Love Struck Eternal
Chapter 41 - Esteban.
Roslin's POV, The next day.
She's been on the phone for the last hour talking this out with her contact in the network. He was certain that after this assassination her cover would be a lot harder to hide. Problem wasn't gonna be the network finding out. The cat was certain he could handle that, but the real problem was gonna be getting out of the city once that happened. Everything was gonna be locked down for god knows how long.
Of course I could always just move her myself. That's not a concern to us. The issue was gonna be Ace and her new soon to be friends. How would they react to this? Taking on the world's number one assassin could be a quick way to get an even bigger target on your back. What they aren't considering is me though. If Sam did this contract personally she would indefinitely get caught on a camera, be seen by countless witnesses, and she'd probably leave behind some form of DNA during the fight for them to use if they looked around hard enough. Assuming they also didn't just outright kill her. None of that was gonna happen thanks to me though. The plan was simple and for once I believed she would follow it to the letter.
I already knew where Esteban was at this very moment. Once she was done on the phone and dressed, we'd go in, she'd shoot the guy, and we'd leave before anyone had time to realize what happened. No one was gonna see me and with any luck no one would see her for long enough to get an ID ethier.
Esteban only had one guard with him right now. That's why I was hoping she would finish up soon. The longer we wait, the more time he has to get more unwanted guests at his side. And it seems my wishes were granted, because not even a minute later she hung up the phone and looked back at me to say.
"I'm ready to do this."
"About time. Here." I handed off her mask, and with a nod she got up off the couch and made her way to the guest room where the rabbit still slept from the night prior. As Sam got out her armor and began to get equipped, she asked me curiously.
"You sure he's gonna be okay till we get back?"
Nodding my head, I replied while getting close to her side.
"He's gonna be fine. He won't wake up till I let him wake up."
I calmly got a grip on her rifle which she had laying down inside one of her duffel bags. By then she was finished with her vest and arms and looked at me as I now handed her the gun. Taking it from my hand, I proceeded to watch as she finished up with her lower half of gear. Once that was all said and done and she got her mask on, I proceeded to ask her with some concern to my voice.
"You all set? In and out. This is going to be fast. You can't afford to hang around. Once you pull that trigger we have to leave right away otherwise you'll risk getting seen."
"Yeah I got ya. In and out." She mumbled under her mask which got me to smile and pat her left arm.
"Okay then. Let's bag your first president."
She chuckled a little as I switched my focus on transportation from this point on. It would only be a second from now that this would all go down. Sam was ready both physically and mentally as I sent us to our destination.
Sam's POV, Azerbaijan capital.
This was it. I was ready and I knew what was about to happen to me, but I was still surprised by the whole idea of the instant teleportation that Roslin had under his belt of talents. Regardless I could afford no luxuries at this very moment. I had to react and the moment I had adjusted I raised my rifle at the back of Esteban's head. However before I could pull the trigger I spotted a soldier standing by a door that must have led out of this room. The second I looked at him was when he widened his eyes and went for his rifle. At the same time he attempted to warn his boss who had no idea I was standing behind him.
"Get cle…..!?"
Before he could finish his sentence I had already switched targets to him and pulled the trigger twice hitting him square in the chest and head. His body flung back a foot and slammed head first into the door. Esteban then swung in his seat out of sheer panic for my rifle going off in his ears. That's when I switched right back to him and sent my right boot into his chest kicking him and his chair square into the edge of the desk he hid behind.
"Aghh!" I kicked him with enough force to smash a rib or two so I wasn't shocked when he let out a terrible screech.
Esteban from this distance looked absolutely like a joke for a president. A very underdeveloped white human male with a brown goatee and turtle shell glasses. He was dressed in his country's colors which consisted of a simple two piece suit and a black tie. None of that mattered though because once he bounced back I put my boot to his chest again and this time decided to keep him where he was by forcing him back against the desk he just collided with. With no second thoughts crossing my mind, I raised my gun to his head and watched as his eyes begged me to not pull the trigger. For a split moment I took in that fear with my own eyes, but in the end I put one bullet right between his eyes and watched as his brains fell out onto the top of the desk.
It was at that moment that I felt Roslin grab my shoulder from behind and just like that we were back at my condo standing right in the same spot where we first left. My leg was still up as if I was still holding that man against his will. I quickly let it fall back down to the ground and for the first minute or so I had to adjust to what I just did. I was lightheaded and had to sit down. Roslin stood where he was and watched as I quickly pulled off my mask and felt my stomach grumble.
"Sam?" He whispered as I panicked and ran right to the bathroom to throw up in the toilet. I gave no care for my rifle. I threw that thing down back in the living room and never looked back. Roslin on the other hand picked it up on his way to check on me and by then I was nearly out of things in my stomach to puke up.
"Are you okay?" He finally asked me as I struggled to catch my breath while hovering over the toilet on both of my knees.
I didn't have the energy to respond to him and it was then that he informed me of something.
"I should have warned you. Two quick jumps like that were destined to curl your insides. I'm sorry. I forget that you're still a mortal from time to time."
I shook my head as my way to show him that I really didn't fucking care at this very moment for his apologises. None of it mattered now that we were done and I can't lie to anyone; killing Esteban like that was cheap and it felt wrong. I got no satisfaction from it. I barely had to try. The job was done and that's all that mattered, but inside I felt bad that I didn't try to do the hit on my own. Even though it was probably impossible, I still wanted to try in the end. I think I just learned a valuable lesson. The easy way was never going to work for me after this.
