Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  We will certainly need to keep a keen eye on him in the future. He uses humor to deal with his pain and that’s healthy. Up to a point.

  I look on as they all offer their love and support to him, garnering a smile out of him eventually.

  This. This right here, gives me the courage to move on. To accept what has happened and acknowledge that I can’t change anything. No more dwelling on the past.

  I will succeed in my work and make my parents proud. With the support of my new family, I can do anything I set my mind to.

  Tilting my head back to look up at the stars, a sensation of peace and acceptance washes over me.

  I can do this and they will be with me every step of the way. No matter what happens, I will never be alone again.

  20 Mila

  “Well, I think it’s safe to say you’ve made a full recovery. A lot quicker than expected actually,” Doc commends, with no hint of surprise in his voice.

  He goes quiet for a second as he zips up his bag and stands up, slinging the strap over his shoulder.

  “You will be fine to continue with your normal activities, including more strenuous exercise and contact sports. Just be mindful of your body’s limitations. If you have any concerns, you know where I am. I take it that, seeing as you haven’t contacted me, your emotional wellbeing is more stable now as well?”

  “Very much so, sir. Thank you for your concern. I shall contact you should the need arise,” I reply, grateful that he didn’t elaborate any further.

  Doc, as I now refer to him as -yes, I got over my hang ups- chuckles at my formal response.

  “It’s clear by your speech that you have indeed gotten over any…difficulties, that the incident caused.” Very diplomatically put, Doc. “Your confidence and ability to communicate effectively will be of great benefit to our cause. Wouldn’t you agree, Lachlan?” He turns to address Lachlan as I watch their interaction.

  “Certainly,” Lachlan concurs as he looks at me. “I’m sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that she will continue to surpass all expectations.” It’s hard not to smile back politely as he regards me with a prideful grin.

  Don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely receiving compliments. It’s just super awkward when two adults are discussing you -a third adult- like you are a six-year-old kid who just recited the whole twelve times table off by heart.

  “Of that, I’m sure. With that in mind Lachlan, she is cleared for service. However, she will need a more in-depth psych and physical evaluation before she can take on active duties. Presumably she won’t be dispatched to the field so soon?”

  “Rest assured, she won’t be out on the field for a while yet.” The phrase if I can help it is left unsaid. Considering my recent record of attracting bad people, that might be slightly difficult to ensure. “Despite having outstanding natural abilities, that I’m sure will see her soaring through the training and education at an accelerated pace, she will have to wait for the general testing like the boys. I’ll arrange a full follow up with you when she’s ready to take that step.”

  When I’m ready, or when you’re ready?

  They continue to talk about me like I’m not standing less than two feet in front of them and completely capable of speaking for myself. Internally, I roll my eyes as they throw praise around like I am their thoroughbred child. My respect for both of them being the only thing that stops me from interrupting their spiel.

  I know they’re only trying to do right by me, and its standard procedure, but I really don’t want to be waiting any longer than necessary to start my own investigations. Plus, it’s awkward as hell standing here and listening to them talk to each other about how brilliant I am or how well I have done in this, that and the other.

  I’m not ten anymore. I am a fully capable adult who doesn’t need babysitting.

  “Very well. Mila, you know how to reach me if you need me. I shall send for you through Lachlan if anything else arises,” Doc finishes, holding his hand out.

  Returning his handshake, I escort him out of the house before he can start up a conversation. Shutting the front door behind him, I lean back against it and sigh heavily. Letting my head make a satisfying thunk against the hard wood.

  One more hoop out of the way. Now, time to get training and concentrate on your studies so you can jump up those clearance levels.

  When I open my eyes, I find Lachlan standing against the opposite wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Watching.

  It’s obvious he’s trying to figure me out as he fixes me with an assessing gaze. He can tell I’m hiding something. He just can’t figure out what.

  Keeping my face void of emotion, I step away from the door. Hopefully, I schooled my emotions too quickly for him to gleam anything from them. I hope.

  I can’t afford to let him figure out my intentions. Not so early on in the game. If he even got a whiff of what I was planning, then I would be kissing my freedom goodbye, very darn quickly.

  I see the way he treats the boys, and I’m no different. Each one of us, irrespective of age, are respected as adults and growing agents. However, Lachlan still remains very strict and cautious where our safety is concerned. Unwilling to take any chances with those he has sworn to protect.

  “So, when do I start big boy school then?” I taunt with a smirk.

  A grin breaks out across his face as he shakes his head at my choice of language. Who can blame him? I really am an amusing sort of person.

  “Tomorrow. The boys will bring you in and give you a tour. You can come see me after you are done. There will be a few preliminary tests for you to take so that we can assess where you fit into the curriculum and you will get your schedule following that.”

  “Sweet. Talking about the boys, where are they?” I must admit, I found it strange this morning when I woke up, only to realize that there was no one in the house but me.

  There’s not been one minute that I’ve been alone since I was released from hospital. Sure, they aren’t glued to my side every second of the day anymore, but there’s always been at least one person in the house with me.

  Usually on a weekend, the majority of them have one assignment or another, leaving at least two of them at home with me. Yet, I haven’t seen any of them since yesterday evening for our Saturday night movie night.

