Chapter 2
723 Words
Chapter Two
Vilnius, Lithuania
Nasira was on watch. It was early morning, so she stood on the back porch, listening to a breeze stir the forest behind the old mansion. Their infrared motion-sensitive cameras would notify her of any activity, but she liked to check anyway. Creaking floorboards alerted her to people emerging from inside.
‘Where are you two going?’ she asked.
Aviary and Damien froze in the doorway.
Damien cleared his throat. ‘Just some training.’
‘Yeah!’ Aviary said.
‘Don’t get it into your head that operative life is all exciting.’ Nasira lit a cigarette. ‘It’s a whole lot of sitting around and nothing happening.’
‘Nothing happening is good sometimes.’ Aviary rocked on the heels of her sneakers. ‘Do you want to come with us?’
‘I’m good,’ Nasira said. ‘Sophia won’t be happy you’re training her.’
‘I’m not either.’ Damien stepped off the porch and onto the grass.
Nasira chuckled to herself. ‘That why you do it while she’s not around?’
‘Yep!’ Aviary said. ‘And if she finds out, we blame Damien!’ She launched off the porch and shoved Damien forward.
‘Stay close to the edge of the forest, so I can see you guys,’ Nasira said.
Aviary walked backwards and saluted her. ‘Copy that.’
Nasira had time to watch the pair disappear into the forest before the floorboards creaked again and Ezra stepped out onto the porch. Hélio’s bodyguard gave Nasira a sharp nod, which she barely returned.
‘We’re supposed to take Hélio back to Brazil tomorrow,’ Ezra said.
Nasira drew on her cigarette. ‘Shame we couldn’t dig anything up.’
Ezra clasped her hands behind her back. ‘I said supposed to, but—’
‘What she’s trying to say’—Hélio appeared in the doorway behind her, scratching his neck—‘is that I need a lab where I can run some tests on the kill switch.’
‘We got our answer in Budapest,’ Nasira said.
Hélio swallowed. ‘Yeah, well I don’t trust Doctor Meresz.’
‘You tell me this now?’ Nasira kept her attention on Aviary and Damien as they moved between the trees. ‘You need to talk to Sophia.’
Hélio nodded. ‘As soon as she’s back. I’ll gather my notes.’
‘Do that. We’ve been here too long, we’re probably going to move shop tomorrow.’
Hélio disappeared inside and Nasira turned her attention to his bodyguard. ‘Ezra, right? You don’t have to stand at attention.’
Ezra remained perfectly still. ‘I am simply standing.’
‘Can you do it somewhere else? It’s creeping me out.’
Ezra leaned forward, both hands on the handrail, eyes on Damien and Aviary out at the forest’s edge.
‘You have a very odd team.’ Ezra said. ‘Did Sophia hire you?’
‘What?’ Nasira said. ‘Hell no, we work together.’
‘But she is the leader?’
‘Yeah. She earned that a long time ago.’
‘She is preoccupied with the Russians,’ Ezra said. ‘It concerns me.’
‘She wants more people on our side.’
Ezra looked at her. ‘But you think otherwise, yes?’
‘You want to lighten up a bit? Or does Intron remove your personalities when you sign up?’ Nasira asked.
Ezra cleared her throat. ‘When you’re on the job—’
‘When are you not on the job?’ Nasira asked. ‘Unless you’re an Intron employee with superannuation and paid leave. Then I guess you get time off.’
‘You could take a vacation,’ Ezra said.
Nasira blew smoke in her direction. ‘Last time I went on a vacation, Intron kidnapped Jay and stole his abilities.’ She let the silence stretch out, waiting for Ezra to break it.
‘What is it like?’ Ezra asked at last. ‘Doing what you do? Out of … loyalty.’
Nasira eyed her. ‘Loyalty is for Fifth Column zombies.’
‘So why do you do it?’ Ezra asked. ‘This little rebellion against the Fifth Column.’
‘If we don’t, who else is gonna?’
Ezra’s gaze narrowed. ‘But you choose this.’
Nasira ground out her cigarette under her boot. ‘The stuff we did, as operatives. We don’t deserve to be alive. While we are, might as well balance it.’
‘And are you? Balancing it?’
‘Ain’t really any of your business,’ Nasira said. ‘You got somebody else to harass?’
‘As a matter of fact, yes. I need to speak with Jay about his experience in Colombia,’ Ezra said. ‘Do you know where he is?’
‘Clearing his head,’ Nasira said. ‘Went for a walk about half an hour ago.’
Ezra nodded, and headed inside. At the door, she stopped. ‘Does Jay like to clear his head?’
‘Which Jay?’ Nasira asked. ‘The one from Project GATE who saved my life once, by accidentally defibrillating my heart? Or the one who lost his abilities and can’t deal with it?’
Ezra considered. ‘The one you love.’
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