Reflections of Grey: Book Three of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles

by Phelps, J. C.

  She proved to be the notorious assasin, Penumbra. My father, White and I are the only people with the information of her true identity, as far as I know. I’m finding things are never what they seem. It’s disheartening to discover you know much less about the world and people around you than you did when you woke up that morning. That, however, was the direction my life had been flowing for some time.

  I first discovered my mother’s secret identity more than six months ago, yet it still bothered me. The only thing I can think of is, I have a propensity for thinking I am uncommonly smart and when I am proven wrong, it stings a tiny bit.

  I still believe my brain functions appropriately and I may have a little extra up there than some, but I am terribly naïve. I blame my parents for that. They kept me sheltered for most of my life. I was home schooled and didn’t have much contact with the outside world until I went to college. Now, I’m in the real world and discovering how it all truly works.

  As I got dressed I promised myself I’d be more diligent and observant of things around me. I didn’t like being caught off guard and it had been happening at every turn lately. I planned to take more care with everything around me from now on; give things my full attention and take nothing for granted.

  To start off right, I wanted to study the paperwork White had given me but remembered I’d left it in C.I.C. I immediately got on the phone and asked White if I could use C.I.C. again. He said he’d meet me at his apartment to let me in but he wouldn’t be able to work with me right now.

  I reached White’s apartment before him and waited impatiently at his door. Eventually he made his appearance and let me into his apartment with instructions to lock up if I left before he returned.

  I started researching and had several individuals in mind for teams but didn’t know how to go about connecting them to a team until I knew more about them personally.

  I typed up a list of people and their strengths and didn’t take any breaks until it was time for dinner. After looking at the time, I decided to call it a night. I called Black and asked him if he’d like to join me at my apartment for dinner. He accepted the invitation and we spent the remainder of the evening eating and talking about my teams. He gave me some tips and pointed out things I had not even considered. I thought he would have helped me feel better about all of this, but I ended up going to bed that night worrying about my new assignment.

  *****

  Chapter Three

  Black had given me instructions to call him as soon as I got up the next morning, but I allowed myself a shower and a cup of coffee first. When I finally called him, he immediately asked if I had coffee brewed and said he’d be right up.

  After our quiet cup of morning coffee, the two of us made our way to Black’s SUV in the parking garage. I hadn’t been to a gym for several months and was hoping I wasn’t too far out of shape. The last time Black took me to the gym he left to get us lunch and I had a line of sparring partners. I think everyone there wanted to try his or her luck against me. I chalked it up to my being new and smaller than most of them. I left that day with people still in line for their chance to take me down. I hoped today wouldn’t be one of those days.

  Black and I were greeted by Helix before the door shut behind us. I had forgotten about him. Helix is a big black man, with that deep voice that fits his size. He’s the owner of the gym and apparently a good friend of Blacks.

  The two men shook hands in the manner befitting of giants and then Helix turned his attention toward me.

  “Still as fine as you was before, girl. You dump your man yet?”

  “Thank you, no,” I wasn’t entirely comfortable with his attention and it must have shown.

  “She’s not your type, Helix,” Black defended me.

  “You sure it’s not him?” He indicated Black as my boyfriend.

  I just smiled and let it be. I didn’t care who he thought I was dating and the bigger the better. I know Black would have him down in a matter of milliseconds and Helix knew that too. I think Helix could hold his own in the general world, but Black was trained better.

  “Can we get a mat?” Black changed the subject.

  “Of course. Follow me, my man.”

  Black and I squared off with each other and Black said, “He’s harmless, I hope you know that.” Then he lunged at me. I sidestepped and got in a good blow to his kidneys.

  “I suppose. I’m just not all that comfortable with his demeanor.” From then on we sparred without talking. After a two-hour workout, Black called an end to it.

  “I can’t get a hold of you and that’s good, but it’s frustrating.”

  We left the gym and sat in comfortable silence all the way back to the apartments.

  I went straight to my shower then I called the office to check in. Gabriella answered and said I had a message from Colin. He had never left me a message at the office before. I was afraid it might be an emergency so I immediately called him back.

  Colin was my first and best friend. He was the only person close to my age I knew when I was growing up. We spent most of our time together at our parents’ houses. With what I have learned of my parents’ backgrounds I understand why I was so sheltered, but I think Colin and I would still be best friends.

  “Yo, Grey.” Colin had taken to using my company name. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about that, but I let it go.

  “What’s up?” I didn’t hide the worry in my voice.

  “I’ve got some news and wanted to know if you’d meet me for lunch,” he said in an off hand manner but he couldn’t completely hide his excitement.

  “Sounds good. What’s going on?”

  “I’ll tell you at lunch.”

  We made our plans and I hung up wondering what in the world could get him so excited that he would check the office for me. In a flash, a horrible thought entered my mind. Maybe he was getting married. I knew this day would come but I wasn’t prepared for it yet. I still hadn’t let go of my silly notion that I would marry Colin someday. I caught myself pacing around the room and forced myself to calm down. Sitting on my couch, I looked inward.