After a minute more of puking and collecting my breath, I fell onto my ass and turned to look up at the god standing before me. My rifle still sat in his hands as he soon wondered out of the small amount of concern he had in his heart.
"Do you need any help?"
Nodding my head, I put out my hand and waited as his brain clicked and he came down to help pick me back up. The moment he did I threw myself over his shoulder and just took a second to breathe. I felt his hand run down to my hip as I slowly pulled back to look into his eyes. With a tiny smile coming to me, I asked him.
"Are you okay?"
Giving me a chuckle he replied in a slight whisper.
"I'm good. Are you?"
I nodded and it was then he gently took a step back to urge me.
"Good. Then do us both a favor and brush your teeth after that display."
"Fuck you." I whispered back as he handed me back my rifle and proceeded to exit the bathroom.
I was in truth still running on empty. My energy would come back soon, but all that puking drained me temporarily. Given the time I spent brushing my teeth and cleaning off my tongue, I had to wonder what to do now that it was done. G.U.N would know soon enough of my success and there wasn't a point in waking Ace till more time had passed and I had gotten back my normal vigor to engage in another conversation on his level.
Minky was also pointless to contact now. He already knew I planned to do this hit. So I'm sure once news gets out about Esteban's assassination he'd put the pieces together and assume it was me.
Done with brushing, I slowly made my way back into the living room to find Roslin standing in the kitchen with his back leaning against the fridge.
"What now?" He asked me as I walked over to the couch to try and rest my head.
"Now? Now we wait, I think. Give or take the next hour, the city will enter a realm of rioting or a state of marshal law. I don't care which, but for right now I just want to rest my eyes and collect my thoughts. We can think about what's next when that time comes."
"And the rabbit?" Roslin wondered as I soon had convinced myself to switch to my bed for a proper rest.
"Don't bother him just yet. Keep an eye on his phone, but don't answer if anyone calls. Even if it's Dusk. Just let it ring." I urged him as I exhaled and proceeded to lay my head down on the nearest pillow.
Roslin's POV.
"But what if….? I stopped mid sentence to realize that she just passed out. I was so stunned by how fast she shut herself down that it made me wonder if traveling like I do really does drain that much power from a mortal? She even has my power inside her yet it still turned out this way. She might be dead right now if that wasn't the case in fact.
With my eyes watching as she slept, I let out a sigh and proceeded to ignore her orders to watch over that rabbit's phone. What was the point? I wondered as I decided to lay down next to her on the other end of the bed.
Putting my hands behind my head as I rested down with a pillow, I kept looking over at her. How much longer was I going to wait to make her really my demi? If she was going to learn how to phasewalk, then she'd have to die again. This time I would really be putting myself into danger though. Not being where Marcus is has drained a lot of my past power. I was still a force to be reckoned with, but making her a true demigod like Raptor would probably get close to killing me. Yet I had to try sooner or later.
She was a genius and caught on very quickly when it came to mastering her abilities, but no matter how hard she tries she won't ever expand her reserve of energy by simply practicing. Her body would have to shut down for her to do that. She'd have to go through the process. She'd have to become nothing more than a walking corpse whose ascended mankind. Once that happens she can truly learn the rest of what I have to offer. But like all good things she will have to sacrifice a lot. Mainly the simple things a body needs to keep living. She won't need to sleep nearly ever; so long as she's not draining her powers at a significant pace.
Food? She can enjoy it much like me, but it's not necessary for her survival. Water? Pointless. Drinking can still provide a taste but it won't be the same. Nothing will ever be the same and I wonder if she could handle that? If I just decided to spring this on her without her knowledge, she might not know what to do. But if I tell her this is her next step then maybe she can prepare herself.
Her father went through the process without Marcus telling him anything. That's when he gained his sight. What made Sam get hers before this step? She had the ability her dad possessed when it came to absorbing information and adaptation. But Sam was a girl who possessed an almost obsessive quality. She was like I just said, a genius. She loved to learn and when it came to something like the things I was teaching her, she was more than ready to jump head first into solving anything I threw at her. The ability her body had to adapt was above anyone I've ever worked with. Even Marcus. A normal mortal would be blind right now, but her body was special. I was confident she could handle this if I told her the truth. In fact I think she would beg me for the experience.
Gently reaching out to touch her soft face with my right hand, I began to slowly scratch behind her ears. It made me smile seeing her like this. It was stupid that I was this attached, but I had only myself to blame for that. Not her.
Taking my hand away, I let out a small sigh and decided to just watch over her body for the time being. Next time she has the energy and the time, I'll bring up the process to her.
Raptor's POV, Iraq, M.E.A.F Station Charlie, A few hours later.
"How much longer?" I asked Yoga who stayed by my side during my lockdown. Looking over from the door he replied.
"Till Zandro calls. We have to wait and you know why man. You made the contingency afterall."
"Doesn't make this any easier on me in practice Yoga." I groaned back as I contemplated just phasing out. My only concern was my child. I knew Marcus handled Zeta and even if he didn't fully; she was tougher than nails and would resort to any measures to live. But Maggie is just a kid and all I could see was her face when she laid there on the ground bleeding out. I wasn't ever going to forget it.
"Everything is gonna be fine Rap. You did your thing right? To Maggie I mean." He asked me as I had my head in my hands. Looking up at him slowly I replied.
"Yeah, but that doesn't satisfy me, Yoga. That kid is family and I just had to see her get gunned down by fucking thugs who were aiming for me! She didn't have to get shot! She shouldn't have gotten shot!"
Giving me a dead serious stare back, the ferret informed me with a direct tone of voice.
