| "Moon on the Tides, or Bodies That Influence" | |||
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June 9, 2008 Paige's Place 0400 hours The suspects had been detained, the danger was held at bay, Saf was at home, Brian was back at her place, and things seemed to be back to normal. So why was she standing out on her balcony in the middle of the night wearing only an oversized t-shirt and freezing her ass off? Because in actuality, everything was far from normal. She couldn't even close her eyes without seeing that damn personal ad, those creepy words, that annoying font. She couldn't stop feeling like someone was creeping up on her. Not like the paranoid guarding thing she went through a couple weeks ago. It was like when you felt that something was going on, somewhere, with someone, and somehow it all involved you and eventually, probably when you least expected it, it would come flying in your face like a rabid bat, clawing, and biting, and screeching, looking for blood, hunting for you. That's how she felt. And it was becoming exhausting. She shivered in the chilly bay air. There was a lot going on. There had been a lot going on. Maybe that was the problem? Maybe things were going on all the time that involved her and she just chose not to see it? Wasn't Joshua going on around her, all the time, and she just chose not to see it? Blindly ignoring that which was painfully obvious? Maybe she'd finally better open her eyes and try to find a connection somewhere, a link, a clue, hint, anything to calm her mind. It was out there, whatever it was. And it was coming. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1000 hours "You didn't answer your cell phone," Gray commented. Paige sighed twirling the cord of the landline around her finger. "Yeah, I know, I turned the ringer off in case, you know..." "Ah, yes, well, they were detained." "I know, I just...until I believe it was really them I think I'll just leave the ringer off. I'm not really planning on going anywhere." Because I'm really creeped out and don't want to go outside...but I'm not guarding...I swear...I'm not guarding. She bit down on her lip and stared at the floor. What the fuck was wrong with her? "Actually, you will be going somewhere. I need you to come into the office. We have some details to discuss." Paige raised her eyebrows. A mission apparently. And tactical? She didn't do tactical. "Shouldn't you call Saf for that?" "I'm calling you for that." "Oh," she replied softly. "Come in, and bring Brian along with you." Her eyes flicked to Brian who had abandoned his book and now watched her intently. "Yep, got it, see you in a few." "Very good then, good bye," Gray said somewhat happily and hung up. "Get your stuff," she said to Brian, "we have to go see Gray." Brian didn't smile. He didn't do anything actually. Just moved slowly to get some of his things from Paige's room while she checked on Michael the Fish and turned off the tv and locked the sliding glass doors. She watched the vertical blinds sway gently back and forth after she closed them. Had to lock the door, right? Security and all that nonsense? Though what was coming for her, (which she still hadn't figured out yet) didn't care if the doors were locked. It didn't care if they were locked tight and boarded shut. It didn't care if they were locked tight, boarded shut, and cased in concrete. It wouldn't stay away, it wouldn't be kept out. She clenched her jaw as she felt for the weapon at her back. At least that was always there, too. "I'm ready," Brian said from behind her. She turned nodding her head. "I've been watching you and something's wrong. I know it has to do with the paper and stuff." Sometimes he was so blunt it was refreshing. She kneeled down in front of him. "You know me Brian, you know my mind is always going, always worrying about something." He nodded his head. "Well, it's going now, it's worrying about something and I don't quite know what it is yet." "But I thought they caught the guys who did it?" "They did." "So why are you worried?" She shook her head, "I don't really know. I just...am." "Sometimes," he said softly, "sometimes you're weirder than I am." "Sometimes," she said pulling him into her, hugging him, wishing and praying that it wouldn't be the last time. "C'mon, let's go." They drove in silence all the way into the city. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SH1, 7th floor Lounge area 1100 hours Gray finally came in and made small talk, mostly with Brian as Paige watched amused. It certainly was interesting to see people of power, people with influence, suddenly be reduced to awe at the fascinating little boy. Gray was not a disappointment as he stood transfixed almost and listened to Brian tell a story about fishing. Finally, after the story Gray turned to her. "I'm just waiting for Saf to get here, I'm actually surprised she wasn't here first." "Maniac driver," Paige nodded her head and pointed to herself. "You don't find it difficult driving manual with that cast on?" he asked motioning towards her wrist. "No, actually, I think I'm going to miss it when it's off next week." Gray grunted his disapproval, "you have a couple more weeks." "Thirty six more days, actually, but who's counting?" she smiled sweetly at him. Just then Brian squealed and bounded across the room. Paige turned seeing Baz kneeling with a huge grin on his face. Brian practically tackled him though he was astute enough to remember Baz's shoulder injury, and chose to attack him from Baz's opposite side. Baz, who seemed much more mobile with his arm, promptly started to furiously tickle Brian until tears ran from the boy's face. Gray and Paige just watched with amused grins on their faces. Baz finally picked Brian up and much to the boy's protest through him over his good shoulder and walked towards Gray and Paige. He extended his fist to Paige, to which she tapped lightly, and then his hand to Gray, who