NOTE: Just another advisory for adult language! Other than that, enjoy!
Chapter Two: Preliminary Preparations and the Mysterious Enigma
It was another bright and early day for Rainbow HQ. The sun rose beautifully over the hills, recruits milled about all throughout the base, completing all the menial task that come with running the most covert counter-terrorist base. Ela groaned as her body woke itself up. Glimpses of the previous night pervaded her foggy morning thoughts. Fuck me she said exasperatedly in her mind. Her head pounded painfully, making her wince as she got off her bed. Zofia then walked into the room, clad in her workout attire. She smiled at her sister, "Finally awake, sister, it's not like you to sleep so soundly, or so late, or in the clothes you wore yesterday." she teased. Ela threw off her clothes, each garment being launched towards her sister. Zofia laughed, mimicking her sister with the same action. There was suddenly a knock at the door, surprising them. "Gówno! Alexandr, you bastard, we will not join you in the showers!" she exclaimed, the sisters darting to wrap shower towels around their exposed bodies. The door slowly opened, revealing Valkyrie and IQ barely containing their laughter, also in their towels. Zofia blushed in embarrassment, while Ela laughed at her sister, but, stopped immediately as it made her head pound like a jackhammer. The women chatted as they walked to the girl's bathroom, but, Valkyrie quickly noticed that Ela was being oddly quiet, quieter than she normally was. Valkyrie affectionately bumped her,
"El, what's going on?" Valkyrie asked, worry reflected in her eyes. The other two women took notice, looking expectantly at Ela. She felt cornered and flustered, unsure of what to say, she simply blurted out:
"I was at Kade's last night!".
"Oh my" IQ said, a mischievous look on her face.
"Well damn, you better tell us everything! The guy's a prick from what I heard from Jordan." Valkyrie said. Zofia's face was frozen in a shell-shocked expression. Ela realized what it meant and quickly zipped into one of the shower stalls before Zofia could grab her.
"Elzbieta!! Ela you get out here this instant and tell me every detail! Not a single missed one! Did he hurt you?!" she demanded. Ela smiled at her sister's overprotectiveness. When they were first reconciling, she found it borderline rage inducing, but over time she came to realize it was only because she cared. Ela shed her towel, turning on the water, the warm water in the coldness of winter with her added hangover was a god send.
"He did not hurt me, Zof, I can assure you of that!" she said over the water. She could hear the others getting into the stalls.
"Well, what did he do then?" Valkyrie asked.
"Well…" Ela said, unsure of how to word it.
"Did ze two of you make love?" IQ asked. She could hear the question launch Zofia into a tirade of curses and insults towards Kade.
"No. No! We just…smoked and talked. That was it!" Ela said. She could hear sounds of disappointment from IQ and Valkyrie.
"Aw, damn, was hoping for something a little steamier!" Valkyrie said despondently.
"Truly, a shame." IQ lamented.
"You know smoking is bad for your health, Ela!" Zofia scolded. She decided that for her own health and Zofia's, she would not mention the finer details of the encounter, at least, not while Zofia remained within earshot.
The girls eventually finished, Ela dodging her friend's more specific questions and discreetly popping some ibuprofen when Zofia wasn't looking before heading to the B.O.D by the mess hall or "Board of Directives". Many of their fellow operators and friends joined up with them as they walked, but, Ela was lost in thought. After the previous night, she wasn't sure how to feel about him. On one hand, she hated how he teased and taunted her, seemingly out of enjoyment. On the other hand, there was just something about him that caused her to be attracted towards him, like a magnetic force had pulled her across his threshold that night. She scanned their posse of ultra-deadly operators, but, Kade Summers was no where to be seen. They stopped at the board, "Well, ain't that something." Blackbeard said, studying a white piece of paper that had been affixed to the center of the board. Thatcher read the paper, "Ah, blast! Everyone who's goin' on the operation has to report to the function room." he said. Ela's heart began to beat at the prospect of seeing him. She remembered something. She felt his lips on her head last night, as he went to leave. Why did he kiss me?! she shrieked in her mind. Now she was angry. She wasn't a damn child. She didn't need to be tucked in to bed. What did he think she was, his student, susceptible to whatever form of manipulation he expensed?! Fuze and Kapkan made sounds of disappointment, "I wanted a shot at his face!" Fuze exclaimed, disappointed. Kapkan mirrored similar disappointment, longingly stroking his prized combat knife.