"I understand what you're saying Rap, but listen to me. Those fucking guys didn't give a shit about accuracy. They were just randomly firing into the house hoping to clip you in bed. It was bad luck for them that you and Zeta decided to have a bonfire outback though. That's the only reason none of you were killed. Fuck man, I'm still shocked I got out of there without catching a bullet!"
I nodded but that wasn't enough for Yoga, so he went on by saying.
"This shit isn't on you."
"No it is. Don't try to tell me otherwise, Yoga. I'm sure Zandro and Verta are already planning on how to say "I told you so" to me. I should have just listened and moved back to the capital when I had to take office again. This wouldn't have had to happen if I did."
Yoga was always on my side, but even he knew I was right on this matter. So he just went silent and proceeded to try and find another way to go about talking to me. In the end he said back to me calmly.
"But everyone is still alive. That's what matters right now. Fuck what mattered before Rap. You made a mistake and with God at your side; it didn't cost you much in the end. You have the chance to fix it now though. So let's just wait for Zandro to call and once this shit is settled we can make things right. Starting with Maggie. I'm sure she wants to see no one other than you right now. So look forward to seeing her smile, man."
Leaning back in my seat, I looked back at the ferret to ask him.
"You plan on having kids someday?"
Widening his eyes slightly Yoga replied with some uncertainty.
"I don't know man. Maybe?"
"Well when you do I want you to do me a favor. Don't be selfish like me. Do whatever is necessary to make sure your family is safe. You do that for me and you'll never have to go through the pain I'm suffering through right now."
Yoga didn't really know how to respond to me after hearing that. He just leaned back and took a moment to look at my feet. A moment later he turned and went back to guarding the entrance to the room. I knew I had him thinking and that's all I wanted. I didn't need a response, but I still had one thing left to cover with him, so I looked back at him and with his back facing me I started off by saying.
"Yoga?"
The man turned to look back at me with two sad eyes. I was just as soft as him at this moment, so with my feelings pushed aside I informed him of one other contingency I had put in place. One I knew Zandro would be following.
"Back at the house….the fox you saw?"
He knew what I was talking about so he lowered his weapon and proceeded to just listen as I went on to state.
"If you weren't as close to me as you are now? Well you'd be dead, Yoga."
"What? Why?" He proceeded to mutter back in confusion as I carefully explained.
"You know what I am. You know what I can do, but that fox? He's what made me this today. His name is Marcus. My…..my master. My owner. My…..friend."
Yoga knew what that all meant yet he couldn't fully take it all in at this very moment. So wanting to make this conversation as short as possible; I told him the truth.
"I made it a rule once we formed the M.E.A.F amongst my closest friends that if anyone was ever to witness that man and his power they were to be killed. In this instance that includes you and the three men who helped save Zeta and Maggie back at the house. I know Zandro has already or is in the process of carrying that rule out. But you're among my circle and you have my respect for what you went through with my brother Char. So I can personally guarantee your safety after this lockdown ends. You won't be harmed. I just wanted you to know. That way if you ever feel the need to hide something from me, you may reconsider."
The ferret was now fully focused on taking that all in. I felt like I had to say this so I just did.
"I'm sorry man, but it's for the betterment of us all. The less who know he exists, the safer we'll all be."
I knew I just dropped a bomb on him, but we had to go through this at one point or the next. After some time I went back to thinking about Maggie. I hope Zandro is making the men who did this suffer.
Zandro's POV, M.E.A.F. Station Echo.
Vetra and a few strike teams were more than enough to catch these guys. By the time the fight was over they managed to keep three of them alive and Vetra had already bled more than enough information from the first two. Now she was onto the last man who at that point knew he was either going to die or spend his life behind bars. The reality of his position made him confirm the stories we were told from his friends; which made me laugh a little considering that Sam wondered if this was an uprising like the old Anti-rebellion. Turns out she was spot on.
These men tried to start a rebellion by killing Raptor. They might have done it if he was killed, but they failed and were caught before anything could get out to the media. At most word had gotten out about the attack, but thanks to people like Hoffer, the country had nothing to fear. Raptor was safe and alive. No one apart from these rebels were killed and things would be back to normal within the week. Apart from security, which I planned to take more seriously after this last interrogation.
"No one else? No other groups working with you guys?" Vetra asked as I entered the room to just listen and stare the man down. He was nothing more than an average built red fox. All of his friends were out of shape or just barely in shape. No one was military, but each of them had the belief that Raptor planned to destroy the country using G.U.N.
Economy? Ruined. Exporting? All sold to G.U.N and third party oil mining companies. They believed he was selling out. Selling the things so many people died to get independence for. Hard to imagine the very staple of the middle east, the man who wanted nothing more than for his homeland to rule themselves, the man who fought and died for his beliefs; would turn on every moral value he had. Everything that made him special, they believed he would throw away for money. For personal gain. Clearly people like this know something we don't.
Apart from that excuse to act out on their own, they also firmly believe that Raptor had something to do with Char's death. Someone was spreading rumors that this was all planned. They believe Raptor wanted the peace treaty delayed. For what reason? Even they don't have any answer for that yet, but that didn't stop them from believing that Raptor would put together a plan to have his brother assassinated just so he could cause all this havoc and retake the presidency early.
"No one. We're all there is to this movement. I swear."
Vetra took one small look at me as I decided to ask the fox.
"Where did you get the weapons? The ammo you used is military grade and the ones you had loaded into the M249's were FMJ. Don't try to convince us that you just stumbled across them."
"We didn't. We put together all the money we had and bought them."
