by Mela NoLeuca
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ares POV
"The hot summer sun beat unforgivingly against any skin I exposed. I suppose it would only seem natural since I didn't put on any sunscreen, but thank goodness I was wearing a leather jacket. Standing somewhere at the docks, seagulls squawked overhead while the stench of fish harassed my nose until it got used to it. I might even smell like fish in the end! Not cool.
Sitting on the edge of some plastic crates to be shipped off somewhere, I was standing in the middle of an area that wasn't as populated as the rest. To be honest, I wasn't even so sure about this meeting that I had to bring a few guns with me. I was at the brink of my anxiety that I swore I was sweating like a pig under all these clothes.
Unsettled, I constantly glanced at my watch. I was only given a fifteen minute break as an excuse to venture this far from the lab; I knew I should have gone at lunch time, but there would just be too many people asking too many questions.
Readjusting my aviator shades, I took a quick glance to my right out of instinct and instantly, I tensed. I knew I shouldn't but I did and I bet it was so obvious when I quickly stood straight off from where I sat.
"At ease soldier," said a big strong man who had graying cropped hair and a matching cropped mustache. He was wearing a green military uniform overtly decorated by some Boy Scout badges on parts of his chest. Geez, so much for going incognito. "I came alone to negotiate with you,"
"You sent me the message?" I asked, failing to hide the incredulousness from my voice.
"I mean you no harm but only to request for simple collaboration only for this time," he raised his hands, "your general doesn't seem too open about it, so I decided to directly approach you,"
This alarmed me. The general will accept nothing from this man, it only made sense. Throughout the years, our institution stood proud because our innovative works and this wretched organization only did nothing more but steal from us or destroy our branches whenever we try to expand our resources. These bastards always made me sick.
"What makes you think I'll agree to this?" I challenged, trying my best to stay calm and indiscriminate even if it pained me to do so.
"I have an agent out for his last mission before he's fully required to graduate from our curriculum, we just want you to give him a hard time," he smiled humorously, "I know you want some revenge, right?"
Entirely confused by this man's sadism, I cocked a brow, letting all that be my wordless response.
"His mock mission is to retrieve the Rubrix from you, just give him a hard time that will test every aspect of his bio physical demands,"
"What do I get in return?" I asked, surely I won't let this come off as an easy price.
The general relaxed to a smile, "I knew you'd be wondering, my offer would be sharing a piece of our knowledge in regards to our latest project,"
"Now why would you want to do that?" I chuckled, shaking my head as I hooked both thumbs in each pocket.
"To prove that after this mission, I will declare peace between our organizations. I just want to share that what we've got is what we're satisfied with. So no more invasions, no more borrows, just peace between our two organizations," he confidently sauntered towards me with an outstretched hand for me to shake.
Reluctantly, I did. We wordlessly ended the meeting in the docks as I revved away from that stanky place with my Harley. To be honest, I was panicking but I wasn't sure why.
ERA wanted peace. The dispute between our organizations will finally be put to a stop and everything will turn out fine in the end after this harmless mission!
But I still can't entirely trust these guys. This seemed a little too easy and peaceful, it was always better to create a Plan B just in case things backfire. I was at a stoplight then, to my right was a coffee shop and what instantly caught my eye was a gorgeous blonde babe sitting alone in the corner by the window.
She might just be what I needed.