"Ela?" Ash asked, bringing Ela out of her stupor, the others were already heading towards the function hall.
"Sorry." she muttered. IQ smiled knowingly, Ela pushed her in a friendly manner, thankfully the cold air hid her blush.
The function room was a room in the back of the mess hall, which Six would often dine with visiting figures of importance. Most operators could count on one finger the times they'd even seen the interior of the room. Nonetheless, the operators did their duty, and reported to the function room, only to find that no one was there. Instead, an extravagant buffet sat before them. Eggs, toast, bacon, grits, fruit of all assortments, luncheon meats, Tea, Coffee, and whatever breakfast food that any one person there could think of was there. In the center of the tables was a vase with a red poppy flower, and a note leaned against it. Ash walked up to the note, reading it aloud:
" 'If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.' " Ash looked up from the note, raising an eyebrow at Thermite who only shrugged, most of his attention on the wonderfully smelling food. Lion was already stuffing his face with brioche, downing it with incredibly sugared coffee. Ash continued on,
"Good morning comrades, I've prepared you all this breakfast in order to achieve the highest proficiency when we devise our plan of attack for Operation Sweep. Meet me in my study in the Spire when you all finish. Bon appetit! -K.S" she finished. Thermite spit out his toast,
"And I was gonna eat this shit too!" he cried out in disappointment.
"He is certainly eccentric. It feels odd though, taking orders and such from someone we barely know." Finka said, digging into her fried eggs and fruit. Lion shrugged his shoulders,
"Hey, this is damn good food, spook or not. Reminds me of my mothers Sunday breakfast, he's good in my book." he said. Thermite reluctantly bit into some bacon, toasted to perfection,
"Well, that's not saying much. Pretty sure a cardboard box could get your stamp of approval." he said. Lion laughed,
"Hey, you're just upset because he gave you a beat down! Which, on a side note, was hilarious." Lion teased. Thermite threw a bit of pancake at him. This only caused him to throw more insults. Ash rolled her eyes, sinking he teeth into a cream cheese bagel.
"So, I heard you had to deliver some documents to him last night, how'd it go?" Ash asked Ela.
Ela hadn't been listening, taking absent bites of her spinach and cheese omelet, thinking about how much she wanted to throttle the man for daring to put his lips on her.
"Oh…ah, fine, I suppose. I gave him the documents." she said lamely. IQ leered at her from across the table, her knowing stare boring holes into Ela's skull. IQ loved gossip. She would never partake in it, but, would be hanging on one's every word, ready to absorb whatever juicy secrets the gossiper had to say. It was safe to say, with this very delicate information in her possession, IQ's morning was going nothing less than spectacular. Ash knew there was definitely something going on, but, didn't press any further. Lion and Thermite had finally stopped hurling insults at each other, content to enjoy their food instead. Thatcher meanwhile had been silent the whole time, sipping his tea and reading The Guardian. Ela had to admit, the breakfast food was damn good. It reminded her of her father's cooking, which both excited, and saddened her striving heart. Ash stood up, looking refreshed from the meal.
"Okay guys listen up. I know that some of us might not like Kade as much as others." she said, giving a pointed look at Thermite.
"But, for this operation he's taking lead, so we have to follow procedure, regardless of whether or not he's a spook. No exceptions." she said, her eyes landing on Thatcher. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry sweetheart I won't be 'causin' any trouble. Man makes some right good tea anyhow, I can't complain." he said. Thermite made a dismissive sound,
"At this point, the bastard is just going to quote and feed the white mask into submission." he said. Everyone couldn't help but laugh at the joke. With full stomachs, and mostly full spirits, the crew headed towards the spire, where Kade Summers lay in wait.