shook it. "So, I hear there's a certain little brat that needs some watching over?" Baz asked playfully. "I am not a brat," came the protest from behind Baz's back and the feet kicked a little that hung down Baz's chest. Baz grinned and Paige noticed he had changed his hair again, this time to blue and green. Interesting combination. She thought he was on a surveillance watch. "I thought you were on a surveillance watch?" she asked him. "He is," Gray responded for Baz. "But he deserves some time off and what better way than with Brian." Paige looked to Baz, "I swear, if you corrupt him or get him sick..." "Relax, Mom," Baz teased her, "how could I, the most angelic of Alpha team, possibly corrupt a sweet brat like this more than say...you...could?" "I am not a brat," came the retort again from behind Baz. "And you are most definitely not an angel," Paige smirked at him. "Pffft, don't believe everything you hear," Baz said turning away. "I'll have him back tomorrow...hopefully," he turned around quickly to grin slyly at Paige, "in one piece." He then turned back around and walked away. Brian grinned up from his upside down position and waved at Paige and Gray. "Bye Paige," he said giggling. Paige just smiled and nodded her head. "You realize that they will be up all night, watching horror movies and eating god knows what?" she commented to Gray. "Yes," Gray sighed, "but they both deserve the break." "I guess that means Baz isn't coming with us on the mission?" "No, I'm afraid not. But we've secured some additional man power so I don't expect any problems." "What was that all about?" Saf asked walking into the lounge area. She was grinning and holding her bike helmet in her hand. "Brian's gonna stay with Baz for a little bit," Paige answered. "That's scary," Saf grinned. It was nice to see her grinning again Paige thought. "So, that means he's not coming with us then?" she asked. "No, come on, I've got some tactical I need you two to go over," Gray said leading them to one of the smaller conference rooms. "This is what we've got..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1500 hours "Well, this is certainly interesting," Paige said to Saf as they both leaned back in their seats with mugs of coffee in their hands. Gray had excused himself saying he had to make some phone calls and meet someone. They'd just spent the last three hours going over tactical assault of a building outside of Zvenigorod, Russia. It was a large Dacha where a one Rodion Yegorovich Petrenko, who after an assassination attempt on his life, had moved into for safety reasons. That was fine with Paige, in fact, it made it much easier for the whole team to get to him in the relative open as opposed to having to try to infiltrate the Kremlin or some shit. In any case, there were five of them going in, with Simon accompanying them on tactical, and Gray providing tactical support from SH1. It was a nice numbered team for the job they needed to do: get in, get the shot off, get out. Simple. Easy peasy. Paige wondered briefly if the killer-become would surface again. She was, after all, in charge of the field team. It kind of struck her as odd but Gray explained all of them would get the chance to lead and it would basically rotate, as well as tactical guidance. The field leader would provide tactical assistance (final approval by Gray of course) so each of them would gain experience. It was like on the job learning/reinforcement. Kind of nice idea, she supposed. In any case, with her in charge, she was expected to get the shot off. The idea didn't settle too well with her, but she was confident the killer-become would have a field day with it. Nothing like making yourself empty to do things like that. Nothing like it at all. "I wonder if the Russians know that one of their good old boys is not being a team player," Saf commented. Paige snorted. "Oh, I'm sure they're quite aware of it. Question is, what are they planning on doing about it?" It was Saf's turn to snort, "doesn't really matter now since we're going to take care of it." She grinned at Paige who grinned back. "Who's the two newbies?" Paige asked. Saf shrugged, "don't know...don't care." Paige shrugged sipping her coffee. Don't care, she had said. Paige should have expected that much of a response from Saf. Saf had been distancing herself to everyone it seemed but the Alpha team. Paige guessed it was more of a sense of Saf doing this, more of an awareness, as opposed to having actual evidence, that barring the comment Saf had just made. Perhaps, Paige was doing this as well? Perhaps that was part of the process? Part of those inevitable changes every being on the face of the planet went through? No, the change in her, the evolution taking place, was deeper than that, more subtle, more dark. She twitched slightly in her seat. Dark. She could feel it. Don't be afraid of it Joshua had whispered to her. Don't be afraid of the darkness. She wasn't afraid. Intimidated, yes, but not afraid. She was not afraid of herself, she just had to get used to it, that was all. Just get used to it, learn to live, learn to live with it because this was it, the end all be all. This was her very own marks, her own scars, her own darkness. God, she hated Joshua. "What?" she looked up to Saf who stood gathering up the papers that littered the table. "I said we should go, the briefing will start in a couple minutes." "Right," Paige muttered and helped pick up some papers and sort them into somewhat meaningful order. Since she already knew the tactical and background, the briefing would be more boring then usual. She sighed and followed Saf out into the lounge and to the main conference room. Saf stepped in, hesitated then moved into the room. Paige's eyes narrowed for a moment until they fell on one particular area of the room. Joshua's voice echoed in her head... ...surprise... Return |
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