"Bought them from who?" I asked him as I leaned down onto the table to stare into his brown eyes.
"I don't know. I never met the seller. Only Adam did. He was in charge of the group and he reached out to some guy he knew from when he served his tour of duty with the rebellion. He made the deal and he went and picked up everything personally."
"Where's Adam?" I asked him next as Vetra chimed in to reply.
"Dead. He was the first one we shot when we made the raid."
"How convenient." I groaned as I stood back up straight to look back at the fox.
"I told you everything I know. I swear."
I wasn't planning to do this myself. Nodding my head as he said that, I looked over at Vetra to order her as I began to walk for the exit.
"Kill him."
Vetra didn't hesitate. When I reached the door the gunshot went off and I proceeded to look into the hallway where two more of my operators waited with rifles across their chests just outside the other interrogation rooms.
"Do it." I ordered them as well as I continued onward.
You heard two more rounds go off in a matter of a few seconds after I issued my command. Going into my pocket to take back out my phone I dialed up Raptor's number and waited for him to answer. A few rings passed then I heard his voice ask me.
"What's happening Zandro?"
Heading outside and into a convoy I had prepared to escort him back to the capital, I replied while getting into the lead truck.
"The situation has been snuffed. You're secure for the time being. I'm on my way to pick you and Yoga up. Be with you in thirty minutes give or take. We can talk about it in more detail once we're back at the capital."
"I need to see Maggie first." Raptor informed me as I gave the silent order to my driver to get us moving before replying almost forcefully.
"Not gonna happen. We aren't stopping this convoy for anything once you're on board. We're not taking any more chances, Raptor. You're going straight to the capital and remaining there till we have more security in place."
I knew Raptor wasn't going to be easy to work with in this state. So I had to follow my stern words up with something more convincing in the hopes that he wouldn't just ignore my authority and go to the hospital personally without protection using his powers.
"I understand where your emotions are right now, but you got to listen to me for once. You put me in charge of this kind of shit for a reason and even you know by now that we can't afford to let our personal emotions get in the way of our country's future. That future however needs you to become reality and I'll be damned if something else happens now because you again didn't decide to listen to me. Maggie is fine. She's a tank. A bullet to the leg isn't gonna slow her down once she wakes up."
Raptor was being quiet despite all I had said. I figured by now he would have said something back. He's typically not held together when someone has to take control of his life. It made me worry so I again went out of my way to say to him.
"I'll promise you this. Follow my procedure and give me the time we need to make sure you're one hundred percent secure and safe, then I'll see to it that Maggie finds her way back to your side once she is able. You have my word on this. Zeta should also be at the capital now with Marx who is looking after her condition as we speak. Okay?"
"Okay." He said back in a tone that sounded almost lifeless. He was beating himself up about the whole situation. He had to be thinking about how this was all his fault because he refused to follow one simple request I made the day of his reinstatement. Taking my chance to end the call I urged him.
"Tell Yoga we're on the way now and to be ready for pickup. I'll see you both soon."
Hanging up the line, I put my phone down and proceeded to get on the horn for Vetra who I knew was already hard at work cleaning up the mess she made.
"Vetra? Come in."
She answered almost immediately.
"What is it?" She wondered as I went on to order her.
"Finish whatever you're up to then meet me back at the capital. We're gonna pick Raptor up now then be on our way over."
"Understood. I'll be on my way in like ten minutes."
Letting go of my walkie talkie, I let out a small sigh then began to think about the guns again. Someone was selling military hardware without my knowledge and this time it almost got Raptor and his family murdered. Whoever it is had to be found and I'd have Vetra get right to work on sniffing it out as soon as we all got to the capital.
Zeta's POV, An hour later, Iraq capital.
"He's in here." Yoga informed me as Raptor had finally gotten the freedom to see me since the lockdown ended. Starting to open the door, Yoga put a hand to my chest and leaned in to whisper into my face.
"Before you go in there I want you to know what you're walking into."
"What do you mean?" I whispered back as he looked genuinely sad for my soon to be husband's condition.
"He's not the same. He's barely said a word. Even to Zandro. I don't know how to approach him. How to handle that. With Char I could when he was in a rut, but this isn't the same."
I didn't know how to feel about what he was saying. I was worried before anything else now. So I just slowly nodded my head and urged him.
"I'll talk to him. Just please do me a favor and give us some time alone. Okay?"
"Okay." The ferret replied as I decided to hug him. Yoga hugged back a moment later and once that was done he opened the door and allowed me to walk inside the room which was nothing more than the capital's recreation room. Towards the back wall sat a couch and that's where I found Raptor who was currently sitting down with his head down and both his hands cupping both his ears.
"Rap?" Yoga called out from a foot behind me which got his attention. The moment we locked eyes I ran right to him. Standing up from the couch to hug me, I squeezed him as tightly as could as he very lowly asked me.
"Are you okay?"
Nodding my head while not taking myself off his shoulder, I replied.
"I'm okay."
I knew his condition was bad because he was shaking. When I pulled back I saw that both his eyes were watering. Grabbing his face with both my hands I kissed him, but barely got any movement back from his lips. That's when I heard Yoga shut the door leaving both of us alone. The first thing I was asked by the hedgehog was if I knew anything about Maggie's condition. Sitting him back down on the couch I replied as confidently as I could.
"She's stable. Marx went right down to the hospital after I was cleared to take care of her."
"Her leg?" Raptor asked back in a broken and almost crying voice as I grabbed his hand to begin holding it.
"I don't know. Marx is handling that as we speak. I'm sure she's going to be fine. She's strong."