Ela crossed the threshold a second time. Her anxiety fell away, as a soothing scent hit her nose. It smelled like the coast, salty air and seaweed beaches. Ela almost never got the chance to go the beach, but, whenever she did, she always felt a profound sense of wonder. There was also the faint sound of ambient rock music towards the back of the room. "Over here, everyone!" he called from where the music was coming from. The spire seemed to look even more scholarly with the daylight shining in, his plethora of books seeming to multiply with the sun revealing more books in corners once discreet and shadowy. Behind the bar wall there was a table, with eight chairs and eight manila folders. He'd also wheeled the whiteboard to the table, all their pictures were still there, except surrounded by even more arrows and scribblings. He looked the same as yesterday, except his button up shirt was red instead of white. "Welcome everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the breakfast." he greeted as the operators took their seats. He looked at Finka, "Dr. Melnikova, I never thanked you for showing me around the base yesterday. Let me also say, I've read almost all the papers you've published on your condition, and they are nothing short of remarkable. From one scholar to another, I must give you my most humble respects." he said, taking her hand and kissing it. Finka stared at the man's face in shock, before muttering a "thank you" and staring at the floor. Ela was alight with rage and the worse part was: she couldn't figure out why. Chaos is your home, Ela, own it she thought, saying the mantra in an attempt to calm herself. Lion fidgeted,
"Are we going to kiss each other's asses for our skills, or are we going to talk about the operation?" he asked, giving Kade a hard look. Kade frowned,
"My apologies Oliver, I forget myself sometimes. Please, open your folders." he said, lighting up a cigarette. Ela opened her folder. It was a series of documents, detailing the location of the Operation, the possible enemies they would encounter, procedures to breach, etc. etc.
"Using every resource at my disposal, I have created a plan that will result in the most effective results with the least amount of detriment. Please, turn to the 5th page, where your individual duties for this mission are described." he explained. Ela turned to the 5th page. She found her name. "Patrolling?" she asked aloud. Kade came behind her, looking at the paper, "Yes, once we breach level B, I'll be sending you and Monika ahead, you'll be clearing each room on the level, contacting me via radio after you clear a room and once the level is clear." he explained. She could barely look at him in the eyes. Her mind went back to the previous night. His handsome face, so close to hers. His toned physique pressed up against her.
"Okay, thanks." she said, keeping her eyes stuck to the documents. She was so taken aback by his proximity she almost forgot her anger. Almost. She watched him, going around the room, answering any small questions the other operators had. She could tell he was entirely in his element, talking with the charisma of the over-confident, if not misguided Tachanka, but guided by the wit and quips of her beloved friend, IQ. He even got Lion and Thatcher to laugh at the same joke, something no one expected to happen after their famed scrape in the training yard. She couldn't tell if he was acting, or if this is who he genuinely was. She still remembered the coldness of his face in the mess hall that day. Thatcher sat back in his chair, throwing the documents on the table in front of him,
"Hey mate, why is it 'imperative' that we keep one of the white masks from level D breathin'?" he asked. Kade motioned to a faded black and white picture on the whiteboard, seemingly just a pile of monitors, computer towers, and lots of wires.
"Wonderful question, Mark. I have a bad feeling about how their information is protected and accessed, there have been vague reports about them using archaic storage methods in order to impede attempts to procure it, so, we're going to use one of their officers to obtain said access." Kade explained. Thatcher nodded slowly. IQ raised her hand. Kade chuckled,
"This isn't a lecture, Monika, please, speak freely." he said. She smiled,
"My apologies, your name sake proceeds you." she said, her not so subtle attempt at flirting made anger flare up in Ela once again. Not knowing the source of this anger made her even angrier. She was going to give him a talking to once this meeting was over.
"My question pertains zo zeeevent zhat I find electronic devices zhat need disabling, in vhich I vill require Mike's assistance, if he is helping you, how vill he help me?" she asked.
"From what I can gather, level D will be the least occupied by hostiles, as mostly officers who are not nearly as well armed remain in the D level. According to my calculations, Mike and I should be long done our assault on level D before you require our assistance." he said. Kade then brought his attention to Ela, his
"You also have Elzbieta, who from what I've read, has some valuable knowledge of electronics. On the unlikely event Mike and I aren't finished clearing level D by the time you run into an obstacle, I'm sure the two of you can manage until we arrive." he assured. She narrowed her eyes to slits,
"Do not call me that. It is Ela, just as everyone else says it." she said, unable to keep her rage out of her words. Kade only raised an eyebrow to her response, turning to the rest of the group. IQ frowned at her friend's apparent anger. She wasn't sure where it had come from, but, figured it was most likely stemming from Kade.
"If no one has any more questions, I ask only that you review these documents closely until Operation Sweep commences, does that sound alright? he said. Everyone nodded silently, turning to each other, looking relatively optimistic about the operation. As the operators exited the room, Kade reminded them,
"My phone number and email are on the documents, contact me if you think of any more questions!".
"Cripes, he really is like a professor." Thatcher said as they slowly descended, their voices fading away with each step. Kade sighed, turning around, only to receive a hard-knuckled fist to the face.
