+1+
I toss my overnight bag on Aria’s bed and rifle through the dresser drawers. Fuck. I’d had no idea how much of my stuff was at Aria’s house. I take out a handful of t-shirts, head to the closet and throw a pair of dress shoes, a polo, Dockers and cargos into my bag. I take my time lining the bag with three guns and a knife. I pack my shave kit then sling the bag over my shoulder. I was good to go.
I turn to leave and nearly run into Aria, she has the tablet with the security cameras securely in both her hands. Just outside the door I can hear the girls playing in the living room
“Going somewhere?” She asks slipping off her high heels. I take a step back not sure how to answer her, so I just give her the cover story I came up with for this mission.
“I was going to text you…something came up.”
“You seem like you’re in a rush.” She says.
“…Paris and Sera are going on vacation. I’m going with them as Paris’ bodyguard.”
“That’s a lot of guns for a vacation”, she remarks and I wonder how long she’s been standing there.
I take the time to memorize her face and bright eyes, the way her blue printed dress clings to her, the fabric stretching taut as she leans against the door.
“Better to be safe than sorry. I explain, “’sides I’m not going on vacation. I’m providing security.”
“Last time I checked Sera can take of herself and her husband”, Aria says daring me to challenge her.
“Seraphina is on vacation she shouldn’t have to watch her back. And uh…if the resort is nice maybe we can go…some other time.”
“Leon—“, she stands up a little straighter and folds her arms, “What’s going on?”
“Look, sweetheart”, I say preparing myself for the lie, “It’s just a job. Besides it looks good if I’m seen as a bodyguard. Lots of good business for the company. It’ll just be two weeks, I won’t even enjoy it. I’ll call you.”
“It’s just kind of sudden.” she says quietly.
“You know how they are”, I take off the bag and pull out one of the guns, it’s a small semi-automatic, “Here you keep this one just in case.”
“Leon”, her voice is a warning.
“You know how to use it. Just like we practiced, baby. Just in case.” I throw my bag back over my shoulder and kiss her. I try for a smile but I think it is more like a grimace.
“Leon”, she says my name again and it sounds like a plea. She takes the gun though because she knows. Somewhere deep inside she must know what this mission is about.
“It’s okay, Aria. This is all last minute…hey look. I was thinking of subletting my place in the city. What do you think?”
“You want to move in?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it safe? I know your work is dangerous.”
I set my bag down and take both her hands in mine. Kissing her wrist.
“You’ll always be safe with me, Aria.” I set my bag down and pull her into a tight hug, “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Aria’s sad face was nothing compared to Athena’s when we explained to her I was going on another mission. And when Athena got upset her sisters got upset out of principal even if they didn’t understand. Aria tries to distract them while I load my bag on the motorcycle I kept in the garage.
“I’ll be back, girls.” I promise as Aria holds them close.
I try not to look back at my girls as I start the engine and speed out the neighborhood. I get onto the express way and make a fast U-turn then and get off the express way. I stop at the gas station around the corner from Aria’s house. Adonis is parked out back in a rented silver sedan. I park my bike and get into the passenger seat. Without even a greeting I write down Aria’s address on a notepad in the car.
“This is the house”, I tell him, and “I want surveillance on them all night. Ares will track Aria while she is at work and the girls should be safe at school. Call me on my burner if anything out of the ordinary happens.”
“Fuck this. I gave you your first real lead and I’m on fucking surveillance. I should get to go.” Adonis pops the tab on a neon energy drink and downs it.
“You’d never get a Visa out of New Aeterna with your record. The halfway house thinks you are locked up …so try to stay out of sight.”
“Do I at least get a bonus”, he asks and I try to ignore his snide tone.
“This is protecting my family we are talking about. If something happens to me…I need to know my girls are safe.”
I reach into my bag and hand him an envelope containing an official judiciary document that would end his parole and get him out of the halfway house permanently. He wipes his hand on his shirt and grabs at it like it’s a life jacket.
