Il Lutto È Per I Deboli
(Mourning is for the weak)
Malia shrugged off her raincoat, tucking the wet fabric under her arm and frowning slightly, glaring at the seat numbers in search of hers.
"Hey, loser" Corey's head appeared between the crowd trying to place their hand baggage and Malia smiled, walking to him and grinning even more when she recognized the number of the seat was the same of her ticket.
"I'm so glad I know someone on my team" she sat by his side, watching the thunderstorm outside the plane.
"You know everyone" Corey pointed a few seats ahead, where Hayden was sitting with Josh, napping on his shoulder "Those two and…" he turned around with a struggle and pointed the seat behind them. Donovan looked up from his tablet and frowned "What?" he barked, promptly going back to ignoring them; "And that's our instructor" Corey completed.
"Donovan is our instructor?" Malia whispered, annoyed, pulling him sit again.
"Well, he's the only one of us who actually is a field agent. I work at the medical bay, Josh is a shooting instructor and Hayden is the best hacker I've met since Daniel…"
Malia let out a groan. Donovan was impossible, he was literally the worst person to be stuck in a plane with.
She threw her head back, closing eyes. It was a late flight and they were supposed to sleep through it.
"So… How'd you get the job?" Corey whispered, while the plane walls reverberated, taking flight, and a signal turned on for them to keep sat.
"Desert Wolf called me yesterday night… Offered it, no questions asked, no exams… Just handed it on my lap" there was something pungent in her voice, a challenging Corey to comment Karin's biases. Challenging people to think of her work and progress as unworthy.
"Same thing happened to me" Corey mumbled, twisting his fingers "I'm thrilled to be part of a field excursion, but… team missions are expensive… I feel like it's much bigger than we're being told."
"Yeah, maybe…" Malia shrugged away his worries. She was anxious enough without Corey's worries added to it.
They spent the next fifteen minutes in silence, lost in thought and hearing the soft snores of the other passengers arise … Corey was almost dozing off when Malia poked his ribs.
"Corey" the question had been nagging her since the day before and Malia knew there was no way she would be able to rest without knowing it "What does 'neutralized' means?"
Corey's answer was a sharp gasp, while behind them a husky chuckle rose. Malia felt someone moving and then Donovan had shoved himself between their seats.
"Where would you hear that?" Corey asked, color draining from his face in an incredible pace.
Donovan didn't say anything. The cruelty was obvious in his dark glare and he was searching her face for answers.
"I read it on one of Desert's Wolf files"
"You shouldn't snoop in" Donovan interrupted Corey, his voice acidic "You might get yourself tangled in businesses that don't belong to you. And you might get yourself killed"
"Stop scaring her" Corey mumbled, tilting his body so he could look at Malia "Do you know who was neutralized?"
Malia knew. She knew way too much… the RAEKEN surname written in grey on the screen and her heart hammering. She already knew what neutralized meant; it was clear from Corey's face and the apprehension on his shaky fingers.
"What does it mean?" Malia answered, instead of telling the younger man that his friend was…
"It means dead" Corey sighed, passing a hand over his face "It was Theo, right?"
Malia didn't know they were close. She didn't know Donovan and Theo were friends either, but the man cursed loudly and punched Corey's seat. Nevertheless, none of this mattered.
It means dead.
It means dead.
It means dead.
Her mind was running in circles. Theo Raeken couldn't and wouldn't be dead. Her mouth was dry all of sudden and she could smell him. Fell his chin on the crook of her neck, his palms on her thighs, his cocky smile and…
"It doesn't mean dead" Donovan corrected sharply. It wasn't comforting at all, it only made Malia brace herself harder "It means forgotten. It means all of his cases were erased, that he will not be mentioned on Blink&Clean's files… It means he never existed. His name will be erased from everything, Desert Wolf will make an announcement, or we'll receive a memo about it… He's being erased from everything"
"It doesn't make sense" Corey was mumbling feverishly under his breath "He was Desert Wolf's favorite, it doesn't make sense. B&C's best agent, why would they kill him… Donovan?" the last question was a plead, a child begging for any reassurance.