Clearly Raptor's main concern wasn't about that though. He made that all the more apparent when I decided to ask him back.
"What's wrong? Talk to me."
Raptor began to cry harder than I ever saw him cry before. He wasn't able to respond to me. Instead I realized I had to try everything in my power to get him to calm down. Leaning over his back and taking him into a deep hug, I begged him as his tears were visibly falling onto his lap.
"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. She's safe. She's alive, Raptor. She's alive, baby."
"Zeta." He cried into my chest which got me to now listen as he looked up at me to say.
"She's my daughter! She's my daughter and I just…I just had to…..?"
I took him back into my chest to just beg him again.
"I know what you had to do, but there wasn't any other choice. She'd be dead right now if you hadn't given it your all like you did for her."
"The look on her fucking face Zeta!" He cried out which got me to start tearing up.
Unable to look at me further due to my hold over his head, I continued to listen as he went on to state.
"She was so scared! She was dying in my arms! I watched her! Her fucking face Zeta! I can't unsee that! I can't! I just fucking can't!"
"Stop baby." I begged him now as I couldn't handle picturing that.
"I never wanted this! I never wanted you guys to get hurt because of me! This wouldn't have happened if I had just fucking listened to Zandro! If I would have just moved back here, none of this would be fucking happening! I wouldn't have to feel this pain Zeta! What if Sam was here now and they both got shot like she did!? I couldn't save both of them! I don't have that kind of strength! I'd….I'd….I'd have to choose and…..and….and I…I just can't imagine doing that!"
Yoga's POV.
The building was so quiet I couldn't help but overhear every word of the conversation from outside the door that they were having. Before that happened though I was confronted by Zeta's sister and her husband who had just shown up from their trip across the border. Both of them stood motionless alongside me as we all felt the emotion Raptor was going through in there. I couldn't imagine the situation happening that he described. If Sam was here and that happened? If he had to choose only one? Losing either of them would be world shattering.
With Zeta unable to respond to that scenario, we just continued to listen as Raptor cried out in pain to the wolf who was surely on his shoulder.
"I can't lose another child! I can't do it again! I'd….I wouldn't be able to live without them! I can't even fucking think right now Zeta! If Maggie died….I wouldn't….I couldn't go on!"
"Nor could I!" Zeta cried back as he balled out a moment after.
"I already don't have Sam here to help me through this bullshit I'm having to go through! Maggie isn't my blood but I love her so much it doesn't matter in my own heart! She's my daughter too and….and I love her….I love her so much!"
"I know you do!" She cried back as I looked over at Pepper and Cody to find Pepper tearing up and Cody just comforting her as best as he could.
"I can't do this!" Raptor informed her in a strained and nearly drained voice from all his crying.
Feeling a hand rest on my shoulder, I looked back to find Pepper holding me. Looking into her eyes she asked me as quietly as she could.
"Did someone call Sam?"
Nodding, I replied.
"Zandro did. She knows what happened."
"What did she say?" Cody proceeded to wonder as I calmly replied.
"She was shocked, but she kept her head on while talking about it."
"Is she coming back?" Cody then asked me as I shook my head.
"She can't, according to what she told Zandro. I don't know any details as to why, but she said she's focused on getting herself together. She can't just drop whatever she's doing. Even for something like this, but she's on Zandro's side, he said. Her main concern was for their safety and she wants Zandro to do whatever it takes to keep this from happening again."
"Did she call her mother?" Pepper asked me back as I again shook my head to reply.
"I don't know. I didn't have time to ask."
The two of them didn't really have a lot to say back after that. So we just refocused on Raptor and Zeta who had gone silent together after some time.
Zeta's POV.
I was drained from crying and so was Raptor who was still in my arms. After a few moments of silence between us he whispered.
"And now I get told that I'm the one to blame for Char getting killed. The people who attacked us told Zandro why they did it."
"What?" I said back to him in confusion as he finally sat up to show me his red and wet face. Looking into my eyes he replied.
"They think I set him up. They think I purposely set my own brother up. Why? Why would I fucking do that to him?! Char was family! What the fuck do I have to gain by doing something so selfish?!"
"They think you killed him?" I questioned as he nodded and informed me.
"Zandro told me everything they said about me. They think I'm selling out the country. They think I'm getting rich off of everything we bled to build together. One of them was a soldier, Zeta. I would never turn my back on what I believe in. Why would I suddenly do something like this? Why would I orchestrate Char's assassination? What the fuck do I gain?!" He asked me in more tears as I had to ask him.
"You didn't, right?"
Raptor's face went completely still and the look in his eyes instantly made me regret asking that. Almost as fast as I realized what I did; I tried to fix my actions by shouting out.
"That's not how I meant to ask that Raptor, I….!?"
The man stood up so fast it made me panic, so I screamed out.
"Raptor, that's not how I meant for it to sound! Stop! Please just….?!" The man threw the door open so hard it made the loudest bang against the wall. Behind the door stood Yoga, Pepper, and Cody who instantly got out of the way as Raptor proceeded to storm off down the hallway. At that moment I ran towards my sister to cry out.
"Raptor! I'm sorry! I didn't….?!"
He wasn't stopping for anything. Once he was out of my sight I began to cry so fucking hard to myself for what I had just done to him. I didn't mean to ask that the way I just did. I wasn't doubting him for a second. I just….I just blurted out the wrong sentence without thinking and now I felt even more shitty as I knew I had no chance to make this better tonight. My sister took me into her arms as Yoga ran off after Raptor who must have made his way as far as he could from me at the moment.