“It’s not signed yet”, I remind him, “Consider this a promise.”
“She’s lying to you”, Adonis says reaching into a plastic bag filled with junk food.
“Who?”
“Aria”, Adonis says overly focused on the on a bag of onion rings, “I bet she tells you it wasn’t that bad being Helios wife. I bet she tells you it was worse for others…she’s just lying so you don’t feel guilty about running away without her.”
“Shut the fuck up, what are you a fucking therapist?”
“It’s just… if you knew what it was really like you’d be a lot more angry.”
+2+
Fuck Subtly
Helios was going to know we were here
Helios was going to come to us
Or at least that was Paris Prince’s plan.
Paris and I mapped out the factory that produced and shipped the bottled soda to the Xocatal Valley plant. The plant was centrally located about 25 miles from the desert and 30 miles from a cluster of spa resorts by the ocean. The area was flooded with foreigners this time of year so the resort would be the perfect place to set up our headquarters and to make sure Helios knew we were on his turf.
Within 24 hours Paris had booked a room at the Plaza Corazon Azul resort and chartered a showy private jet to Mexico. He’d let word get out to some of the international media but there wasn’t that much fanfare upon arrival, but all Paris needed was Helios to see one picture of Paris off-boarding into a chauffeured shiny white BMW, Helios' car of choice, with Helios' woman of choice.
It’s hard to imagine Helios Thantos, deranged and wanted fugitive ex-dictator anywhere near Plaza Corazon Azul. The luxury inclusive ocean side resort is airy and modern with blue marble floors and shiny minimalist features. The air smells wealthy and refined and I can already see the white sand private beach.
When the car pulls up to the resort I get out first. I survey the front entrance and do a perimeter scan, then walk back outside and motion to the driver who opens the doors to the BMW. Paris steps out first wearing an all-black suit that was cut tight with oversized shades. He helps Sera out the car, her floor length red sun dress that caught a lot of eyes. Her hair was pin straight and the extensions sent it over her shoulders and down her back. Her blue eyes scanned the lobby and people literally stare at her perfectly made face. I’d watched dumbfounded on the plane as it took her two hours to look like that.
I go to check us all in and surveyed the area while Paris and Sera had got comfortable in one of the swinging orb chairs in the lobby, she crosses her legs and the high slit on her dress revealed her toned and muscled legs right up the juncture of her thigh. I load up the luggage and go over to them with the room keys.
“You really think here is the best place to bait Helios”, I ask looking around, “This is a fucking tourist trap.”
“Yes”, Paris says waiving to a group of college girls who had recognized his scar, “If he’s here he won’t like me on his territory goading him with his favorite things”, He moves his hand up and down Sera’s leg. She doesn’t react which I knew was pissing him off, but when he casually touches his lips she leans over and kisses him.
“If you say so, boss.” I say.
“Cheer up”, Paris says as a waitress/model walks over to him with complimentary drinks, “You are also one of those favorite things.”
“What?”
I look to Sera for some reaction but her eyes are still roaming the people.
“In the meantime”, Paris says handing his drink to Sera who doesn’t take it, “Try to have a little fun, Leon.”
I vaguely grunt and push the luggage cart, following them towards the elevator. I am more than a little pissed off when a tall man in a sharp light gray shirt slips into the elevator with us. He smiles at Seraphina and she gives him a barely perceptible smirk before settling further into the corner of the elevator.
“Intense”, the man says inclining slightly to Seraphina but not looking her in the eye. She adjust her position in the corner slightly, “Jimmy Choo. Your cologne.” He clarifies.
Sera relaxes a little, imperceptibly crossing her ankles opening the slit in her dress. We have 35 floors to go and I realize this guy can’t take his eyes off of her.
“Grey Vetiver”, she says and if he’s taken in by her deep smokey voice he doesn’t let it show.
“Tom Ford? Unusual cologne for beautiful woman.”
“It suits”, she says.
“It does”, he agrees.
