‘Transparency is all I’m asking for.’ Illarion nodded.
‘You got it.’
‘Now that the battle of the egos is out of the way, we good to go?’ Peyton asked, getting a rise out of Belfort.
She held her hands up defensively and leaned back in her seat.
‘Does everyone understand what’s required?’
Again, unanimous nods filled the room.
‘I don’t want to see any clashes here, I understand you have your own way of doing things, but this is our operation, in our jurisdiction. Is that clear?’ Belfort directed his question at Illarion, who returned a curt nod.
‘Good, and God Speed, team.’
The meeting dispersed and everyone cleared out. Matt followed me as I made a dashing exit, determined not to be the victim of Illarion’s steely eyed questioning or Aurel’s for that matter.
When I cleared the building Matt caught up, and I relaxed slightly.
‘You okay?’
‘Yeah, fine.’
‘What was that about?’
‘Nothing. She’s just a bitch.’
‘Amen to that.’ He nodded and then stopped me. ‘Ace—'
‘Just drop it.’
‘Listen, I wanted to apologize for this morning.’
‘No need.’ I tried to wave him away.
‘I’m just worried about you.’
‘Well you don’t need to be, okay?’
‘Because he’s here now?’
‘Oh, wow.’ I stopped abruptly, ‘That’s a shitty thing to say, Matt. Like really shitty.’
‘Damn it, Ace.’ He ran a hand over his hair. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Yeah, bet you are. I’ll see you later.’
***
The limo dropped Illarion and Melina off and I watched through the window of our room as they walked into the hotel hand in hand. It was just an act, I knew that, she knew that, but she was loving every second of it.
And the jealous little girl inside me started wondering whether this was like the Ritz? It was just a job then too, but I could have sworn I’d felt something growing inside Illarion, like it had been for me…
But the woman who was watching this job now, knew better. She knew how this worked and as much as Peyton was swooning, Illarion, saw nothing but another job when he looked at her. As Matt stood beside me, Aurel kept his distance though his attention was locked on me, no doubt observing my aura and how ready I was to snap.
Lucky for him, the last eleven months in DC had really mellowed me out and taught me how to shut my powers down.
‘They’re heading up to their room now.’ I called back, locking into Illarion’s coms.
All he had to do was link our system to theirs when he reached his room.
Aurel pulled up a feed of the underground garage and found Riley. Right on cue, Matt linked our coms together and sat down beside Aurel.
‘Now we wait.’ He said quietly. ‘Ace, you got visual?’
‘Yep.’
Time to shine, I slid the balcony door open and stepped outside, I took out my compact and a lipstick and sat down. I positioned the mirror, so I could get a full look up above me, at Illarion’s balcony.
His eyes locked on to mine in the reflection and gave me a quick nod. For a moment, there was an obvious hesitation, we both wanted more than this charade, I knew I did and God, Illarion made it clear he did.
The brief moment his eyes found mine in the fleeting reflection was enough to make me yield and run right up to him, but the pain I’d caused and the pain I’d felt over the past months, couldn’t just be erased.
Without more than a quick nod back, I slipped inside.
‘We’re good to go, switch the coms over.’
Aurel hit the connection and a low beep sounded, linking everyone together.
‘Does everyone read?’ I asked.
When each agent confirmed, I slipped back inside.
‘Let’s do this.’
‘I’m heading into the valet lock up now.’ Riley called. ‘When I’m in, I’ll send you the code for the meeting room on your floor, Hart.’
‘Copy that.’ I pulled up the feed on the tablet.
His body cam showed him running through the garage, keeping low and close to the wall.
Before he got into position, I pinned the faux button to my shirt in place of the real button and activated the camera.
‘Is the feed clear?’
‘Yep.’ Aurel nodded. ‘Stand up and look at me.’
He held up a tablet, looking over the feed my camera was transmitting. I turned toward him and when he gave me the clear he nodded again.
