By the time evening arrived, I was so nervous that I could barely sit still. I had spent hours cleaning the house, all the while wondering what Logan could possibly want from me. It had to have something to do with Bradley. He's found murdered in his trailer and two weeks later, Logan shows up? It can't be a coincidence. Maybe he just wanted to make sure I was all right…but then again, he wouldn't have had to talk to me to see that I'm fine.
Was there something I didn't know about? That I had missed in my careful observations and meticulous notes. No…I refused to believe I had been so careless as to miss something important with my old team. I ran down to my bedroom and flung open my closet. Moving my box of winter clothes out of the way, I felt for the secret latch I had installed in the back of the wall. I opened the small space and pulled the small trunk out into the open of my room.
I knew I was alone in the house, but that didn't stop me from turning around and locking the bedroom door and closing the curtains, encasing myself completely. I pulled my hair out of my face and piled it onto my head. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the trunk, pulling the first of the seven files. This one, labeled "Stryker, William" with a thick black marker, terrified me just as much as the actual man had.
Stryker hadn't done much to cause alarm since mine and Logan's abandonment of the mission six years ago, but I still kept an eye on him and his career, including his advancement to General. The second file was labeled "North, David." Agent Zero had stuck close to Stryker over the past six years since the dissimilation of the X-Team. The team hadn't remained together long after mine and Logan's departure.
"Good riddance," I muttered to myself, setting the second file off to my side. Next I took out John Wraith's and Fred Dukes' folders. Those two were together in Nevada, just outside Vegas where John ran a gym and boxing ring. Fred was…well Fred was working out. I chuckled as I flipped Fred's file open to the picture I had acquired a few years ago. Oh how the mighty had fallen. In a span of six years, Fred "I'm so tough" Dukes had gone from 280 lbs with 2%body fat, to nearly 600 lbs and nothing but body fat. Those two never did anything of interest either. Logan was the same way. I pulled out his folder and threw it lazily onto the pile. I had his memorized at that point.
I was glad he had found happiness with someone he cared about, just as I had done. From the pictures I had collected, I liked the look of Kayla Silverfox. She was pretty, Native American obviously, and apparently smart. Maybe they would get married, I thought. I smiled at the idea, but for some reason I couldn't see Logan in a tux with kids and a house in the suburbs.
As I began putting everything back in its place, I heard a deep voice call from upstairs.
"Nadia?" It was so weird to hear my real name again. I hoped I wouldn't get used to it.