in triumph.
“That’s what this was about?” Corbin yells at me.
“You’re telling me you could have just batted your eyelashes and been done, but I had to seize for ten minutes?”
“Oh stop being a baby. It was only three, and anything is worth not seeing Edward smug and with the upper hand. I won, Corbin.”
“We aren’t in the clear yet,” he points out as we pull up to the hospital.
Corbin slumps in his seat and pretends to be passed out. The very nice, very terrified cop grabs a nurse and a gurney and races over to my car. I start signing again, but this time an interpreter is present. I feel horrible using his services when I know he could be needed elsewhere, so I tell him I’m fine and that Corbin can sign for me when he wakes up.
Luckily Corbin also signs, so I’m not lying. I fill out as much paperwork as I can and wait for Corbin to get out of the back. Three hours later a very pissed looking Corbin is getting wheeled out. The nurse tells me to bring my car around which Corbin reluctantly translates, then she tells him to make sure to follow up with the neurologist. We get in the car, and I burst out laughing.
“I’m so glad you find this funny, Aria! I just spent three hours getting poked and prodded, having to do an M.R.I. and C.T. scan, not to mention I was dehydrated probably from all that flopping about so they had to give me an I.V. Oh and I have an appointment with my neurologist next week. I hope you are happy,” he says sarcastically. I can’t help it; I’m ecstatic.
“I’m thrilled. But don’t worry, I’ll stop and get you a shake on the way.”
“A shake isn’t going to make me less mad, Aria!”
“How about a shake, fries, and double cheeseburger?” I ask with as much innocence as I can muster.
He glares at me but quickly adds, “Two double cheeseburgers.”
“Done,” I say in triumph.
CHAPTER NINE
Aria
We are all sitting around the lunch table and everyone but Corbin is laughing hysterically. Trevor has tears rolling down his face he’s laughing so hard.
“Why does all the fun stuff happen to you?” Hope asks. “On my mission, I tripped over Lee’s foot and tripped the silent alarm, nothing funny about that.”
“Well, next time make sure your face lands in a pile of dog poop,” I say with a smile, which causes Trevor to go into another fit of giggles.
“I would have given anything to have been there last night just so I could watch Corbin piss his pants,” Trevor says.
Corbin’s head shoots up and he sets his glare on Trevor.
“I didn’t piss my pants, you idiot.”
“What? Where’s your commitment man? When having a seizure, you always lose control of your functions, dude. Don’t you know anything?”
“I didn't actually have a seizure, dude. Just trying to get out of going to jail.�
�
Trevor looks at me.
“Well I fully commit. Just so you know, Aria, I would have pissed my pants for you.”
The whole table erupts in laughter again and even Corbin has a slight smile on his face.
***
I enter the training gym and stand off to the side so I can watch Cameron spar with Ezra. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him fight anyone but me before. If I put away everything I know about him and just look at him, I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t attractive.
He has absolutely no body fat at all. It reminds me that he isn’t a boy like my friends are. No, he is all man. He has got to be around the same age as my old handler, so that would put him in his mid 20’s.
He has long blond hair that he has pulled back in his usual ponytail. His eyes are a deep blue and hold pain like none I’ve ever seen. He carries a haunted look on a daily basis, but watching him fight is like trying to watch a man exorcise his own demons. He fights like he needs to do so to breathe, to cast them out. And maybe he does.
Ezra, on the other hand, is like the light to his dark. This carries a certain amount of irony because, while Cameron is all light golden skin and light hair, Ezra is dark with short ebony hair.
His smile can light up a room, and his eyes are a mix between honey brown and green. Ezra is friendly, and liked by all and if Cameron were to have any friends, Ezra would be it. After a while Ezra finally concedes and Cameron extends his hand to help him up. Ezra grabs a towel and water bottle off a nearby chair. He clasps his hand on Cameron’s, saying goodbye.
“Hey, Aria.”
“Hey Ez, looking good out there today.”
He smiles sadly.
“You mean me doing my best just not to get clobbered? Yeah, real good. Careful with that one; he’s in a mood today.”
“Awesome. This should be fun.”
“Take it easy girl,” Ezra yells over his shoulder on his way out. Cameron lifts his head from where he is stretching out his legs and gives me a glare
I walk over to where he is stretching and go to sit next to him.
“Nope. Get in the ring,” he says abruptly.
“Well hello to you too, Cameron dear. Did you have a nice morning?” I ask, full of fake sweetness.
“Butt up. In the ring. Now,” he bellows.
“Geez, kicking the crap out of poor Ezra wasn’t enough. You have to get your thrills from breaking little old me too?” I ask. I know I shouldn’t bait him when he’s in a mood, which is practically all the time, but it’s too fun to not do. I stand in the ring and start stretching when all of a sudden, all the lights in the gym go out. Crap, I never realized how dark it is in here. I put my hand up in front of my face and see nothing.
“Cameron?” Nothing.
“Very funny, Cameron. Now turn the lights back on.” Nothing.
“CAM! I can’t see anything. Turn on the freaking lights!” I scream.
“Why would I do that, princess?” I hear a voice hiss in my ear right before my legs are swept out from underneath me. I land hard without having time to brace myself. Man, that hurts, and I let out a shriek.
Now I’m pissed.
“Cameron, what the-”
Before I can finish he is on top of me, he has me flipped over and has my head and arms in a lock that, if I even tried to move, something is going to break.