‘Just make sure you keep facing the direction you need to record, next time we should get something with more range.’
‘Agreed.’ Illarion called. ‘I’m not happy with the limited coverage. Keep it simple, Ace, don’t get creative.’
‘Copy that, will not get creative.’
When the codes finally came through, Aurel gave me the go ahead. I took my tablet, popped open the top few buttons of my blouse and tousled my hair.
‘How do I look?’
Aurel laughed and I heard the telltale sign of Illarion’s breath catching. I’d forgotten they all had active bodycams too and visual of each of ours.
‘You look like you should be bringing coffee to some CEO.’
‘If you say another word, I’ll be bringing you a world of pain.’ I shot back at Aurel.
He scoffed with a grin, waving me away. ‘Be careful.’
‘Always am.’
I slipped out and moved down the corridor keeping my head up and my smile fully perfected.
‘Ok Ace, the meeting room you need is the one to your left at the end of the hall.’
Smiling at a guy in a suit who came from around the corner, I kept my attitude in check when I saw his eyes dip down to my breasts and back to my face.
‘Wow. So much class.’ Aurel muttered. ‘Do men have no respect here?’
‘It’s fine.’ I muttered, keeping my smile plastered on my face. ‘If he tried to make a move, I’d have broken his arm.’
He laughed and instructed me to keep going.
Matt and Illarion remained silent, though I didn’t need to be in the same room as Illarion to feel the anxiety rolling through him.
‘I’m in.’ I said, discretely slipping into the small storage closet where the guest laptops were connected and charging.
‘Alright, Hart.’ Peyton called. ‘Once you’re logged in to the hotel intranet, I’ll link you to the staff servers.’
‘Got it.’
It took a few seconds to load up and break through the very basic security. Once I was done, I plugged in my flash drive.
‘Waiting for your move, Peyton.’
‘Give me one minute, just need to get around this tripwire.’
‘No problem.’
Poking my head out, I swept my gaze over the room, no one was in here, but I did sense someone coming and more than that, there was that same feeling of being watched. My skin crawled as a shiver rolled over me.
‘You good?’ Aurel’s voice came through the line.
‘Fine.’
‘Ace?’ Illarion’s voice came through next.
‘I’m fine, Illarion.’
Everyone dropped it, and I continued.
Paranoia was officially getting on the questionably high benchmark.
‘Okay Ace, you’re on. Get the info and get out.’
‘Should take a few seconds.’ I quickly skimmed through the data she sent through and in no time, I was looking at the complete employee files. ‘Ok, done. Riley, send the codes.’
‘They’re transferring now.’
‘Got them.’
As I was keying in the last number, the door to the meeting room opened.
‘Shit.’
‘What is it?’ Illarion’s voice filled my ear before anyone else could speak.
‘Someone’s in here.’
‘Stay hidde
n, I’m coming down.’
‘No.’ I hissed back. ‘You’re going to break cover.’
‘Ace don’t argue with me.’
‘I’m an assistant, I’m meant to be in meeting rooms. You are not.’
‘I’m a lost tourist.’ He said firmly, and I didn’t wait to hear him tell the others he was leaving, he was already on his way.
Slowing my breath, I reminded myself to breathe. This was my job; I could handle whatever came. Hopefully it was just someone who forgot their laptop and not someone I had to deal with.
‘Fine.’ I conceded, closing the laptop with a gentle thud, pulling the flash drive free.
I could have taken one person on, that wasn’t a question but if I broke formation now, we ruined our chances of getting the code to locate the safe and this was the closest we’ve ever been. The overarching desperation to find out what that damn note meant, was getting the better of me—how close Matt and I got last week, was nothing in comparison to the jackpot we were about to hit today, if this asshole didn’t blow my cover.
Holding my breath, I pressed myself into the wall, hoping that whoever it was, would just come in, get what they forgot and leave. The Darkness burned inside me like a reminder that I could use it and all of this would go away. I pushed it down and ground my teeth. I wouldn’t use, not now, not ever.