"That was for being a jackass!" she growled. Another punch.
"That was for kissing my head!". Kade did not attempt to evade or block her punches.
"And that was for not calling me by my god damn name!" she shouted. He stood there, silently.
"Come, coward! Fight me!" she challenged. His nose bled. His eyes betrayed nothing. There was no emotion.
"No." he said stoically. She stood before him, trembling with rage. She really wanted to beat him. For all his dumbass remarks. All his constant teasing and manipulating, she wanted him to pay for it. Most of all, she wanted him to stop putting her emotions through a hellish rollercoaster ride. She let out a sigh, as if all the anger was let out of her in one breath.
"I think it's time you left." he said, not even looking at her, as if far away in thought. She brushed past him, tears in her eyes
"I think it's time I did too."
It was later that evening when IQ, Valkyrie, Zofia, and Ela all sat in the Bosak sisters' room, talking about training, base chit chat, and generally enjoying each other's company. Their room was nicely decorated, the birth of Zofia's child had awakened the interior decorator dormant in her. Sky fall blue walls with white furniture, there were pictures all around the room of Zofia's family, even a picture of her and Ela stood on Ela's desk. Ela sat on her bed, her back against the wall, listening to some ambient rock music, her gaze out the darkened window. From various lights still on in the base, she could tell it was snowing. She loved snow and the winter. Perhaps it was just her polish blood. IQ and Valkyrie sat on a white chair and beanbag respectively, talking to each other and Zofia, who was on the floor by them knitting winter clothes for her daughter, while they all periodically glanced over at Ela. Just about every operator knew something was up with Ela, and that it had to do with Kade. After all, her angry state after the meeting hadn't exactly been subtle. Ela was at first surprised that they were dancing around the subject, they clearly all wanted the inside details. Zofia in particular seemed worried, barely repressing her urge to ask Ela what was wrong through out the day. To try to rid herself of all her negative feelings she had doubled down on her training, which, had extended through just about all of the day. Her body was now exhausted, but, she didn't feel much better about Kade. His coldness was pervasive, it had numbed the inside of her body, morphing her boiling rage into a cold, hard knot at the bottom of her stomach. She felt someone tap her shoulder. She tore her gaze from the falling snow, removing her earbuds. Valkyrie sat next to her, while IQ and Zofia sat across from them on Zofia's bed.
"Sorry girly, your staring out the window is starting to make all of us depressed. Spill." she said, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulder. Ela let out a long breath.
"He makes me incredibly angry. More than anyone else." she said.
"It didn't seem to bother you, talking about him this morning." IQ observed.
"Things are…complicated." she said. Valkyrie tightened her grip on her struggling friend,
"You can tell us, sweetheart." she said. Valkyrie had always treated her more as a sister than a friend when they had met. It was their relationship that had opened Ela's eyes to rekindling with her sister. She couldn't ask for a better best friend than Valkyrie.
"He makes me feel frustrated, but, it's more than that. I also feel…attracted to him, you know?" she explained. Her friends did not speak, only listened.
"I mean, there's something about him that's just pulling me towards him. Sure, he's attractive, but I feel like its more than that." she said. IQ chuckled,
"I vould say so, you bristled like a porcupine when I made a little pass at him." she said. Ela blushed continuing her venting,
"I guess, for as angry as I feel towards him, I feel just as much attraction." she said. Zofia held her hands to her mouth, as if marveling at the endearment of her little sister. Just then, Rook appeared in their door frame. The heavy framed man looked panicked, his frame shuddering from heavy breaths, "The hell's the problem big guy?" Valkyrie asked, clearly not worried by his sudden appearance. IQ narrowed her eyes, "Did you run all the way here from ze men's dorm?" she asked. Rook finally caught his breath, "You guys need to come with me, now." he said.
When they got to the recreational center, a shared facility that both dormitories had access to, it was as if the air itself was at a standstill. Fuze and Kade stood in the middle of the room, while many other operators stood or sat around them, observing the spectacle with tense expressions. Fuze had his PMM pistol leveled at Kade's head. Kade stared at him, betraying nothing, a cigarette hung loosely from his mouth. They stood a few steps away from a card table. There were copious amounts of liquor bottles on and around the table. Ela had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"You, cheating, lying, American dog!" Fuze drunkenly spat, his pistol wavering.
"Hm, I do believe the drink us gotten to you quite severely, friend." Kade observed.
