by Chloe Gunter
His eyes went wide at my statement, whether incredulous that I would make such a mistake or that I would do such a thing, I didn’t know.
“How the hell did you manage that one, Charlie?” he asked, and I breathed a sigh of relief that he was no longer referring to me as Agent DeWitt.
“I had never officially met Gage. It wasn’t till after you saw me at the bar with Gavin that we even had a substantial interaction together. The moments I had unknowingly seen him, we were busy with one task or another, and I made the assumption it was Gavin. Seeing them in my bedroom at the same time will forever be imprinted on my brain as one of the most grandiose fuck-ups of my life. After the dust settled a little bit, I thought it was a test, that you had put Gage in my path to see if I would notice and had in the process, hurt more than myself.”
That was way more than I had planned on sharing with him, but I could admit to my mistakes. I wasn’t ashamed of having two boyfriends either, so really, it was more to drive home the point that I mistakenly thought he had hurt me during a field test. Something that he should understand, given our history with the Priestly brothers.
“You should know I’m not that type of man. I’ll push you, have no doubt about that, but I’m not malicious.”
“Rationally, I know that, Wyatt,” I said. “I really am sorry.”
We took a moment, both of us letting the words sink in before he finally spoke up.
“You’re okay? Everything ended up working out?” he asked, his tone curious and concerned.
“Honestly, I’m still adjusting, but it's getting easier everyday. Well, as a friend, I’d tell you I’m seeing both of them and things are going great. As my director, I’d tell you to mind your own business, perv.”
“One would think with a statement like that, you never took me off your Trash Panda List.”
“Why did you ever think I did in the first place?” I taunted, and we both chuckled.
“Look,” he said after a moment. “As long as you’re safe, happy, and doing what needs to be done assignment wise, then that's all that matters.”
“That's not all the matters,” I said, slowly walking backwards away from him.
“And what else matters, Charlie?” he asked, stalking towards me with a glint in his eye.
“Who finishes this lap the fastest. I mean, the loser does have to buy coffee.”
With a grin I took off, throwing a look over my shoulder to see Wyatt behind me, shaking his head. I knew I had appealed to his competitive side as he quickly caught up with me, matching me stride for stride.
The rise and fall of our chests were perfectly in sync for the first stretch, neither one of us pulling ahead.
That all changed on the next straight away when Wyatt kicked up his speed, trying to get the advantage. Not wanting to be outdone I pumped my body harder, focusing on nothing but taking the lead.
A cold sweat flushed my skin as I passed Wyatt and it was enough for me to glance back and gauge my progress, a huge no-no in an actual competition.
He was way, way behind me.
Slowing my pace considerably, I let him shorten the gap between us, only finishing our head-to-head a few feet ahead of him. I was willing to bet my life that the little boost I had received was courtesy of me unintentionally channeling my Spark.
Mastering this new asset couldn’t come fast enough.
“Ready for that coffee now?” I asked Wyatt who was stretching out beside me. Mirroring his movements, I did a few stretches of my own as he scrutinized me stealthily.
“Did you by chance get dropped in a vat of toxic waste?” he asked sarcastically. “That was insane out there.”
He was closer than he thought which brought a smirk to my face.
“You held your own,” I replied, thinking of how he had always had the edge on me until now. I couldn’t imagine the kind of damage he would do if we were at an even playing field.
“Honesty,” he said, his tone brokering no argument. Especially after trying to get him to accept my apology, I knew I needed to give him an answer.
“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” I said, vaguely waving my hand around. “I think I’ve ran more in the past month than I have in my entire life and that’s saying a lot.”
Every word was the truth, it just wasn’t necessarily the root cause. But, it was the best I could do.
“That was a half-assed answer,” he said, challenging me as he took a long drink from his water bottle.
“It’s the best I can give you right now.”
“For now,” he countered.
“What?”
“It’s the best you can give me for now. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a very determined person who doesn’t like to be at a disadvantage. So,” he paused, taking another slow drink from his water, “when the time comes, you’ll give me a full answer. Not some vague one that is more generic than the pudding at the commissary.”
“Touché,” I said nodding. “Now, how about that coffee?”
Freshly showered and dressed in my black fatigues after my run, I made my way across the quad to get to the morning briefing that had appeared on my glass docket.
Walking into the conference room, I was met with mostly unfamiliar faces except for Agent Bennett, who had taught one of my seminars in the fall.
“Good morning, Agent DeWitt,” Bennett said, welcoming me. “We’ll start the brief shortly. These are Agents Waters, Lin, and Donahue.”
As I exchanged pleasantries and handshakes with the men, my attention lingered on Donahue, having heard his name listed in the GRAVITAS game rankings for my division. Mossy eyes, framed in thick rims, were already on me, the expression clear that he was making an assessment of his own.
“It’s good to meet you in person, I’m Everett,” he said, with a disarming smile. “I look forward to competing with you in the final round of the games. I’ve heard good things.”
“Likewise,” I offered, taking a seat next to him and pulling out my tablet and computer.