Illarion nearing alerted the connection inside me and as the door opened once again, a shuffle of footsteps sounded and then, a loud gun-shot echoed through the room and I threw the door open.
Illarion, two other men and the guy who’d ogled me before, were brawling on the meeting room floor.
Anger fueled me, and I threw myself into the fight. Each hit the guy threw hurt, but it didn’t slow me down. I grit my teeth, throwing everything into the offensive blocking another jab coming right at my face and as he raised his gun at me with a cocky smirk, I gripped his wrist, threw my forearm up into his, snapping his bone.
The Darkness flared inside me, I felt it seeping through my pores and banging on the walls I’d built to hold it back. I could easily open up my heart and let it in, but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t…
My eyes snapped up when another fist came at my face, I grabbed his hand and repeated the same move as before, I pulled him down and slammed my elbow into his arm and the bone snapped.
He screamed out in pain giving me the only opportunity I needed, I launched my foot into his face when he went down. Aurel and Matt shouted over all the commotion in my head and when I was about tell them to stay back, a loud shot echoed through the room and my heart stopped.
Illarion shot one of the men but not before he fired off a round and hit Illarion. He dropped to his knees and as though I was seeing everything in slow motion, I saw every ripple of pain rush through him and force a scream from his lips.
Then, there was another loud pop, not a gunshot but more like a really toned down percussion grenade. A clear gas was released, and my lungs seized up. I couldn’t catch my breath and no matter how much I tried to stay level on my feet, every movement felt like it was a damn marathon. Even if I wanted to call on the darkness coursing under my skin, I couldn’t. panic raced to the forefront of my mind and without thinking, and without much luck, I ran forward, which cost me a fist to the face.
As another fist came toward me, I threw myself to the ground, causing him to miss, but the heel of the boot did not. I was thrown down as he kicked me in the jaw making dots explode across my eyes.
‘Get the woman!’ One of them yelled and I rolled out of his way.
Why the hell was everything so difficult?
Disoriented and hurt, I couldn’t tell which way was up. But I could hear Illarion, I could hear him struggling against them and I could hear more orders to get me, being shouted.
‘Hurry, get her!’
My groggy actions were slow and stunted. One of them managed to pull me to my knees and then promptly dropped me as I sensed someone coming, someone I couldn’t see.
Like a blur, the Sensitive took the guy out and dropped him on his ass and before I could look up and make him out—I could only make out the size and stature of a man—another came from behind and shoved me into the ground.
They fought, Illarion cried out and Aurel and Peyton’s shouts sounded through the coms. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, I couldn’t work out where they were…Matt was on his way and Riley was getting the van, but I, I couldn’t get up.
The mysterious Sensitive was gone and my breath was stuck in my throat. Illarion’s pain kept ripping through me with each move. As two of them attended to him, I saw two more head toward me.
But as blurry figures came in and out of focus, I saw them get shoved away. From my spot on the floor, I looked up and saw Aurel and Matt rush in, fighting off the two who were coming for me.
‘Get Illarion!’ Aurel called.
But it was too late, Illarion was already gone.
They’d taken him.
‘We’ve been made!’ Aurel called over the coms. ‘Everyone out now!’
With each loud sound, echoing through my head, my vision dimmed and Aurel dragged me up to my feet.
‘You took a serious hit to the head, do not close your eyes.’
‘It’s wet…’
‘That’s the blood.’ He explained, ‘Keep walking, we need to get that stitched up.’
‘I copied the… files.’
‘Okay good. Keep your eyes open.’
‘There was a gas…’
‘What?’
‘It hurts.’ I whimpered. ‘The gas, my lungs.’
‘Don’t think about it, focus on walking and focus on getting out, can you do that?’
‘They took… him.’
‘I know. I know, we’re going to get him back. Keep walking.’ He wrapped his arm around me, ‘Something’s wrong, get the van up front, she’s not going to make it to the back.’