Malia didn't stay to hear Donovan's wounded mockery.
She stumbled to the plane's bathroom and sunk to the floor, locking the door and fighting the will to kick it. To break everything, dug nails in her hands and cry.
"Why don't you curl up somewhere and die, Raeken?" "Don't worry, Malia, you won't see me around anymore!"
He knew. He knew, he fucking knew.
Malia hugged her knees, resting her forehead and letting out shallow breath. Theo was dead and he had known he was about to be executed.
"I do want him dead" she had said and now her wish was granted. And it felt like her heart was falling apart.
The plane landed and it was still night, thanks to the huge time zones they had just undergone. Malia felt like her body had been stepped on, hands still shaking with residual shock.
Hayden's eyes had become teary-eyed when Corey told her and Josh about Theo's death. However, she had swallowed the tears, put on a brave face and shrugged it away.
Malia's stomach churned with the realization that out of her group she was the only one to cry over his death. Was Theo Raeken such an awful person that no one would miss him? Was she stupid and dumb to be this shaken by it? Or, an even worst option, did agents die so much that her friends were used to it?
"Malia" Josh put a hand on her arm and she flinched, the chilling night making her shiver even more. "C'mon" he once again put a hand on her elbow, pulling her along with the rest of the group.
She was squeezed on the backseat of a SUV, noticing that Donovan was pulling a stack of cards, only one black while the other four were silver.
"What is it?"
Donovan seemed almost surprised that someone was talking with him.
"Bank cards" he smiled "No money, no job"
"They'll have to pay us right now?"
"As soon as they check us for trackers and guns, and get us to a safe place"
Malia raised her eyebrows, snatching one of cards. There was no name on it, only a string of numbers. "Which one is mine?"
"Number four" he raised one of the silver cards.
"Who's the black?"
"Mine, of course" He waved the onyx card "I'm in charge of the mission. This card is unlimited and it's entirely paid by Blink&Clean"
They sat in silence for a good forty minutes. Malia leaned on Donovan's personal space, trying to see something beyond the darkness outside the window. Nobody talked. She couldn't help but wonder if their silence was their own way of mourning.
"We're here" Donovan poked her ribs painfully, shoving the door open.
Malia firstly saw a big wall. She would later realize it was the gates of the house. Secondly, she saw a small armed group and then, Josh was pushing her out and someone was shoving her against the SUV.
"Spread legs, open arms, take off coats!" a male voice ordered.
Her forehead was pressed to the car's hood, and behind her she could only see a blinding light. Malia saw Hayden complain, looking offended, and then have her coat pulled down with violence.
Malia shrugged off her jacket, grumbling under her breath. Someone's feet spread her legs and then a gloved hand was palming her. Malia knew they were searching guns and trackers, but it didn't change how uncomfortable it was.
The same rude fingers massaged her tangled hairs, touching her scalp. "Open mouth" this time it was a softer voice, a delicate hands holding her chin while a dentist lantern inspected her mouth.
Malia could hear Donovan talking in the background and then Corey's hand was pulling her from the light.
She was dizzy the entire way, lost between her friends being manhandled and Donovan yelling in Italian. Finally, after anxiety was already in full force in her chest, Malia found herself inside a big living room. It was brightly lit, white lights that made her eyes hurt, and a tall man was arguing with Donati.
Donovan was face to face with him, despite the height difference. The army guy wore a heavy bulletproof vest and his hand seemed to instinctively fall to his gun, that Malia already knew wasn't a Taser one.
After Donovan finished waving angrily, the guy seemed to back down. He took his helmet off and offered his hand. They shook hands, both looking disgusted by it, and the military guy walked toward them.
Malia saw Josh reach to where his gun normally was. He came back empty handed and visibly flinching with the stranger's approach.
