Quinn watched the man with surprise. His daughter didn't generally go to people she didn't know, and not only was his daughter talking to him, but she was getting comfortable in his lap. Well, that said a lot about the man’s character.
“Okay. Zeke!” she yelled.
They heard the monster tearing down the stairs.
Callie knew what was coming. Her boss was about to be growled at, and possibly attacked. Zeke was territorial with Suzie, and he wouldn’t like anyone near her.
When the dog saw Ethan, he began barking.
Blackhawk pointed and loudly ordered the dog to sit. “No, Zeke. You’re not going to behave like that.”
Callie and Quinn stared at him. Finally, Quinn started laughing. “I won’t ask how you just did that, but please tell me you can teach us. My dog has been out of control since the day he met Callista.”
Ethan grinned. “Like I said, I have two dogs at home. Zeke, come here.”
The dog moved slowly toward him. When he finished sniffing him, he pulled a cookie from his pocket.
Callie laughed. “How did you know?”
He smiled at her. “I’m the head of FBI West. It’s my job to know.”
“Well, since this is taken care of,” stated Quinn, “maybe we should get started. I’ll drive.”
“Thank you for doing this,” Ethan said. “We really need your help.”
Callie closed the file. “I’m doing this for Nate, Luke, and Maura. They need us. We won’t let our family down.”
Blackhawk hoped not.
He had that sick feeling something was coming, and it wasn’t going to be good.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
Monday Morning
FBI West
This day had been a long time coming.
Nathaniel Carter had been training, working out, and getting ready to take on the most dangerous case of his life.
Oracle.
In all honesty, he couldn’t wait.
While some might think he was crazy, he wanted this job in the worst way. Now that his partner had found happiness, and his sister was settled into her life, he had no one else to worry about. It was time to focus on what he did best.
Work.
It was clear that Nate would never be like them.
He couldn’t be.
He wasn’t married to his job. No, actually, it was more like he was having some sick, tawdry affair with it. To be brutally honest, he couldn’t have a life outside of work because his mistress, the FBI, would keep calling him back. It controlled his days, nights, and every waking hour.
He was helpless to stop it.
Nate knew there would never be that one person out there who could complete him. The FBI was too important in his life. Any woman who could slip on that glass slipper was nothing more than a fairytale.
A myth.
Lore.
No smart woman would put up with the calls in the middle of the night, the long hours where he was trapped in the field, and the chance that he wouldn’t come home alive. It wasn’t appealing to sane people.
So, he stopped looking.
Since she didn't exist, he’d face his future with eyes wide open. There would be no way he’d pine away for something that could never be his.
He was a realist.
That mythical creature, wife, didn't exist in his realm. Why waste his time looking for her when he couldn’t give her what she deserved? As of now, he could feel the darkness closing in on him, and he knew his time in the FBI would be limited. When it destroyed him, there would be no person on earth who would want his shattered existence.
The job was eating him alive.
It was consuming his soul.
With each case, he left one more piece of him behind.
At some point, he’d be unfixable. Already, he was so full of holes and issues, that his sister wouldn’t even pass him on a psych evaluation out of sympathy.
So, he was offering himself up for the most dangerous case the FBI had with the intention of it being the last one. When the Blackhawks approached him, offering this chance, he jumped at it.
While Luke was getting ready to settle down, and his sister was popping out another baby, he had to face the cold hard truth.
Their team was dying.
Time had changed everything that once was, and while he missed it, there was no stopping it.
At some point, they’d all go their separate ways, and all that would be left after the job would be the bonds of family.
He was prepared for it.
Oracle was his way of stepping away.
Once on this job, Nate could find a quiet place to distract the pain he felt. It was where he could deny the truth of what was living in him.
Nothing.
He was dead inside.
Ultimately, he was starting what would likely be the final phase of his career with the FBI. At nearly forty, his days of being shot at, killing people, and hunting down the bad guys were coming to an end. Men like him…they had a short shelf life.
His expiration date was rapidly approaching.
Now, he was going to go out in a blaze of glory. He was going to take on the military and FBI’s best kept secret. He’d keep Oracle safe, or die trying.
Despite it all, he was proud of his decision, and had no regrets. Yet, under it all, there was a feeling of unease, only Nate didn't understand why. He’d made up his mind, and he was going out his way.
On top.
Now, it was all up to him.
As he sat there watching Ginny, the Blackhawk’s secretary, he tried not to let the melancholy surface. He was going to miss his partner.
When they headed in to see the bosses, he was going to ask that Luke be dismissed from this mission. He had a shot at happiness, and Nate wanted that for him.
The man was his brother-in-arms.
Their bonds had gone so much deeper than partners in the FBI. He was marrying Quinn’s sister, and that made him officially part of the family.
Not that they needed that piece of paper to prove jack shit. Lucas Mars had demonstrated his value time and time again, and they loved the man.