"It's okay." Pepper told me as Cody grabbed my shoulder to get my attention away from my tears.
"I'll talk to him, Zeta. Don't worry about anything now. Just stay here."
The fox proceeded to run after Yoga now and with them both gone I was left with my sister who began to lead me back into the rec room while urging me.
"Let's sit."
I was in no position to do anything other than cry as I prayed Raptor didn't hate me. I fucked up. Of all the things I could do in that moment I choose to say that? What was wrong with me? I asked myself as I leaned over to cry some more.
Sam's POV, Later that night, Azerbaijan.
I made sure I was fully ready to deal with this. Roslin stood alongside the rabbit's bedside as I moved a chair from the kitchen and into the guest room so I could sit down as well. Preparing my story, I looked up at my master to order him.
"Do it." Roslin nodded and then he disappeared from my side. That's when I put my full focus on Ace who I could see slowly beginning to open his eyes. For a damn near minute, he just laid there to stare at the ceiling fan above him which was spinning slowly above his head. Then he started to lift up his right arm so he could stare at his hand. After a few seconds I said to him face to face in Russian.
"You're finally awake. How do you feel?"
All he could do was turn his head to look at me. His body was working right it seemed. That or he was so out of it he had no clue what was happening. He might think this is still a dream. Giving him a soft smile, I informed him.
"You passed out on me. I didn't know what to do or who to call that wouldn't get us into trouble. So I didn't wake you."
"Where am I?" He asked me blankly back as I calmly replied.
"The guest room. I moved you out of the kitchen. You were drooling on my table so it only seemed right to get you somewhere more comfortable before you started to snore."
"Real funny. I don't…..I don't snore."
Ace was so out of his own mind he almost seemed drunk. His eyes left mine to begin looking over my body. After a moment or so he said to me in confusion.
"Are we expecting trouble?"
Chuckling a bit, I replied while trying to sit back up in my own seat.
"No. I just didn't feel like getting changed once I got back."
"You went out? For what?" He asked me back curiously as I decided to give him some more time to recall our last conversation. After clearly seeing that I was waiting for him to catch onto something, I saw the exact moment he realized where I went. Almost instantly after he came to the realization he asked me in disbelief.
"You did it? You're lying."
"I'm not lying kit. Why don't you use those ears of yours and try to listen to what's going on outside." I urged him as I put his focus onto the nearby window that overlooked the street outside my condo.
It was clear Ace was starting to truly believe. Sirens were going off in all directions around us. You could hear gunshots and people yelling in the streets. Looking back at Ace as he kept his focus on the window, I informed him.
"My assumption was correct. The community can't handle the outcome that comes with poor security." Now his eyes went back to staring at me and this time they were both wide. Keeping myself in a very calm and collected state, I chuckled out a moment later.
"This has been going on for a few hours now. I'm sure the world is shaking in their boots about this, but fuck it."
"You…..you really killed him? How?" Ace was in utter shock and now began to try and flip over to the side that faced me. Watching as he tried to get his legs together, I said to him with a small yawn coming over me.
"Doesn't matter how. What matters is now. So shut up."
The rabbit wasn't able to elevate his game to the level it was on when we first met. Clearly he wasn't going to recover fast. He took my words to heart and with my focus on his state of mind, I noticed the moment when he decided to change the question because he asked me next in a loss for words.
"Where's my phone?"
Nodding my head, I went into my pocket and pulled out his cellphone to toss it at him. Catching it barely, the rabbit quickly checked to see if anyone had called or texted him. Realizing that he had gotten blown up with text messages from Dusk, he groaned out while looking away from the phone.
"Son of a bitch. Do you have any clue what you've done?"
I showed no reaction to him as he looked over at me to state and asked.
"We need to regroup. Were you made? Do they know who did it?"
Shaking my head I replied.
"No. They didn't see a thing. I got out clean. Only had to kill one guard to get to him and by the time someone had noticed; I was already gone. So again no. I'm safe."
"For now, but they'll figure it out in a matter of days, if not hours. You had to have left something behind. It's not possible that you got away clean. It just isn't. No one is that good."
Giving him a smile, I questioned.
"Look at me. Do I look like I got into a conflict?"
"No." He replied back as I nodded my head and proceeded to urge him.
"Good. Now take your time and get your shit together before you start going off to me about mine."
The rabbit followed my suggestion. I watched as he took about five or so minutes to get his legs back. Once he was standing up and placed right in front of me, I decided to say to him.
"Now before you passed out on me, I said that I was going to consider your offer after I was done with Esteban."
The statement fully grabbed his attention back as he now looked at me with peaked interest. Looking at him, I went on to say.
"The way I see things now, I doubt I'll be able to leave this country for the time being with how things are. It might be best for both of us if we work together till the next window arrives."
"You just assume I want to go too?" He questioned as I nodded my head and informed him.
"You really expect me to believe that you and your two friends are gonna feel confident in keeping your operations going with the military laying down martial law? You wouldn't be able to do anything and if you have contacts from within the military then you most certainly won't get anything done now. The slightest movement could shift this whole riot towards you and that's the last thing you need right now in your condition. So yeah I think you'll leave as soon as you get the shot. You're not stupid like me. Right?"
Ace wasn't able to keep up with me anymore. He could barely form responses; he was so in shock and stupor. After some time however he said to me while sitting back down on the bed.
"Well you have a point. We won't be able to operate around here for the time being. Things will have to calm down."
"You know I thought I'd be helping you guys out by taking out Esteban. Guess I didn't really consider the outcome till now. Are you sure your people are even gonna still want me after this? They might look at this from a different angle. Seems like I sabotaged more than helped your cause."