"I apologize" she could see him clearly now. He had angelic golden curls, damp and messy around his sculpted face. He would be a Michelangelo's angel, wasn't it for the blue eyes that made her want to run from him "We're on a war field right now, so I apologize for our distrust-"
"And lack of common sense" Donovan bit in bitterly. Malia fought a smile. She knew Donovan was a terrible person, but having his leadership questioned, was making him show concern for them. And she wasn't about to complain. The blond man grimaced, threw Don a dirty glare and then opened a forced smile to her group "I'm Camden"
The lack of military title surprised Malia, she was sure his name should follow a "general" or a "captain".
"Now…" Don's voice was a snarl and Malia smirked, hearing the sickening interest on his voice "The payment"
"50% now…" Camden said, nodding for one of the guards to assist Donovan "50% later"
"Full check now. It's not your first time working with B&C, you know how it goes"
"Blink&Clean's last job was… an atrocity, to say the least. The payment was agreed like this, so keep your complaints to your superior, Agent."
Donovan visibly stifled, his face painted in a choleric red. However, he didn't say anything, keeping the transition going.
Malia had studied the case the night before. Read the files at least four times each. An agent had been contracted to retrieve sensitive information for the Caltagirone family… only for them to be ambushed when he was supposed to hand the pen drive with the data. She had studied the poor videos recorded by street cameras. She had seen the bunch of men falling like bags of corn, spilling blood everywhere.
Donovan walked over, while Camden already unlocked doors and dismissed guards, guiding them inside of a mansion.
"Hayden, we'll install you and Malia on the security room. You'll both see every recorded material. Anything that can lead us, alright? Anything. If a man picked his nose before the attack… I want to know"
"What about us?" Josh whispered back. Corey looking sickly pale behind him.
"You'll study the corpses of the guards. They were sent back to Italy, Angelo did Blink&Clean the favor of keeping them."
"…We don't do favors" Camden snarled from his spot before them, guiding them into a labyrinth of doors "Those guards worked for Angelo. They had families. It's our duty to discover who killed them and why, as much as it's your job to find us the flash drive"
"He's charming, uh…" Hayden mumbled by Malia's side, making her bite down a smile.
Angelo Caltagirone, the one that contracted Blink&Clean, was the head of the Italian Mafia. At least, that was what Malia absorbed by reading his files. He smuggled guns, but Malia knew there was a lot more underneath it. However, it wasn't her job to judge the Caltagirone family. She knew there was no right or wrong, she was working in the grey, where everyone was at fault.
Camden opened a door, opening to a chamber.
It was a big bedroom on it's own, but since it was clearly meant to be shared, it became small and suffocating.
"We're sharing?" Donovan seethed. Malia didn't doubt of Camden's bravery, but some balls were needed to be on the receiving end of that voice.
"As I said, Blink&Clean lost credit with the Caltagirone family" the man opened a lazy smile and Malia saw amusement in his face.
Donovan's lips were thin with anger and he dropped his duffle with a loud 'THUMP'.
"Lahey," he turned for Camden "I'm gonna make your life a living hell."
Malia felt her mouth go dry. Firstly, because she had never heard anything as unprofessional; Secondly because Donovan had just threatened the person responsible for their safety.
She expected Camden to punch him. Or, by how panicked Josh looked, shoot him. Instead, Camden rolled eyes "You're not special, Donati" he sighed, turning his back and walking away, the door closing heavily behind him.
Not before Malia saw the guards on the corridor.
"What the fuck was that?!" Hayden was the first to react, taking a step forward as if to slap Donovan.
"That was Camden Lahey… Caltagirone."
"Caltagirone?" Malia echoed, shocked and terrified. He had threatened their superior and the son of a mafia' s leader?!
"Yeah, Angelo's adopted pet" Donovan shrugged "Met him in the army, fucking asshole."
"The only asshole I'm seeing it's you" Corey mumbled, putting his duffle on one of the bunker beds.
Josh rolled eyes "You both suck. Why did we have to be treated like cargo?"
"They suffered a few attacks on the last two years" Donovan said, inspecting the bedroom with disgust "They're paranoid here".
"No excuse" Hayden seethed, opening the zipper of her bag with violence.
Malia rolled eyes and picked up her own bag from Josh's hands. She had forgotten about it in the midst of the commotion.