Nate would go into hell with him at his back, and never worry that Luke would fail him. Yet this time, Oracle felt personal. There was such a drive to do this, and he couldn’t help but want to free his friend from the burden. This could be weeks of arduous work, and he knew that Luke wanted to be closer to Maura.
He wanted to do that for him.
When he heard his name, Nate glanced up. Heading straight for him was Luke, and he was wearing his normal cheery smile. Some things never change.
“Hey! Are you ready?” he asked, handing him a coffee.
“Yeah, I am,” Nate replied. He didn't have the heart to tell his friend that he wasn’t coming with him.
Not this time.
“I can’t believe we’re heading out to do this. I can’t wait to be debriefed. I’m excited.”
“What about being away from Maura?” he asked casually as he sipped his coffee. Watching his friend’s face, he saw the flicker of anxiety.
Yeah, he missed his girl.
“She’s in the field somewhere. I got a text two days ago to let me know she’s okay. I’ll be honest, it’s going to suck, but I need to keep my mind busy. If I’m sitting behind a desk, I’m worrying, and that’s killing me.”
He didn't think of that. “Sucks, huh?”
“It feels like someone cut out my heart, and I’m supposed to find it. I hate that she’s MIA. If I don’t get out on a job, I’m going to curl into the fetal position and cry. This is the worst feeling in the world.”
Nate stared at him, beginning to feel bad about what he planned on doing. He was going to make his friend hurt, and Nate hated that.
“I’m serious. You’ll see one day when you find the one woman who can turn your world upside down,” Luke stated.
Nate shrugged. “I wouldn’t bet on that.”
Glancing over, Luke
knew how tough it had been for his best friend. The day he told Nate that Maura had proposed, it was like he’d begun giving up.
Nathaniel Carter looked beat down.
He understood that feeling. When they were both single, misery loved company.
Now…
It was like you’d never find that happiness for yourself. It hurt at some deep level. That was another reason he wanted in on Oracle. Nate needed him as backup, despite what he thought.
“I can picture you crying like a girl,” he said, glancing over at his friend. They were night and day. Nate was dark haired, and Luke was a beach bum blonde. The only similarity was the icy blue eyes.
There were never two more different men.
Yet, together, they kicked ass.
“I want you to stay here,” Nate finally said, going with honesty. Luke deserved that. “I don’t think you should do this, Luke. We both know that this assignment is three days past dangerous. If I go down, you need to keep fighting. Callie can’t lose us both.”
He friend stared at him. “I’m going, Nate. You need me. You may not think you do, but something is happening to you. I watch you, and you’re changing into someone I don’t know. I can see you losing this battle, and by yourself, you’re screwed.”
He was well aware
It was the blood that chased him in the dreams. It was waking up and feeling like you’re coated in the filth of all the death and violence he trudged through. The job was slowly killing him, but he couldn’t admit that or he was getting a psych evaluation.
“You’re crazy, Luke.”
“Bullshit. Look me in the eyes and tell me you’re not sinking fast. Between the two of us, and after all we’ve been through, I need the truth.”
Nate stared straight ahead.
His first instinct was to lie his ass off, but then again, Luke would know that, so he went with truth.
“It’s the job, Luke. You know that. We all start out thinking we can save the world, and in the end, the only thing we can do is pray to God that we don’t go under and drown in it all.”
He was well aware.
Maura saved him. When he felt like there could be no good in his life, he found that hope. Luke grabbed onto her and wouldn’t let go. Now Nate needed that same chance.
“How bad is it, Nate?”
He glanced over, so much emotion in his eyes. “I’m burned out, and I don’t have hope.”
That made Luke sick.
“I’m staying. Don’t take this away from me. We’ve been together a long time, and you owe me.”
He laughed. “I owe you, huh? That’s one hell of a debt. Surely, I’d remember why, wouldn’t I?”
“You’re my best friend, next to Callie. We’re brothers. I need this, Nate. You have to let me stick by you for this one. When Oracle is done, if you want our partnership over, then I’ll do it, but for now…let me stay.”
Luke made it about him, but in actuality, he could see that Nate wasn’t going to make it much more without an intervention. Someone had to reach out and keep his head above water.
So, it was him.
Nate closed his eyes. His gut said not to do it, but his heart betrayed him. “Okay, Luke. You’re in. I can pick my team, and it’s you.”
Luke patted him on the back. “We have this, bro. Watch and see.” As soon as this shit mess was over, Luke was going to call Callie, and they were going to find Nate someone to love. Luke knew it would heal him.
Nate just needed a little help.
Just then, Elizabeth’s office door opened. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I was in the middle of a conference call with Gabe Rothschild.”
They followed her in.
“Please close the door,” she asked, sitting behind her desk. “The day has come, my friends. You’re getting pulled into the Oracle mess. I’m here to debrief you. Anyone want out?”
Neither man spoke.