“Alright, agents. This is a level one brief for the Catania mission,” Bennett started, moving to take a seat at the head of the conference table. “Waters and Lin are joining us from our ops team, who is handling the logistics of infiltration and extraction. Donahue and DeWitt, you will be running point on the statistical analysis for this mission. Profiles, risk assessment, terrain, we need a thorough breakdown on everything. Waters, why don’t you catch them up to speed on the situation and where we’re at.”
“Last month, our satellite feed started flagging some suspicious activity on the coast of southern Italy. A known vessel that had previously been linked to high risk trafficking had been spotted multiple times in the small port of Catania. The combination of this known vessel and the sudden uptake in traffic to an otherwise low yield port warrants us to authorize feet on the ground to ascertain the threat,” Agent Waters concluded.
“Who are you sending in?” Everett asked from my side.
“Agents Gavin Russo and Gage Russo have been selected for this level one mission, and will be going undercover with Gavin leading point in the port, due to his proficiencies. We’ll be using their identical appearance throughout the mission to keep a constant stream of information coming back to us.”
Relief hit me then, with the realization that I would get to be involved with the twins’ mission. Well, at least on paper. Honestly, I would have made sure I was a part of it either way, but this just made it easier.
I could see why the twins were chosen to go. Gavin would be able to come in as the new port authority, and since he had Italian roots, spoke the language perfectly, and was a cultural specialist, he shouldn’t raise any red flags. If things were indeed going south in that region, he would no doubt be approached with some kind of bribe that could be his stepping stone into the organization.
“Donahue, why don’t you show Agent DeWitt the procedural ropes for a level one mission and then you two can start diving into the analysis. I’d like a prelimina
ry cover recommendation by lunch,” Bennett said with a firm nod.
Everett obviously knew what he was doing, his explanations were clear and concise. He seemed to have a rather outgoing personality, offering easy conversation along the way.
“What do you think of the footage?” he questioned, hours later after we had poured through everything.
“It’s best if they land in Northern Italy, charter an authentic houseboat from someone there, then sail south. It will add credibility to the papers we’ll be having made for Gavin to pose as a port authority. Plus, if shit hits the fan, they’ll be able to get out of there immediately,” I offered.
The words were another reminder to me that I wanted to get a comm link as soon as I could, preferably at Conclave later that evening.
“Do you agree with DeWitt’s assessment?” Bennett spoke from behind us, having joined the conversation.
“I do, I would also suggest keeping the switches to a minimum, only bringing Gage Russo out if the mission requires his explicit skills,” Everett added.
“Agreed. Looks like we need to buckle down, agents, and get everything in place. They’re leaving within the week.”
“We should probably get going if we want to make it there in time,” I said, glancing at my watch as I moved to grab my boots from the entryway of Gavin and Gage’s apartment.
“You don’t have to go traipsing through the forest any more little Bird,” Gage said. “You’re the big bad wolf now.” He bent down and finished tying one of my boots before rubbing his hands up my thighs.
“We don’t have time for that brother,” Gavin laughed, then tapped his temple. “Reed just let me know that we’re good to get you that comm link before Conclave starts. As appealing as you are, cara, I want more than a few stolen minutes with you. Speaking of, I wanted to know if you could take an extended lunch on Friday. I’d love to take you out on a date before we leave.”
“And I want tomorrow night,” Gage said as he pulled me closer to him, still on his knees before me.
“How could I say no to that?” I reached a hand down to Gage, helping him off his feet before his lips pressed against mine roughly, his teeth tugging my lower lip.
“You don’t,” he said simply.
“Unless you two want to be late for your first Conclave, we really should go,” Gavin said with humor in his voice.
Turning to look at him, I watched as a faint electric blue pulse emitted from his hand, growing stronger as he traced a deliberate arc in front of him. Before my eyes, I watched as a glowing entryway appeared in their living room.
“Ready for your first portal? Well, I guess I should say, the first one you’re actually aware of,” Gavin asked, his eyes alight as he rocked to the tips of his toes.
“I thought I was the one who needed to practice more before we left,” Gage said grumpily behind me.
“You can do it on the way home, now let’s go. You first, then Charlie.”
Thwack.
Grabbing my ass, I turned to glare at Gage who was walking past me toward the portal. He gave me one last, come-and-get-me look and stepped through the illuminated entry before disappearing completely.
Gavin nodded reassuringly before following after Gage. The sensation was peculiar, almost like being dipped in an icy lake before emerging dry. One minute I was in their living room, the next I was in the familiar underground chamber where the majority of the Rites had been held.
I turned behind me just in time to see Gavin stepping through and the portal closing behind him.
“If only you could travel that way to Italy,” I said, thinking of the possibilities and efficiency.
“If only,” the twins said in unison, making me laugh.
“Looks like you’re getting better at being in sync after all,” I teased.
A soft crackling sound had me turning to my left, just in time to see Ramsey and Reed stepping through, there strides never breaking as they made their way across the room.
“Hey, Char, just in time. Let’s get you coded for access,” Reed said, as he walked past me into one of the alcoves.