"Thanks"
Josh simply looked away, threw a glare to the couch that was meant to be occupied by an unlucky member.
"I'm not sleeping there" Josh pointed out before anyone could say anything. In all honesty, Malia wouldn't mind to occupy it. But not when everyone was acting like it was a personal offence to be put there.
"Donovan is the monitor" Malia smiled "I suggest he takes it."
There was a general humm of agreement and Donovan glared at her, but didn't say anything.
They started to unpack in silence. Malia hadn't brought much; She didn't have much to begin with, and in her hurry to be a legit B&C's field agent, she had gotten rid of her extra clothes. No more Stiles' old sweater, no more Scott's borrowed-stolen jacket. No more Theo's white shirt that somehow gotten among her stuff.
She heard Hayden and Corey whispering and then a giggle.
"What?" Malia barked, certain that they were making fun of her.
"You're almost as paranoid as those Italian jerks" Hayden mocked.
"But Malia doesn't look nearly as good as Camden in black" Corey sniggered.
"What is the use to be that handsome when he's a dick?"
Donovan looked up from his spot and Malia realized, in her despair, that he was putting pieces of a gun together.
"You're not his type, Hayden-bear" he said.
A heavy silence fell and then Corey whistled "yes!"
"How'd you know that, Donati?" Hayden barked, cheeks going red by embarrassment and humiliation.
"No secrets in army, sweetheart" Donovan perked an eyebrow, making the rest of them uncomfortable. Malia threw the to-be gun one last glance and grabbed her clothes, walking to the bathroom to change and get ready for a night that already promised not to be good.
Before closing the door, she heard Josh whisper "Even if he was interested in any of you, this is a case and agents do not get involved."
Well, shit. Way to start badly, Malia thought.
She couldn't breathe. There was a shadow sitting on her chest and Malia grasped the sheets, trying to suck in the air and only getting saliva pooling on her mouth.
Theo's voice was still loud in her ears. His grey eyes burning on hers and Malia closed eyes. He was haunting her. He wasn't a nightmare, Theo was a ghost.
"Malia?" someone whispered, moving in the dark "Malia, are you ok?"
"Hayden" Malia answered, turning on the bed and curling up on herself, hands shaking and sitting up, unable to breathe through the pain "Hayden, I said… You remember, I said I wanted him dead" she whispered back.
Hayden climbed in her bed and put a hand on her arm, rubbing slow circles and letting out a heavy sigh "When I was found by Theo, he was barely a young man. Probably nineteen or something like that. I was among the hostages of night club. He wasn't working that night, but I remember him telling me 'you're gonna be ok'" She mimicked his stern voice and Malia curled up further.
"What happened then?" she asked breathlessly, grabbing Hayden's hand and trying to steady her hammering heartbeat.
"I was shot in the chest." Hayden let out a weak smile "I should have died. I still don't know how I didn't, but I woke up in Blink&Clean's medical bay and missing three weeks of my life."
"He saved you"
"I don't know. He never told me that. I like to think so." Hayden shrugged "But Hayden Romero died that night; Took me two years to be able to contact my sister again. She had buried a coffin under my name and she still takes flowers there."
"So he took you? Kidnapped you?"
"He… We're not heroes, Malia. We do what we're told and maybe, if you're lucky, you might save someone one day. But you'll always kill more than you'll save. We're not heroes. " Hayden pushed her aside and laid down on the bed "We might not be villains, but we are this society's fuck ups."
"I'm not" Malia cut in sharply "I'm no hero, but I'm not a total fuck up yet."
"Then what are you doing here?" Hayden whispered, turning on the small bed to face her "I won't cry over his death. Theo knew it was bound to happen. We're all fated to fail one day and you have to accept that. I won't mourn someone who picked death as a profession."
"We're not going to find anything" Hayden sighed, passing the video frame by frame.
The street in which the Caltagirone's guards had been attacked was dark enough during day and even worse once the stupid men decided to meet in the middle of the night.