“I like your taste”, she says.
“Thank you”
“Do you like my husband’s too?”
I almost laugh at how the guy startles before collecting his cool. He looks way off his game when he turns to me. I realize he hadn’t registered Paris who was invisible between me and the luggage cart—but this guy was quick on his feet.
“I could learn too.” The man says inclining his head towards me.
Sera offers him a real smile just in time for the elevator doors to open, she casually takes my hand and I startle a little because I don’t think I’ve ever held her hand. Paris follows struggling to push the luggage cart. I lead her to her room all while Paris has a decidedly neutral look on his face.
“We need to concentrate on finding Helios, so Sera you may want to keep your flirting to a minimum”, Paris says.
She rolls her eyes and pushes open the door.
“I’m serious. You have bad judgement and Helios could have spies.”
“I have bad judgment? You are the one who let Helios live.”
I open the door and usher them inside encase anyone over hears.
“Sera”, Paris say shutting the door, “I’m trying to help.”
“It’s too late for that.” she says heading out to the enclosed balcony with her cigarettes.
“She is going to be the death of me”. Paris says surveying the moderately sized room.
“Don’t say that.” I say, “I barley like you and I don’t want to put up with the next person she marries.”
+++
I staked out the lobby keeping an eye out while Sea and Paris did their best to be “seen” around the resort... I wasn’t sure if I liked this plan… we were fucking bait. There had been a few post online about the trip, but I wasn’t sure any of it would capture Helios’ attention. Besides I’d rather find him then him find us.
I needed some better intel.
Most of my Mexican SGI contacts had allied with Helios during the Regime so I wasn’t ready trust them just yet. Instead I do my own recon on foot. I slip out the resort, rent a car and drive out of the tourist area into the real Azul Corazon. The farther out I drive the more I could tell the Xocatal Valley is cartel territory. The roads are oddly quiet and dotted with large ominous homes that appear out of nowhere in-between desolate rural neighborhoods.
I just keep driving, figuring any Angels would stand out in this rural town. I stop at a gas station for a quick lunch, no one gives me a second look and the cashier sells me a couple steroids with my meal. I also pick Seraphina up a pack of cigarettes.
“Is that another one”, I hear the cashier say to his co-worker in Spanish as I head out. I get better intelligence when people think I can’t understand them, so I just hover around listening for more information.
“Don’t make it your business”, the co-worker says.
I go around by foot after lunch and find the Xocatal Coca-Cola bottling factory where the sodas originated. It was closed on Sundays but I walk around the gate looking for an entrance.
“Can I help you”, a man in a rent-a-cop uniform approaches from the other side of the gate. He squints and then asks in Spanish, “you…looking for work. Sal send you?”
“Work?” I question. He looks over to where my rental car was park. Noticing the hotel parking tag in it.
“We’re closed.” he says quickly
“You said ‘work’. You hire guys like me here?” I say seriously doubting a Mexican factory would want to hire foreigners. Unless they were Angels working with the local boss.
I reach into my pocket and pull out two one hundred dollar bills and hold them out to him. He curses and comes back to the gate to answer more questions.
“Who runs this territory”, I ask
“You one of those…DEA people?”
“Do I fucking look like DEA?” I’d asked trying to sound less like a cop and more like a thug.
“Sal. Old man Salazar.” The man said, “That’s all I can say.”
I recognize the name of the old Cartel family. Helios had been working with them since their rise in the 60’s.
“You didn’t see me here, okay.”
I double back to the hotel and spend an hour in the gym to think. I put all that fucking equipment to work then jog up to my room on the 20th floor. When I open the door to my room Seraphina is sitting on the bed in gym clothes with her extensions curled and flowing past her shoulders with a map spread out on the bed.
“What’s all this?” I ask not even bothering to ask how she got into my room.
“I want to be strategic. I want to do something since you left me behind.”