“Ramsey,” I said, acknowledging the man following after him with a serious face. His head turned toward me, nodding in acknowledgment before dismissing me and focusing back on Reed.
How many more apologies was I going to have to make for taking a small mental vacation?
I watched as Reed placed his hand on the surface of the brick wall, before removing it and revealing a small metal disc embedded in the wall.
“You guys can head in and we’ll meet you for the comm in a second. I’m going to get her settled,” Reed said, stepping to the side. Ramsey placed his palm on the disc before walking directly through the wall. The sight made me question what I was truly seeing.
“It’s a hologram, Bird,” Gavin said, moving to do the same, “Try not to take advantage of our girl here, Whistler.”
“You know she can handle her own. She handles us just fine,” Gage said, making me laugh at his devious grin before pushing his brother through the wall, then sliding his hand against the disc and joining him.
“Hand on the plate, Char,” Reed said, as I stepped up to join him.
“You guys don’t use your handles?” I asked placing my hand on the metal. Flinching from the intense cold, I jerked my hand away, rubbing my palm.
“You’ll hear them tonight during Conclave, but other than that, only for missions and ceremonies. Now, the next time you place your hand on the disc, call up your Spark. This is the easy one, all you need to do is actively think about it.”
Following his directions, I placed my hand upon the freezing disc and thought about the extra energy coursing through me. As soon as I focused on it, my Spark shifted, almost like it was searching for something.
“Now walk through the door, Char,” he said as I passed through what I had thought was a brick wall, a light tingling sensation falling over me.
The room I walked into was nothing like the stone antechamber I had previously been in. Wall dividers of glass with functioning displays dominated the space closest to me, while the rest of the room had a sleek industrial feel. The space was large, like a repurposed warehouse, and I wondered briefly if we had gone through another portal to get here.
“This is impressive,” I said, taking it all in. Land, water, and air vehicles sat in various parts of the warehouse, accompanied by racks of strange weapons on the far side of the wall.
“You haven’t seen anything yet, Char. You’re going to totally geek out once you see everything you’ll be able to do,” Reed said, leading me past one of the glass walls to the long conference table that was already full of people talking and passing around a plate of cookies.
“Did I pass through a portal and into the Twilight Zone?” I questioned at the bizarre scene in front of me.
Just some mythical Atlanteans, sitting around, eating cookies on a weeknight. No biggie.
“With great power comes great—,” Reed paused looking at me mischievously, “need for delicious sugary snacks.”
Reed led me past the conference room and across the loft to where the rest of the guys were waiting by an open access armory. Reed walked over to one of the weapons racks before stooping down to open what appeared to be a cooler and pulled out a syringe.
Molten silver swirls danced inside as I watched him raise the syringe to the light. He grabbed a chair from nearby and motioned for me to sit backwards. Gage took a seat nearby while Gavin bent down in front of me, taking both of my hands.
“The comm link gets injected at the base of your brain stem, and from there, Reed will connect with you. Deep breath, cara, this is going to hurt.”
Reed gathered the hair from the nape of my neck and I offered him the ponytail holder from my wrist before once again taking Gavin’s hands.
“Cleaning the site, Char,” Reed said softly, as cool liquid swiped across my neck. “Here we go.”
Pressure exploded through my head instantly, forcing me to
squeeze my eyes shut and grit my teeth. Gavin’s firm grip was the only thing that kept me tethered to the room as my brain was racked with wave after wave of painful pulses. It was all encompassing, like the swell of a tsunami wave before it all came crashing down and there was nothing but a strange static silence and a cool touch to my temples.
It’s over, Char. We’ve got you.
Reed’s voice was a clear beacon again the settling storm of my mind, making me drag in a ragged breath.
In and out, Char. Give me a few more.
Each pull of air through my lips brought the room into a vivid picture. Gavin’s hands were still firmly wrapped around mine and at my attention, he squeezed them three times, his eyes shining with the love his gesture spoke of.
Okay, Char, unless you want me to have a first row seat to your love fest, I need you to concentrate for a little while longer. The worst part is over, promise.
What do I need to do, Mountain Man? I thought, focusing on the link with Reed, hoping he would hear me.
Maybe tone it down with the shouting? I heard his chuckle fill the room, noting the difference by the way it echoed off the walls. It’s all intuitive, Char, you’ll never have to direct like that with me. Maybe with the guys, though. But first, you need to build your shields so that everytime you link with someone, they’re not getting a play-by-play.
“Okay, what do I do?” I voiced, knowing that the guys were in the room and probably curious.
“Just imagine a wall, the stronger the better, and imagine it wrapping around your mind. Take your time with it, visualize everything down to the seams and how you’ll reinforce those.”
Imagining overlapping steel plates within my mind, I began to build my shield until there was nothing exposed.
We spent the remaining time we had before Conclave practicing, the guys taking turns helping test my shields once I synced with them. To my suprise, even Ramsey got in the mix. Although, I only managed to keep him out for a brief amount of time given his close connection to Reed and therefore, my Spark.