Seven men, standing like goddamn statures. Four of them holding guns openly, but all armed in closer inspection of the image.
"Here comes the agent" Hayden mumbled, leaning sleepily over the keyboard. Malia watched, once more, the motorcycle approach the Italian guards. The agent opened the visor of his helmet, but he didn't take it off.
"Smart" Malia sighed. She already hated the agent. There was no identification of him and the presents during the attack were all dead. However, despite the agent falling, his body had been nowhere to be found.
"The flash disk" Hayden circled a small silver object on the frame "And… First man down."
The next frame had one of the guards firing his gun by accident, already on the process of falling on his knees. Malia frowned.
"Hayden" she called "Go back a frame please"
"What are you seeing?" Hayden sat up, anxiously.
"Can you light it up?"
"Sure" softer a few mouse clicks, the picked was a grainy shade of grey and white, getting rid of the black blurry spots.
"That man over there" Malia ignored Hayden's grunt for her to stop touching the screen "He's hurt"
"Where?" Hayden frowned, inspecting the screen closer.
"Look at his hand, he was touching his arm and it goes to the leg, right when the other one is shot"
"Malia, Corey already said all the corpses have cuts on the back of their neck and four bullets on the chest"
"So you're saying no one was shot in the leg?"
"We only have six bodies and the agent is still missing"
"Where's the seventh guard?"
"Nowhere in the reports, but they don't put him as missing either" Hayden sighed "I wish we had a witness"
"How did they get the corpses back if they don't know where the agent or the guard is? If they don't know who attacked them?"
"Oh, they know…" Donovan's voice interrupted them and there was his ever present lazy mockery.
"What do you mean?"
"You were contracted to get the flash disk back, not solve a murder. But any Caltagirone or simple Italian thief knows who killed the guards"
"Cut the mysterious crap and tell us already" Hayden barked, while Donovan fell sit by their side and started to go through the frames.
"The Argents" Don shrugged.
"The Argents?" Hayden and Malia echoed, confused.
He threw them a puzzled look "French family, likes to contract B&C for murders. They smuggle guns"
"They are a rival mafia?" Malia grabbed a paper and started to note it down.
"Yeah. Everyone with half a neuron knows the attack was on their account. Angelo simply bought the corpses back, on the black market."
Malia was offended. Donovan barely had enough neurons to socially interact, but here he was acting all cocky. She wasn't going to ask him how everyone knew and why the Caltagirones fought with the Argents.
She would be damned before asking him.
"Hey! Camden!" Malia saw the man clearly wince, but he kept walking, pretending he hadn't heard her. Oh, fuck him. "Hey, asshole!"
She ran towards him, only to meet a blue gaze as cold as death.
"What?"
Malia wanted to growl back, to slap him. But he wasn't The-… he was their superior. She couldn't simply go around beating up people, she was a grown woman and it was time to start behaving like one.
"Donovan mentioned the feud between Caltagirones and Argents… Why isn't it on the files? If you knew the attack was ordered by them, this was vital information."
Camden seemed surprised for a second before scoffing "You're clearly a newbie, agent. Blink&Clean has files on that matter. A few tons of them."
She could contact Lucas and ask for those files, but Camden Lahey was obviously an expert on the matter and he was standing before her with an arrogant smile.
"What can you tell me about them, Camden?"
He visibly pale, lips getting thin with anger. However, Malia knew the fury wasn't directed to her.
"They are scum" he spat, something dark in his eyes "They think they are entitled to everything. Unable to share. They've been fighting us on the market of guns since I was a child. When they started losing field, they…" He stopped himself, blushing with the sudden outburst of emotion.
"What did they do?" Malia asked in a whisper, fearing the answer.
She didn't know the honor code of the mafia, but she knew when someone was stepping over the lines.
"The Argents have no morals. They took Isaac and started a war" Camden walked past her "I hope it helped, agent. Don't expect me to do your job."
Malia was left there watching him go. Bitter and furious, too much alike a demigod in his ruthless response.
Watching Camden walk away, she realized something: He was limping.
n/a: Hope you enjoyed the chapter!