“Lesson of the day is don’t get comfortable, princess.” He says putting more pressure on me. I’m pissed and hurt, and I don’t like to be made to look like a fool. And that’s exactly how I feel laying on the ground.
“As soon as you get cocky and think you are the best, something can change in an instant and knock you off that pedestal.”
“Ok, you made your point. Now. Get. Off!”
“Sorry darling, can’t do that. Think. What are you going to do? You can’t move. You can’t see. You are at a serious disadvantage here and I’m ready to slit your throat.”
It wasn’t until he said that that I realize he did, in fact, have a knife to my throat from behind. Oh, now I’m really pissed off! I try to fight back just enough to give myself some wiggle room, I don’t get much since he has a good hold but I get enough.
I instantly go limp, allowing myself enough time for his hold to slip and then I strike. Throwing my head back and connecting with his face. It catches him off guard just enough to loosen his hold, but not break it.
That’s ok, I now have room to play. I instantly turn the tables on him, throwing him off. But dang it, I forgot I can’t see where to pounce on him next and when I turn to make contact he is gone. Crap! I’m never going to hear the end of this. I know he’s going to get the drop on me again.
This time I just have to be prepared for it. I brace myself for the drop, but instead he grabs me from behind yanking my hair so hard I’m sure my scalp is bleeding. There’s that knife at my throat again.
“Mistake number two, honey. You aren’t using your senses. You should tune in, listen for my breathing, my steps, listen to more than the blood pumping in your own ears. It’s always the best fighters, the best shooters, the best that are the easiest to take down. Do you know why that is?” What, he wants me to answer him, with a knife to my throat? Not a chance. Not that he waits for an answer anyway.
“It’s because they are too confident. You rely too heavily on your skills. You need to rely on your senses. That’s if God gave you any. Right now, I’m in serious doubt. He says flinging me free. I catch my breath and try to force down my anger.
The old me would have gone off, but the new me is trying to learn from his lessons no matter how barbaric and mean they might be. He is right. And I hate him for it. A few seconds later he flips on the lights and I feel as if I’m staring into the face of the sun.
“You are an animal,” I yell at him.
“And you are an ungrateful spoiled brat,” he retorts back.
“You should be thanking your lucky stars every day that Estevan was sent away.”
That’s it, he crossed a line. He said his name. I don’t stop to think; I only go with my emotions, which is something I never do, and my emotions say to cold cock him. So I do. Crap. Now I’m looking down on his body starting to regret my decision.
I seriously knocked him out cold. I guess he didn’t see that one coming so maybe I’m not as predictable as he thought. I giggle at that. Crap, I shouldn’t be laughing like a school girl with my handler out cold on the floor. Although a huge part of me wants to bust out my phone and take a selfie with him at my feet. So that’s exactly what I do.
“Having a good time?” he half asks, half moans from the ground.
“You throw the best parties,” I say back.
He moans while he sits up on the floor.
“You hit me? You seriously sucker punched me?” he says in disbelief. I just shrug my shoulders and act nonchalant.
“You are the one who said to always be prepared for anything and I told you to never say that name.”
He puts his head in his hands.
“Aria, I don’t care how much the truth hurts, it doesn’t make it less true. I don’t know what you had going on with him-” I go to protest, but he puts his hand up.
“Nor do I care. Whatever your relationship was, it was too close. You would never have passed your final and if he stayed, you would have been killed on your first mission because he wouldn’t have prepared you properly.”
I stay quiet because part of me knows he is right. Van. I can’t believe I just thought his name. It still hurts, but he never would have been as rough, or heartless with me. Yet, I’ve learned so much from Cameron and I know I’m much more prepared than I would have been with Van. I feel like I’m betraying him just thinking that, but it’s true.
“For most of us, Aria, this place,” he motions to the place around us, “was a way to escape our own personal hell. Every single one of us would rather die here fighting for something good than die out there trying to survive evil. Every single one of us Aria, but...”
“But me,” I finish for him. He doesn’t say anything; he doesn’t have to. We both know the truth. I don’t belong here, not like they do. The reason I am such a good soldier is because I don’t have the nightmares holding me back like they do, but I also don’t have the same drive or reasons they have either.
“I’m not coming at you right now. I’m not trying to rile you up either. But are you sure this is what you want? I’ve gone through the final, I’ve gone on missions. There is a reason why they train us like they do. Some would call it savage and horrible, most would call it child abuse, but they do it because we are walking into situations that hardened, grown, trained government men are running away from. They send us into the pits of hell with impossible missions and we go freely. They don’t play by the rules out there, Aria. They go for the throat and the cheap shot every time. If you really want to play with them, the only way to prepare you for that is by doing the same. Is that what you want from me?”
I can see the vulnerability in his eyes now. Who would have thought that Cam has a heart? He’s been such a jerk because he doesn’t want me to get hurt. That alone is worth it. Of course, like any other hardened soldier would do at that moment, I throw my arms around him and hug the life out of him
“Awe, Cam you do care,” I say, not letting go.
He tenses and the look on his face has me laughing out loud. He looks scared, and disgusted and not sure of what to do all at once. But then his eyes soften just a bit and he hugs me back. Well, if slapping my back so hard I almost choke counts as a hug, which I think it totally does.
“Ok, no more of this sissy la la crap. Are you ready to train? Is this what you really want, Aria?”
Is it? I’m not sure, but what else would I do? I could never sit behind a desk or be support. I’ve been trained for this my whole life, raised to take over, whether it’s what I want or not doesn’t matter. This is the path I must take. I look him in the eye and nod once.