  Booze and beatings is by far the best invention ever. Sitting down with a takeout, plenty of beer and a slew of action movies is epic! Especially when Avengers is on and all the hot eye candy is involved. That’s just the icing on the cake.

  Before you ask…the legal age of drinking is eighteen here. We ain’t doing nothing wrong in that department.

  “They are on an assignment together. They should be back later this afternoon. Looks like it’s just you and me for now Kiddo,” he jests as he walks towards the kitchen.

  Although I miss the guys, it’s the perfect opportunity to try and grill Lachlan for some more information. Try, being the operative word. The man protects his secrets as well as the goblins protect the vaults at Gringotts. Phenomenally.

  Approaching the coffee machine, he turns back to ask me if I want one. Before he can even utter a word, his attention is drawn to the arch of my eyebrows.

  Like seriously, has this guy even met me? Does anyone need to ask me if I would like a coffee?!

  His face lights up in amusement as he scoffs at my disdainful glare. I decide to let him off, just this once, seeing as he doesn’t live here full time. Next time though, I won’t be as understanding.

  Taking a seat at the breakfast bar, I rest my elbows on the counter top and put my chin in my hands to watch Barista Lachy try to perfect his coffee making skills. An image of him in a flowery apron in a coffee shop pops into my head, making me snicker.

  I consider waiting for a coffee to sip on before bunkering myself down to ask about the dreaded details of the incident, but I figure it’s probably just better to get it over and done with. Now is as good a time as any to start getting some answers. Even if I am coffee le
ss and caffeine deprived.

  “Who attacked me and my family, Lachlan?”

  Okayy. So, that wasn’t exactly how I had intended to start this conversation. Mind and mouth obviously not aligning properly. Oh, well. Let’s just get right to the heart of the matter, I guess. Mentally shrugging, I take a deep breath and wait for his response.

  Stiffening at my outburst, he remains still for a few seconds with his back turned to me before his posture relaxes. The change is almost indiscernible.

  “We don’t know yet. We have a few guesses, but nothing concrete.”

  Evasive. Fan-fucking-tastic.

  After the night I first arrived and signed the dotted line, he hasn’t been around much for me to engage with him or ask him any questions.

  Knowing Lachlan, that was probably planned well in advance to try and avoid this exact situation. Doc and him weren’t exactly quiet in their praises about my perceptiveness.

  His cautiousness only serves to prove my theory of him knowing more information than he lets on. Especially seeing as I get the feeling that he is pretty certain about who is behind the incident and is purposefully withholding the information from me.

  For what reason, I’m not too sure. I’m still toying with the idea of it either being to do with his need to protect me or something different altogether. Orders from Trick and Kaye, or my lack of clearance to name a few. Either way, I’ll need to do more digging to make sure.

  Hearing him and Trick talking whilst I was in a coma was enough to tell me that he was already very protective over me, even though we’d never met before. From the little information that I garnered from him, he was also close with my adoptive parents as well as Trick and Kaye.

  From the information the guys disclosed, it seems that I get my attentiveness to detail and ability to remain low profile from both sets of parents.

  Having been so close to them all, Lachlan will no doubt, have extensive experience in evading questions. Meaning, that I’m going to have to play my cards very carefully if I want to extract anything from him.

  Failing that, I’ll have to do all the foot work on my own. Either way, I don’t mind. No matter the means, I am willing to do whatever to get the information I need. Screw protocol.

  “Was there anyone at the scene when the team reached us? I remember hearing a few voices nearby, but I don’t remember whether they were your team or whoever it was that attacked us. It’s all a little hazy,” I enquire innocently.

  Bringing over the finished coffees, he stands on the opposite side of the breakfast bar to where I’m sitting. Taking my coffee and thanking him, I catch his slight hesitation before he plasters a decidedly confused look on his face.

  “There was no-one at the scene when our team arrived. It’s likely that it was concussion induced hallucinations. You did hit your head pretty hard and you’d managed to drag yourself a fair distance from the car,” he said softly.

  Interesting. Either he’s intent on trying to put me off pursuing this further, or he genuinely believes that there was no-one there. I’m usually good at reading people, but I must admit, he’s good. Very good.

  As to be expected of a highly experienced intelligence officer, I suppose.

  Playing along, I consciously reach towards my head where the lovely meat sack tried to cave it in as I look down into my coffee. “Hmmm. Maybe you’re right. Was there-” I freeze, caught up in a flurry of images.

  Waiting patiently, Lachlan watches on in concern as I take slow breaths to calm my racing heart. It’s not long before my breathing starts to even out again and I look to him, asking the one question that I dread the answer to the most.

  “Was there anything left of the car?”

  Genuine sorrow and sympathy shine in his eyes as he answers in a quiet and gentle voice. “I’m sorry, Mila. There was nothing left. The team heard the explosion, and by the time they reached you, it was just a blazing pile of rubble. There were no bodies to retrieve.”

  My chest constricts. Recognizing the familiar sting at the backs of my eyes, I squeeze my eyes shut and force the tears away. Swallowing thickly to give myself some extra time to get a hold of myself.