  I remembered things we had done together, like trick or treating on Halloween or our training with Chief Slade and the long hours we spent together while Colin taught me sign language.

  For most of my younger life I’d assumed I’d marry Colin. A girl’s mind works a little differently than a boy’s, I’m afraid. The first thoughts of boys usually include a castle, a prince, a kiss and finally, marriage. And Colin had always been my best and only prospect. He probably still is my best prospect, but no longer the only one.

  He’s got a good career in the Navy and would be my safest choice, but there was one other man in the running. Deep down I knew who was the “one” but the complications were immense. He was my boss, Mr. White, A.K.A. Rick Malone.

  Thoughts of White soon overtook the thoughts of Colin being married and I knew my answer. I didn’t want to let go of Colin, but I knew he wasn’t the one. I wasn’t entirely convinced White was the one either, but if he could replace Colin that easily, then Colin wasn’t my soul mate. I felt better about letting Colin get married to some other woman, but now I worried that I wouldn’t like her. Finally I told myself to shut up, I didn’t even know if that’s what he wanted to talk about. To get my mind on other things, I called White to find out when and how we’d make these teams a reality.

  Gabriella told me he was in the middle of a call but I could come down and wait for him. She warned me that it could be a while because he had already been on the phone all morning. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I thought I’d take her up on the offer.

  I stepped into the office to hear Gabriella’s upbeat voice say, “Hey hon!”

  I greeted her and sat across from her at her desk. “Is White still on the phone?”

  “Yeah, but that gives us a chance to talk. So, what do they have you doing now?”

  “Nothing right now.”

  “Well, it’s inspe
ction time. I hate inspections. Everyone gets all serious.” She stuck her tongue out. “That’s why White’s been on the phone. It also explains his attitude. He has barely said hello and certainly didn’t ask me how my weekend went.”

  I caught the hint. “So, how did your weekend go?”

  “I had a date.” Immediately Mr. Black came to mind because she’d been drooling over him since before I joined the company. I just didn’t figure Gabriella for his type of woman. She was a good ten years older than him and no matter how I tried, I couldn’t see them as a couple. I had been gone much too long.

  “With Black?” I tried to sound excited for her and not give away any shock.

  “Nah, I gave up on him. He’s too young for me anyway. This guy is something else though.” She went on to tell me all about her weekend. Apparently the man was loaded or took out a small loan for their first date. Gabriella was thoroughly impressed with him. I sat there, glued to every description and found myself wishing I could find such a man. Maybe I should get out and date once in a while, I thought to myself. There was no point in waiting for White, even though it was entirely my fault he and I hadn’t gotten together yet. I just wasn’t ready for him but if I dated a couple of guys I’d be more prepared for White.

  Eventually I glanced at my standard issue watch from White and Associates. It was one of those neat gadgets we got to play with once in a while. It came equipped with a GPS system and a homing beacon. I apologized for leaving in such a rush, but if I didn’t hurry, I’d be late for my lunch date with Colin.

  I practically ran to my car in the garage and sped out of there as fast as I could. I hadn’t talked to Colin for a long time and I was looking forward to this but mainly, I was excited to hear his “news.” I knew it had to be a big deal or he would have just told me over the phone. In my rush to get to the restaurant I missed the turn. I got turned around and as soon as I entered the parking lot I found a spot.

  I hurried myself inside only to find that Colin hadn’t arrived yet but had made a reservation. The girl led me to our table and left me there with a menu, a glass of water and my thoughts.

  I sat alone wondering, again, what could be so important to Colin. Soon my mind wandered off course and started following its normal path of thinking. My fantasy life began at age twelve after seeing White. Since then, he’d been my main fantasy, but now I had a name and an attitude to put into the daydreams. However, the attitude didn’t always play too well with what I had in my mind. Before long I was angry with White and wondering where in the world Colin was. I checked my watch.

  The third time I looked up from checking my watch I saw Colin being led to our table by the same girl who had deposited me there more than four minutes earlier. I never said patience was an asset of mine. It was a wonder I didn’t go crazy during the sniper training.

  He was grinning from ear to ear and I stood up to greet him with a hug. “I’ve missed you,” he said as he squeezed me tighter than normal.

  “What’s going on?” My interest was piqued and it came through in my voice. Colin was always glad to see me but his enthusiasm was bubbling over.

  “I haven’t seen you for such a long time. I do have news, but can’t your best friend be happy to see you without something being ‘up’?”

  “Not this happy.”

  “Fine. You know me too well. Let’s sit down and it’ll be explained soon. We can catch up before everyone else shows up.”

  “Everyone else?” I questioned as we took our seats.