I kept my face expressionless. Strategy had just…never been her strong suit. Sera thought fast on her feet, she wasn’t afraid to play dirty and she had been easy to teach and so willing to kill. Any object could be a weapon in her hands and she never hesitated. Not once. Helios hadn’t trusted her with anything more than pulling a trigger. I guess I wasn’t treating her any different.
“We should map it out”, I say trying to mentor without overshadowing, “We should mark the hotel and the factory. There are a lot of old cartel safe houses out here—they could be holed up in one of those.”
I sit on the bed to look at the map with her. She’s taken off her shoes and looked at the miles of land surrounding us and begins marking the map.
“Have you been in contact with Adonis?” She asks.
“Yeah, he checked in. The girls and Aria are safe”, I say because that’s what she’s really asking. I draw a line around the area where I’d searched, “This bottling factory is closed today…but none of the locals seemed shocked to see a tall white dude in the area. Makes me think they are used to seeing Helions.”
“So you think he’s here?”
“Like I said, it’s cartel country so information will be hard to come by. You should head back…I don’t think Paris should be left alone for his own safety.”
She rolls her eyes
“Come on Sera. What’s your deal with Paris?”
“It’s not complicated.” she says, “He let Helios live. This is his fault. I was this close to ending it all.”
“It wasn’t just you”, I remind her, and “It was all of us.”
We’d all been culpable.
+3+
Six years ago on the night of the revolution we’d gathered all of our allies, cashed in every favor and stormed the city of New Aeterna. It had been a violent ascent as we made our way to Prospect Park to take back the city and kill Helios Thantos. When the battle had finally reached Helios’ front door the gates around Queen Anne’s had already been blown apart. Angels and children had rushed out to freedom while Helions were slaughtered. The fight on the grounds had been brutal. The Helions had this really nasty move where they’d grab an unsuspecting human fighter, soar high into the sky and let them go.
I remember Helios on the second floor landing after we’d blown the doors to his mansion. I’d picked up a layer of blood, gore and grime to get there. Ares had my back the entire time until he was taken down (but not out) by one of ‘Siden’s arrow. ‘Siden had another arrow notched ready to kill Ares. I’d let out roar and ran to take ‘Siden down. I’d been maybe a foot away when a bullet tore through ‘Siden’s head.
Sera aimed to shoot ‘Siden again out of spite but her gun was out of bullets. Sera stepped over an injured Ares with Callum behind her—his back to Paris who somehow managed to stay pristine among the carnage as he marched towards the mansion.
Inside the mansion Helios appeared at the top of the stairs in his full military regalia. He’d begun to speak but he was cut-off when a knife lodged itself into right in his shoulder. I’d read the look on Sera’s expression and jolted forward letting my wings explode out behind me. I’d wrenched Helios from his perch and brought him down to her.
Sera pulled her knife from his shoulder and blood poured down his arm. She’d wiped the knife off with her shirt and took out another. I forced Helios down to the ground exposing the tender flesh of his neck, he wouldn’t see when she bought her blades down.
“Don’t”, Paris aid in a harsh whisper, “The Tempest. We can’t kill him. What I--”
“That’s not real Paris”, Sera said, “He know what’s coming for him.”
She moved to strike and Paris grabbed her wrist with both hands. Their eyes met over their enemy and Paris used his reserve of strength to spit out more words.
“Death is to easy a punishment for the pain he’s bought. We can’t kill him.”
“We aren’t killing him”
“You are not to kill him. That’s an order.”
Callum looked out the window as the mob of liberated humans and soldiers moved towards the mansion, “If we don’t kill him they will.”
“The tunnels”, Paris said and I swear I heard Helios give a condescending sigh in reaction to Paris’…mercy, “Take Helios to the tunnels.”
“Paris.—“, Sera began
“No.”, Paris had said still holding her wrist, “He has too much to answer for. Callum. Sera. Take him out through one of the prison tunnels. Restrain him by a tunnel that connects to the East Side Sewers. We’ll come back for him later. Leon, find me a body.”