  My grip on my coffee mug tightens as Lachlan’s voice fills the silence. “We would like to get your version of events, but I wanted to wait until I knew you were more mentally prepared. It’s all still very fresh and you have made good progress so far-”

  “I will tell you everything that I can remember when my team gets back. I’m willing to do anything to find out who was behind it all. Anything,” I emphasize.

  Raising my eyes to his, I let him see my resolve, hoping that it will help him to realize just how serious I am.

  It’s admirable that he wants to keep me safe and I don’t blame him. If I took someone under my wing, I would do anything to keep them safe. Heck, I would give my life to protect the guys. Even Lachlan.

  But the point is, I don’t need anyone’s protection. I need answers and closure, and I won’t get that until I get my hands on those responsible.

  Lachlan just nods in response and goes to walk away as if the conversation is over. He clearly doesn’t know me well enough.

  He needs to fully understand that I won’t give him anything unless he guarantees me the appropriate information in return. I don’t do pointless negotiations.

  “Let me make one thing clear, before you do your disappearing act, again.” Stopping just shy of the door, he looks over his shoulder and raises an eyebrow at me. “I will tell you everything about what happened from start to finish, but only if you do me the same courtesy. No information is to be left out from either party. Am I clear?”

  Nothing. No emotion. No words. No semblance of agreement. Nothing.

  “I am not a child Lachlan and I am sure as hell not going to be kept in the dark any longer. I don’t know how much hold you have over the boys as a senior officer, or how much they actually know about the situation, but I assure you -superior or not- you do not have the same hold over me. I will get the information I need, one way or another. Even if I have to go elsewhere, should you choose not to provide it to me yourself. I will not stand by and let these people get away with what they did, Lachlan.”

  Turning around to face me fully, he considers me for a minute whilst remaining utterly emotionless.

  When he goes to speak again, I finally feel like we are actually getting somewhere. Instead, he completely disregards my warnings and brings up the one topic that I certainly do not wish to discuss right now.

  “Patrick and Kaye want to meet you.”

  Tension charges the air as we enter into an intense stare off, each of us waiting for the other to back down. It’s like a silent game of mental chess.

  One thing that he’ll learn about me very quickly, is that I don’t fall into line well. Never have done, never will. Tactically, of course, it’s me who breaks the silence to say something that he most definitely was not expecting.

  “They won’t get to meet me until I get the information that I want, and most certainly, not until I am ready. I don’t care for their affection or attention and quite frankly, I don’t care for their power play. You can feed that back to them along with all the other information that I provide you with later. Then, you can bring me up to date on everything you know and focus on finding those responsible. Then and only then, will I consider meeting them.”

  Refusing to allow him to have the last word, I grip my coffee cup and turn in my seat to face the patio windows.

  Giving Lachlan my back and ending the conversation, my attention goes to the weather outside. The rain patters gently across the glass, dripping down the clear panes in mesmerizing rivulets.

  I hear his intake of breath before it stutters, clearly re-thinking his idea of trying to communicate with me again. His footsteps echo as he exits the room, allowing me to release a deep shuddering breath as I work to repress the tears that want to escape.

  I will get the answers I want from Lachlan and if he refuses to yi
eld, I’ll find my own way of getting the information I need.

  Simple.

  Deep breaths, Pumpkin. Visualize your emotions. Feel them. Own them. Discard them. Concentrate, and you’ll do just fine.

  I jump as a hand lands softly on my knee. Looking up, Jax’s comforting smile dispels some of the nerves that are swarming like a hive of angry bees in my chest right now. It’s not surprising he’s the first one to pick up on my mood and give me comfort.

  The guys got back about an hour ago and are now all gathered on the sofas in front of the fire with me. Just like on my first night here.

  I thought it was going to be a fairly painless process reciting what happened that day. Figuring that if I could detach myself from my emotions and just give the cold hard facts, I would be fine.

  I was wrong.

  As time creeps on, my anxiety levels just keep rising. Using the exercises that dad taught me as a kid, I’m able to suppress some of the more turbulent emotions that continue to swirl around me like a dark miasma. At least to a manageable level.

  Fortunately, Jax’s silent offer of reassurance helps take the edge off things, and I successfully lock down my emotions by the time Lachlan enters the room.

  He takes a seat in the armchair on the right as Jax and Rick bookend me on the sofa. Switching it up a bit, Aus takes Rick’s usual place in the other arm chair as the twins situate themselves on the floor by my legs. Sitting either side like human guard dogs, it’s almost as if they know what’s coming is going to be difficult for me.

  The whole setup is funny really. Anytime we are all together as a team, each one of them seems to gravitate and form a protective circle around me. Something I don’t even think they realize they are doing.

  No one speaks for a minute. All of us sitting there in silence, waiting for someone else to have the first word.

  I sigh, realizing that it’s going to have to be me. To be fair, we are convening because of me, so I suppose it’s only right that I kick it off.

  “Where shall I start?” I ask, directing my question to Lachlan, unsure of what they already do and don’t know, because you know...tight lips and all that jazz. None of them have really given me anything to go on.