My body weakened against his and I felt the earth slip from under me.
‘Stay awake, Hart!’
Gripping his arm, I grit my teeth and forced myself upright. As he helped me run, we all rushed outside into the van Riley pulled around.
Peyton moved over to me in a heartbeat, she took over from Aurel and pressed a bandage to my head and guided my hand up. ‘Hold this here.’
‘Where the hell is he?’ Aurel asked when we rushed down the road.
‘I can’t feel him.’ I said pushing the bandage down.
‘What do you mean you can’t feel him?’ Peyton shot back.
‘Aurel.’ I ignored Peyton. ‘I can’t feel him.’
‘Hey.’ He turned me toward him, squeezing my shoulders. ‘It doesn’t mean anything.’
Before panic could set in, Riley turned toward me, placing the tablet in my grip. ‘His bodycam is still running.’
The clarity was starting to return to me. Whatever was in that gas was fading and I could recall most of what happened.
‘There was someone else.’
‘What?’ Aurel asked.
‘Someone helped me, before you two came.’
‘There was no one else Ace.’
‘Someone was there.’ I maintained. ‘I couldn’t make out his face, but someone helped me.’
‘That doesn’t matter now, we need to get Illarion back.’
With my free hand, I peeled away the bandage and ignored Peyton’s look of shock. The wound was practically healed over now.
I looked down at the feed. They were taking him somewhere; his cam was facing the ground, but I couldn’t make anything out other than the unpolished concrete they were dragging him on.
‘Keep running the feed, when they sit him down, hopefully we’ll get something we can use.’ Riley spoke to Peyton.
Her shocked expression matched the way my heart churned; this was on me. I could have easily taken care of the problem before it escalated. Why the hell couldn’t I face the Darkness? Why couldn’t I use it? Why was I such a coward?
With each foot they d
ragged him along, my stomach fell even further, Aurel looked like he was feeling the same and Matt, catching the entire exchange said nothing at all.
All while this was unfolding, my body was healing up, I felt the endorphins rushing through my veins repairing the damage.
‘We’ve got something.’ Peyton called out, placing the tablet in the middle of the floor, letting the feed play.
There was a man dressed in a sharp suit and two others beside him. The surrounding walls were uninteresting, nothing that stood out, but over their shoulders, behind the overhead lights, there was a large, heavyset door on tracks. It was a warehouse, standard manufactured doors, tracks and security.
‘You recognize it?’ Aurel asked, leaning closer to me.
‘Not the exact location. But it’s a workshop. Some sort of mechanic. Remember Jameson?’
‘Yeah, I’m hearing you.’ He nodded.
Turning to Peyton, I tapped on the screen, enlarging the door. ‘There has to be some kind of warehouse around here, something large enough to house vans, cars, usual equipment a large, commercial mechanic would use.’
‘You’re sure?’ Peyton asked.
I nodded.
She immediately pulled up another laptop and started crosschecking all the warehouses and mechanics in the area—they wouldn’t have gotten too far.
‘It’s—’
‘Agent Lazarev.’ The man in the video spoke. ‘You’re awake, I’m surprised. Not many Sensitives can tolerate that much Serum.’
‘What do you want?’ Illarion asked and my mouth dried up.
His voice was thick, laced with pain and each word shook, but only just. No one would have caught it, but I did. I knew him too well and I knew the Serum. He was suffering, but he would never let them see that.
‘There once was a girl, she was rumored to have completely broken free from the Serum, it was rumored that she survived a hell no one could imagine.’
‘What do you want?’ Illarion stammered again.
‘This girl was left for dead by the boy who loved her, apparently she lost her soul that day. Maybe that’s why she survived what she did. Some say that when you give up, when your soul dies, you do great things. Me? I don’t believe in any of that, fairytales—you see? I just want to know whether I’m right about the girl.’
Jack of Hart- Wild Card Page 4