There had been a half second of silence before we all started moving. I shoved Helios over to Sera and Callum. Helios was strangely subdued as they began to strip him. Tactful I guess. Paris shouted more orders as we acted. We had been at the end of our ten year struggle and this was our last dirty act.
I searched for a body and found Domacles on the second floor, looked like he’d caught one of Sera’s bullet to the head. I dragged his body down stairs where Paris was waiting with Sera’s lighter and Helios’ uniform. I shoved Domacles still warm body into Helios’ uniform then dropped his body from the top floor.
The story is the fearless leader has simply fallen to his death.
By the time Callum and Sera reappeared, having safely secured Helios, I started to worry about what we were doing. I’d also noticed Sera and Callum were dragging a barefoot woman with matted hair and a face bruised beyond recognition. Aria. I opened my mouth to ask where they found her but there wasn't time.
“Hit the gas line”, Paris said to no one in particular, “let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Sera, more familiar with the mansion, ran back towards the kitchens to find the gas lines. Callum had started dragging the disoriented Aria towards the door with Paris following behind. I’d heard a low hiss as Sera came running back.
“Let’s go”, she’d said helping to carry Aria out the door.
Paris tossed me the lighter, I started the flame and made sure everyone was out before chucking the lighter back inside. I heard it scrap along the marble floor before the inside of the mansion imploded in flames. The windows burst as the fire fought to escape.
The lawn of what had been Queen Anne’s was still deep in chaos
as the U.S National guard was storming the lawn and taking down anyone they
saw. Two large Humvee’s ripped across the lawn and cut our group off. I stood defensively as about two dozen soliders jumped out and pointed their guns at us.
“We were just…following orders”, I remind Sera and she looks up from her place on the hotel bed.
That’s also what I’d whispered to her that night after we were forced on the ground and arrested. (The history books tended to leave that part out).
We’re interrupted by a knock on the door. I check the door before opening it.
“Sera”, Paris leans in, “We need to get ready for dinner. Leon, join us”
“Yeah”, I say.
Paris holds out his arm for Sera, she pushes off the bed and follows him out.
Finally alone I change into a gray button up and pants while fighting the urge to text Aria. I shove my phone into my bag. We'd barley been here a day. It was too risky to reach out
+4+
I head down to join Seraphina and Paris for a prixe fixe dinner in one of the five-star restaurants. They are seated smack dab in the middle of the dining room where everyone could see. If this was a real job-- I wouldn’t eat but I wasn’t saying no to already paid for lobster.
I’d pull a chair up to their intimate bistro table and go over what I’d seen today with Paris.
“We need to get some real leads”, Seraphina says, “So what? Maybe a few Angels are working in the factory. That doesn’t mean they are with Helios.
“Look, Helios’ vanity will get to him”, Paris offers “I should know I was his prisoner for two years”
“He was also my fiancé”, Sera reminds him, and “So I know he can see through your bullshit, Paris.”
“Yeah and I was his best man for centuries but I see neither of you trust my opinions.” I cut in.
“Sorry”, Paris says “You just don’t say much sometimes I forget you have opinions.”
“Paris is right”, I decide, “Helios gets pretty obsessive. If he knows you both are here on his territory together he’ll show up.”
“In that case”, Paris says “Why don’t we really make a spectacle?”
Paris stands and gently coaxes Seraphina out of her chair leading her onto the dance floor with the other couples. Sera’s off the shoulder white dress clashed with Paris’ inability to wear any color but black. They fall in perfect rhythm with the fast past music, Paris slides his arm comfortably around her waist and Sera keeps her arms loosely around his shoulders. He whispers something to her and touches his lips, she leans forward to kiss him. Charming bastard. He can’t keep his hands off her as the music changes to a more upbeat song, he’s limber and a surprisingly good dancer. Sera actually seems pretty amused and doesn’t even notice the other men trying to cut in.
I start to wonder if I should take dance classes when I sense someone is behind me. I keep my breathing steady and prepare to pounce. When the figure reaches for me I turn and draw my gun.