“Here’s the dossier,” she said, handing them each one. “Nothing in that file is available on our server. This is now a strictly old-school case. You check in with burner phones, and you don’t use your tablets to even Google pizza places. Are we clear?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“It’s not going to be easy and for so many reasons. Not only are you not allowed to use the technology afforded to you, but Avalon Miller is spooky. I spent nearly two months with her, and she’s going to rattle you to your core. She’s going to know things about you, and she’s going to ask you questions you don’t normally get asked.”
Luke looked up from the file. “Like?”
Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and dropped her booted heels on the corner of her desk. “She’s a twenty five year old woman on the outside, but she’s been isolated for the last ten years. So, if you talk TV, she’s not going to get it. If you talk tech, she’s not going to understand. She’s never read a book, and only knows what the government allowed her to learn.”
“I see.”
“She’s also blind, so moving her takes someone willing to be gentle and doting.” Elizabeth glanced at Nathaniel Carter. From everything she’d learned about him, he was going to have to be that man. If he was anything like his sister, they were golden.
That had their attention.
“Really?” Nate asked.
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes. Don’t worry. She’s not some lump on a chair. Trust me, she uses her other senses to make up for the one she’s missing. Once she meets you, Avalon is going to know when you’re there. She’s going to walk right up to you and shake your hand. She’s going to take that coffee cup you offer, even when she shouldn’t know it’s there. It’s going to be the little things that catch you off guard. At times, I really thought the whole blind thing was total BS.”
“That’s freaky,” murmured Luke.
For some reason, Nate was enthralled. He couldn’t imagine a life without reading, seeing nature, or experiencing life in color. It had to be incredibly difficult for the woman.
“I’ll take care of her,” he offered. “I don’t mind.”
That was exactly what Elizabeth had hoped for. One of their team needed to be the sympathetic one. Maura Gaines was the tough one, and Lucas Mars tended to be rational.
This was going to work out.
“She will pick up on your scent, and be able to distinguish you apart without words. Plus, she supposedly can see auras. I don’t know how that works, but from what I’ve learned by being with her, that’s her main avenue of sight. If you have a secret, kiss it goodbye. Avalon is really good at ferreting them out and making them public.”
Luke shook his head. “I repeat. Freaky.”
Yeah, they had no idea.
While Elizabeth was guarding her, the woman knew her deepest darkest secrets from when she was a child, and what happened in her life. It was scary.
“She’s a level ten plus psychic. She’s off the charts. The president wants her kept safe, and at all costs. She’s a national resource we can’t find again. Your job is to keep her alive, happy, and out of the hands of whoever hacked the FBI.”
They understood.
“While you’re on the run with her, we have a team digging into her past. Your sister, Callista, has offered to help.”
Nate looked up. “No. I don’t want my family involved in this. We both know Oracle is a dangerous case. If they find out I’m running this, they’ll go after her.”
Elizabeth understood, but there was nothing she could do. “That’s out of my hands, Nathaniel. I can’t do it personally, and your sister and brother-in-law are already on the ground and heading to Oracle’s hometown.”
That didn't make him happy.
“They have help. They’ve been given a security detail. Their Marine tail will watch their backs. It’s mostly going to be research.”
“Where’s Suzie?” Luke asked. She was his godchild, and he didn't want anything to happen to her.
“Right now, she’s at my house. I’m playing babysitter
until they’re done with the research. What’s one more kid when you already have four?” she asked.
That seemed to calm them.
Elizabeth opened her desk drawer and pulled out a thick envelope. “Here’s cash. You don’t use credit cards, you don’t use your ID’s, and you stay under the wire. Moving Oracle is normally an eight person Marine team, but not anymore. You have three people to do the job, so make it good.”
They looked at each other.
“Who’s helping us?” Nathaniel Carter asked. “Is it one of the directors?”
She shook her head. “You’ll have a military escort too. Please! Don’t think I’d send my two favorite Feds out there without backup. We’re keeping the detail small because we don’t want attention. Oracle draws enough on her own. She’s like fate’s beacon.”
They completely understood.
Elizabeth knew how dangerous this was going to be. She only hoped they were ready. Once Bravo Ghost was decommissioned, they had no choice but to pass it off to civilians.
“When do we meet Oracle?” Nate stated.
Elizabeth knew she was already on the move, only he wasn’t aware.
No one was.
“She’ll find you, Nathaniel. There’s a pick up location. When you leave here, you’re to go to your place, pack up his vehicle,” she said, pointing at Luke, “and then wait for contact. Trust me…she’ll find her way to you.”
That seemed odd since he was the one in charge, but who was he to question it?
Elizabeth pulled out six phones. “These are your only way of communication. Once you contact one of us with it, you need to lose it, and lose it fast. Burner phones aren’t long term. If the FBI is tagging our personal lines, you’ll give away your location the second you dial us.”
Nate understood.
“This is the part you’re not going to like,” she warned. “I need your guns and your badges.”
That caught them off guard.
“Why?” Luke asked.
Elizabeth leaned forward. “FBI rules don’t apply here, boys. Once you’re on guard duty, your entire job is to keep Oracle safe, and that is by any means necessary.”
They stared at her.
“Do you mean…?” Nate began.
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