Ace was still in pain it seemed from his injuries. He flinched when he moved in the wrong direction, but once he had recovered, he groaned back to me.
"They'll want you. Trust me."
"How can you be so sure? How far do your operations span? How important was Azerbaijan to your people?"
Ace looked thirsty, so before he could answer I decided to stand up and offer him my shoulder. The guy took it and together we got back to the kitchen where I sat him back down at the table and fetched him a bottle of water to drink from the fridge. When he first got it into his hands he replied to my question.
"Azerbaijan is what you could consider a transport harbor for some of our more delicate operations that go on in and around the middle eastern area. Of course we had a few other things going on, but our main concern was getting weapons. Azerbaijan is typically where a lot of the M.E.A.F weapon shipments go to first before being packed and loaded onto trucks to then be delivered to Iraq, Pakistan, and or Afghanistan. Iran is also involved, but they've had their own supply of steady product well before the war ended. The weapons we're talking about come directly from G.U.N, so as you can imagine we make a good chunk of change from reselling. Some we keep; don't get me wrong. It all gets used somehow."
Taking a few seconds to drink up, Ace shut his eyes which gave me the chance to ask him a follow up question.
"No one notices when a shipment goes missing?"
Taking the bottle off his lips and reopening his eyes to look back at me, he replied.
"We made some friends when we first started getting involved. A little bit of cash in the right hands is all it takes to make sure nothing gets reported up the chain of command. Everyone in this world has a price. Doesn't take long to find it."
"So I ruined that whole setup right?" I asked with a small chuckle which got him to laugh back and reply.
"It's too soon to say. You could have improved things for all I know. With the city in chaos; it's quite possible we could make more money. Less people could be keeping tabs on the shipments. For all we know most of the focus for the military could be on security for the time being. We won't know till later of course."
"So let's say I'm interested then. What's the first step we take to make sure we get started on the right foot?"
Clutching his side, he replied.
"I first have to get back into contact with Dusk and Gwent and see if they've heard anything from up above."
"Up above?" I asked back curiously which got him to nod his head and explain.
"Up above is just how I refer to our chain of command. Dusk likes to refer to them as our uppers. Gwent just doesn't really care. He just knows to listen when we get told what to do by them."
"Again, how far do you span in that case?"
"We operate in a number of areas. Groups like mine are stationed in most countries around the middle east. We also have a few teams operating in Russia, China, and France, but we're mainly based in Iran. It's a big area so we're well hidden from any outside interference. We have to be; with the M.E.A.F having such a strong presence since their truce after the war allowed them the right to integrate into the once neutral area. It works out since Iran is the main source of the world's oil. The M.E.A.F works hard to keep it secure since it's the main export the middle east has to offer."
I was keeping all this information stored in the back of my head for when I had to report back to Royce. I'm sure everything I'm learning was going to be instrumental towards the operation. Allowing Ace more time to speak, I continued to listen as he went on to say.
"The people above are in charge of everything we do. Teams like mine aren't allowed to operate on their own without permission."
"So if I got involved then that means I couldn't necessarily do what I do best. I'd have to wait for some dude I never met to hit me up with work? Nah, not my style." I informed him which got me an instant response back.
"You got it wrong. Our group needs money to survive. We don't go out of our way to chase bounties since that tends to get us into unnecessary trouble if something goes wrong. Hint why we have so many other ways to make cash. However it's not out of the question that we wouldn't allow the right person to try. So long as the people up above are convinced you can handle yourself and if what you did to Esteban is true; then you'll have no worries when it comes to continuing being a contractor so long as you keep your affiliation with us a secret. We don't like our business to be advertised and you'd just have to share some of the profits with the group of course."
"How much?" I asked him back as he took another drink from the bottle I gave him. Giving himself some time to collect an answer, I just stared at him as he soon put the bottle back down to reply.
"I can't quote you the right number, but it comes out to be twenty percent give or take I think."
"Twenty? God that's not chump change you're asking me to share. That's a fifth of the contract's payout."
"Don't let me try to convince you then. I'm sure once I can get my shit together and contact my boss about this; they'll want to talk it over with you personally."
I was going to keep my position right where it was when it came to negotiating with Ace. I wasn't going to just agree with any of their terms. I'm a contractor to them after all. It's not like I'll just be willing to hand over my profits with a group that has nothing to offer. I only say that because Ace hasn't really told me what I stand to make out of joining and until then I planned to just hold my ground yet remain willing to listen.
"I need to call my friends though Sam. Is that okay?" The rabbit asked me as I calmly replied to him while still keeping my Russian tongue.
"Do whatever you have to do, but I don't plan to embrace them with open arms. They cause me any trouble, especially now, we'll have a problem."
"Are you gonna at least talk to them?" He asked me back as I kept my focus right on him to reply.
"I don't see much of a point in making more friends. They want to talk to me they can, but this isn't going to be an interrogation. I saved your life and I shouldn't have to prove anything more to any of you after today. And no offense to any of you, but I'm not going to waste my breath by going back to your tongue. I speak Russian and if they have a problem with that then they can go fuck themselves."
"I understand. It's a good thing I speak it then. I'll interpret if they have any concerns that demand an answer, but they'll have to come here. It'll be easier for all of us. Is it okay if we use your place for now to regroup?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I replied while standing up from the kitchen table.
"Yeah. It's fine, but they keep their hands to themselves. I don't like snoopers."