  “Yes, two other people are going to join us. We could have done this without you, but we thought it best if you were here when it happened than if we were there when you found out about it later.” His grin got even bigger, if that was possible. He was starting to remind me of Mr. Brown, who always had a smile on his face.

  “Tell me. What’s going on and who else is coming?”

  “So, what have you been doing?” He ignored my questions.

  We spent the next fifteen minutes talking about what I’d been doing for the past three months. Colin and I hadn’t had contact for several months but we always fell right back into the swing of things. I gave him the brief version of my sniper training and the other minor jobs I’d been involved in. I used to wonder when my training would end but now I knew it was an ongoing thing that never ended for any of the partners or employees of White and Associates.

  He then told me he’d been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. This came as a shock. I got easily confused when it came to the military ranking system, but I knew this was five or six pay grades above Colin’s last rank.

  “How did you manage that?”

  “Hard work, and knowing your father is always an asset,” he shrugged his shoulders.

  “So, you didn’t entirely deserve this? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “No, I deserve it. Knowing your father can also be a detriment,” to this he smiled. “He had put in a word to hold back my advancement. I don’t know why yet, but I imagine we will find out today.”

  “Oh, so it’s my father who’s going to be joining us? Who is the second person?”

  “White.”

  “White? Why?” My mind was working over time trying to see the connection and then it hit me. White had explained my father’s master plan for White and Associates months ago. White was to head up the PMC end and Colin was to head up the government connection of the equation when my father felt Colin was ready for it. “Oh,” I let my voice trail off.

  “Yep, I am now a part of your life again.” I could tell Colin was working hard to restrain himself. I’m sure he wanted to jump up and down with glee and probably had already, in private. This was what he had gone into the military for, to help my father with an outside agency that could get things done that the government didn’t dare touch.

  “So, this means you are a higher rank than Master Chief Slade.” I was still adjusting to the thought.

  “I never thought of that, but yeah, I am.” I could literally see his ego swelling.

  “You better be careful. I’ve found that things like this rarely come without a high price, especially when White and my dad are involved.”

  “Let me enjoy this while I can. I know I’m going to have to work even harder now, but I have to get the bragging out of my system before Admiral Stanton and White show up.”

  “Probably a good idea.”

  Colin said this a few seconds before White was led to our table.

  “The Admiral isn’t here yet?” White said by way of greeting.

  “Not yet,” I replied.

  Colin’s demeanor changed in the few seconds it took for White’s voice to reach his ears. He became more serious and the smile on his face lessened. There had always been friction between the two of them. I didn’t know the history, but I assumed it had to do with Colin taking my fathers place in the company and White being promoted before Colin and seemingly being more “in charge.”

  Now things were about to change and I didn’t know how I felt about it all. The other partners did not know about my father, Admiral Stanton, and his role in the company, but was that going to remain the same with Colin? I had noticed that the men didn’t have much respect for Colin and I think the only reason for that was because he was younger than all of them.

  White took a seat next to mine and across the table from Colin.

  “White,” Colin nodded his hello. I’d never heard him call White anything other than Malone. This was a new show of respect from Colin.

  “Commander,” White replied respectfully, then smiled a greeting to me. The three of us sat quietly, waiting for the Admiral.

  My father’s arrival came within a few minutes of White’s, which was a relief. I didn’t know how much longer I could sit in silence with all this new information rattling around in my brain.

  “I’m assuming we are all aware of what is going on except for maybe Ms. Grey,” was my father’s greeting to us all as he sat. His attitude was somewhat de
tached and businesslike.

  “I’m sure she knows, Admiral,” White informed him.

  I nodded my confirmation so the meeting could move on.

  “First, Ms. Grey, you must know the reason you were invited to be a party to this meeting. DeLange and White would not have allowed this meeting to be held without your attendance. I, personally, think it’s disgraceful to be afraid of a woman, but then again, I am reminded of who your mother is,” he succeeded in lightening the mood that had pervaded since White had joined our little party. I didn’t know if Colin knew the true significance of that statement but it didn’t really matter anyway.

  He then began the meeting by telling us that Colin was still working his way up the ladder and him taking his place in the company depended upon his acceptance into the Naval Intelligence Service or NIS. He explained to us all that he had made sure Colin’s rank was withheld because he wanted to see if Colin would continue to work toward the goal of taking his place, even if it didn’t seem like it would be coming any time soon. He talked more of Colin’s role as well as what would be expected of the rest of the partners. He questioned White about the rest of the company and their possible rejection of Colin but White assured him everything would be fine and added, as long as the arrangement remained the same as in the past.

  “Of course Colin’s involvement in the company will be known to only us, except in the event of a job offering. However, White, I do hope you realize everything will remain the same, except for the person you will be dealing with.” The conversation turned toward the monetary aspect of the company.

  I learned a few things, such as my father received a percentage of every transaction that White and Associates completed. I assumed this already but Colin was now in a position to be receiving half of this commission.