"Friend?! You are American spy, you have no such thing as friends!" he said.
"Was. I was in the CIA." Kade corrected. Fuze got uncomfortably close to Kade.
"Once a spy, always a spy." he said through gritted teeth. Kade looked over at Tachanka.
"Does he always act like this when he loses a card game?" he asked.
"No! Shuhrat, comrade, please put down gun! Let us drink and play more cards, yes?" Tachanka pleaded.
"No! Not with this svin'ya." he said menacingly. That was when Ela acted. She stepped between the two. She put her hand on Fuze's shoulder,
"Please, Shuhrat, put the gun down." she said gently. The spetznaz operators had always had a soft spot for Ela. They had always felt horrible about the way their mother country, Russia, had treated Poland, and in their own way, extended the olive branch to Zofia and Ela. While the two sisters weren't crazy about politics, the two groups of operators had grown close over many a night sharing beers, stories, and good company.
"Why should I, Ela? You hate him just like we do, yes?" he said. She didn't look at Kade, only keeping her attention on Fuze.
"That doesn't matter right now, Shu." she said, her voice softening further with the use of her nickname for him. Fuze had always had trouble socializing, and he had a general distrust of almost everyone not on the Rainbow base. Kade with the implied shady past that came with the CIA and his mysterious nature was just about everything Fuze could hate in a person. Fuze liked straightforward, honest people. Kade was anything but.
"Yes, it does! Why is he even here?!" Fuze demanded. Thermite, who was sitting at the card table, sipping from a whiskey bottle stood up.
"Come on Shuhrat, you've always been bad at cards. I think you're taking it a little far." he said. Kade gave him a look. He wasn't defending him, but, at least he wasn't joining in on the fun either. Ela put her hand on Fuze's wrist, gently lowering it.
"Yup, just like that. It's okay, Shu." Ela murmured. She finally got him to let go of the gun, which dropped into her hands. Fuze just grumbled angrily, sitting down heavily in his chair at the table. At first, no one said anything. Kade fixed his collar, snubbing his cigarette on the ashtray at the table. With a click he checked his pocket watch. He picked up a handle of half-finished rum, "Thank you for the drinks, gentlemen." motioning a farewell to Thermite, Fuze, Tachanka, and Jackal. They all grunted a goodbye. Ela watched him go as he walked across the room. She felt a shove from behind her. It was Zofia, of all people.
"Go talk to him, Ela. Your heart will be better for it." she said. Ela sighed, giving her Fuze's pistol. She jogged out of the rec center, spotting Kade not far down the path. The snow was still falling, and she could feel the cold, wet droplets dash her cheeks. She caught up to him,
"Can I help you, Ela?" he asked, without looking at her.
"Yes, we need to talk." she said. Kade smiled,
"Not like the way Shuhrat was talking to me, I hope." he said, taking a swig of the rum. He offered her the handle. She waved it away. "Suit yourself." he said, taking an even longer swig. Ela looked up at the sky. The stars shone beautifully, like shimmering metallic orbs, simply there to steal her breath away.
Instead of the bar, they stood on the terrace that the Spire apparently possessed. Kade held his empty handle of rum. Ela held a million questions.
"You had things to ask me, correct?" he said.
"Uh…yes. I did." she said back awkwardly. She felt incredibly frustrated with herself.
"Well?" he asked, turning to her, looking down into her eyes. She looked away from his gaze, but then, back into it.
"I…don't know how to feel about you." she said. He nodded slowly,
"Okay, that's a start. Mind elaborating?" he said.
"You..frustrate the hell out of me, I guess. You make me feel like one of your stupid college kids or something, I guess. You call me my given name just to make me angry. It seems like you already know how to manipulate my anger, and that pisses me off." she said. Kade opened his mouth, but Ela continued speaking, her face getting red under the moonlight.
"But, there's something else about you, I can't explain it. It…well, it makes me attracted to you, I guess, is what I'm trying to say." she said, her voice raising slightly in pitch and speed towards the end. Kade was looking up into the stars,
"I suppose this means you want to know more about me then, yes?".
"I would like to start there, yes." Ela said quietly.
"Start there?" he asked, she shuffled her feet.
"You know what I mean, jackass." she said. Kade grinned,
"Yeah, I do.". He put his hand on top of hers resting on the terrace railing. She blushed further. She shivered. He wrapped his coat around her shoulders. It was incredibly warm. The stars really were beautiful tonight.