"They won't touch anything. I swear." Ace informed me back which got me to sigh. He took that for what it was then proceeded to start calling around. The first person was Dusk and I knew that because of how he started off the conversation. In english again, Ace said to him.
"Dusk, it's me. Where are you and Gwent?"
I couldn't hear much of what was being said. Truth was I was still tired from my previous ordeal with Roslin. I had a small headache now, but I could feel that my powers were weak and that was going to remain until I got some more sleep, but god knows when that will be.
Clutching his side, Ace went on to state to his friend.
"I'm safe. I'm gonna send you the address for where I'm holding up. Grab Gwent and your things and meet me here."
I'd have to assume Dusk asked about me after hearing that; because Ace proceeded to look at me to state back.
"Yeah I'm positive I have the right person. You'll meet them soon enough. Just hurry up and be careful on your way here. Call me back when you get close. Bye."
Hanging up the line, the rabbit let out a sigh of his own before informing me.
"He sounded worried. They should be here soon."
"Are you going to do anything about your condition?" I asked him back in Russian. A single shake of his head later he replied.
"There isn't much I can do for now besides heal naturally. Gwent and Dusk both lack medical training and it's not going to be safe to hit up a hospital. I'm just gonna have to tough it out. Which reminds me, but if it's not too much of a problem can I get a few more of those painkillers you had before? Two would really be helpful if you can spare it."
Nodding my head, I got back up and proceeded to go back to the first aid kit I had in the bathroom. Inside I got the meds and brought them back to him. He took no time to throw them down the hatch and once that was done he sighed again and said to me with a small smile.
"Thank you."
"Anytime." I replied as I caught him looking at my armor now. Giving him a small glare, I questioned as his eyes went towards my crotch and legs.
"What are you looking at with such intent behind your eyes? You like something?"
Giving me two wide eyes and a quick nervous chuckle, the rabbit replied.
"I'm sorry! It's nothing like that! I shouldn't mean to drool, I'm just in awe of your gear. Where did you get that? It looks…..professional. Military even. Did you buy that or steal it?"
"Bought thanks to my efforts in LA. It is military grade. Some of the best shit on the market the network was selling. Of course I put in a request for some special features to be added, but I'm a contractor. I take my gear seriously. It's the last line of defense if my brain can't keep me alive. I'm not going to skimp out in that department."
"The network? Fucking guys can get anything for the right price. You do all of your business through them?" Ace asked me back as I proceeded to sit back down at the table.
"For now. Should I not be?" I asked him back curiously to see if I could learn his opinion on the subject. I had a feeling he and his group avoided them like the plague. However the rabbit quickly replied a moment later.
"I'd tell you to cut ties if you weren't already blacklisted. It's not safe to be on that site without protection. And for people like you it's even more important to cover your tracks. Most of the world won't pay the fees they charge to locate a blacklisted operator. Does anyone know your business besides myself?"
Shaking my head I replied.
"No one. Just you. I don't like people knowing what I do and if someone did know and they had the bright idea to think I could be involved with something like the assassination of Esteban for example? What's stopping them from inquiring? If no one knows that I'm a contractor then they'll never have the idea in the first place to think I'm a suspect. It's a good reason for why I'm not worried now that I've done my job. The only person who could bring it up with the network is you."
"We do our best to avoid dealing with the network on all fronts of our business. We only allow very few to deal with them and it's a requirement to never mention your affiliations to others. The people above me will kill you the second they find out anything was leaked. It's how we stay so hidden and I can speak from personal experiences that everyone we have in our family will stay silent till their last breaths. None of us talk. No matter what." Ace said to me confidently as he took a second to change the subject by continuing our last subject.
"Regardless I have faith you'll be allowed to operate how you are. You don't seem like a snitch to me. Not after what I saw before with Jent. You're confident, smart, and a damn good tracker. I'm not pushing that part off when I'm asked for my opinion of you. How'd you find me so fast anyway? You never told me."
Giving the rabbit a small laugh, I replied while cracking a few of my fingers.
"I'm a wolf. It's natural for me. Give me a reason and a good smell to follow and I can find anyone."
Widening his eyes towards my response, Ace asked playfully back.
"Did I smell good?"
Giving him a playful stare back I replied.
"Of course. It's natural. I love chasing prey. Especially rabbits with a sense of duty."
I quickly showed my fangs with a still playful snarl and that was more than enough to get him to say to me.
"I'd feel a type of way if I didn't already sense that you're more fun than you look at first glance. Sense of humor? Rarely get that from people these days. You and Gwent will get along well if you decide to give him your English tongue once in a while."
"What about the other guy? Dusk?" I wondered as I went back to cracking my fingers.
Giving me a quick chuckle, Ace replied again confidently.
"Dusk? You'd have a better chance getting a pig to fly or a whore to stop laying. He doesn't know the first thing about jokes and I'm pretty sure he just naturally doesn't care. That and he probably hates anything remotely funny that could force him to smile without control. But don't get me wrong he's a hell of a fighter and makes up for that lack of joy with his more than intimidating presence towards others."
"So he's the strong arm type?" I questioned as he nodded and replied.
"More or less when it's us three traveling together. Still though Dusk is a good guy when he warms up. You just got to not take him too seriously. He just gets annoyed very easily and can have a temper. Gwent knows that better than anyone probably by now."
"I remember. You said they don't get along because Gwent is so much more personable and energetic in comparison. I'd be willing to guess that Dusk hates every minute of it if he's got a temper towards good vibes. Might be for the better that I don't intend to pay him any attention." I stated back as Ace laughed and replied.
"Probably is right."
mT Shadow.