“Shit”
A startled busboy curse and drops a set of dishes. There are a few gasps and everyone is turning to stare at me, some people are on the ground. I slowly lower my gun.
“Uh…my mistake”, I say trying to ignore Paris’ amused smile, “False alarm”
“Best security in the world”, Paris says loud enough that a few people laugh and begin to carry on. Sera seems distracted, she takes another look around the room before letting Paris pull her into his arms.
+++
I spend the next morning at the gym with Sera. She has taken out her extensions and while we worked out she confides in me that something about last night.
“It was like we were being watched last night”, she says. Sera is spotting me and adds a 30 extra pounds to my barbell.
“Of course you were being watched. Your dress was practically handing off and your husband was trying to fuck you on the dance floor.”
“He can fuck me in his dreams”, she says.
“You’re really holding out on him aren’t you?” I say.
Sera thinks on this but doesn’t answer and I already regret asking. I finish my reps and we switch places, her muscles are still tight but she struggles to bench 195.
“Come on, you’re out of shape sweetheart”, I said trash talking her, “Need to quit smoking.”
“Fuck”, she curses almost dropping the barbell. I take off 10 pounds
“You need to stop running and get your ass back in the gym, Cupcake.”
She actually laughs and manages to get ten decent reps in,
afterward we go for a run on the beach where she leaves me in the dust.
That afternoon I rent a car and we head back out to search the valley for signs of Helios. The locals weren’t talking but that was expected in cartel territory.
“The factory will be open tomorrow”, I tell her as we head back to the resort. We can stake it out. See if we recognize anyone.
She nods in agreement
That evening after we part I sneak into a conference room to put in a call to my old DEA contact. Sera didn’t fuck with the U.S government since they captured her, but we needed someone on the inside. I use the conference room phone to call my contact.
“Agent Morris”, he answers.
I recognize the man’s voice but it has aged in the twenty years since Helios used to do jobs for the agency. The U.S government had quietly destroyed all the records of SGI contracts during the Regime.
“It’s Leon”, I keep my voice flat, intimidating.
“I…”
“Look, I just want some information.”
“I shouldn’t be talking to you Mr. Argos.”
“You had no problem talking to me when you needed SGI to take down a target. Remember. You, me, Helios Thantos—“
“We made a deal with Mr. Prince”, he says whispering, “That none of those deals would become public.”
“Well, I’m not Mr. Prince”, I said although truth be told I wasn’t planning on spilling but fear was a good tool, “I need some information on the Salazar Cartel territory. Need to know if he has any property.”
“Salazar? He’s been in the game a while. Old school. I’ll see what I can find. Then that’s it.”
“Let me know”, I said giving him the line to my secure SGI line.
I slip out of the conference room and nearly collide into Paris as he meanders out of the conference room next door in a suit and tie.
“Are you following me?” He asks.
“Nah…I have this DEA contact I reached out to”
Paris whistles and shrugs off his slim suit jacket.
“Oh. You know my sweet wife doesn’t fuck with feds”, he said stretching that ugly smile of his, “But don’t worry I’ll keep your secret.”
“What are you up to?”
“Working”, he answers regrettably, “I can’t afford to not know what Bless is doing.”
“What do you mean?” I’d never heard Aria say anything bad about the Bless Family
“He’s a good leader. Truly I’m envious.” He says, “Maybe New Aeterna is in good hands… but I don’t trust him.”
We’d already missed our dinner reservation, so I followed Paris out to the beach for a drink. It was dark and hot enough on the beach that Paris had loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, though I’d wished he’d put it back up. The scars… on his body were painful memories of his time as Helios’ prisoner.
I don’t know what to say around Paris so I talk about the mission.
“I also reached out to Green23, they say there are a few former compounds around the area that were seized by the government, I’m going to canvas them tomorrow.”
“Why are you telling me?” he says with a smile, “You’re the boss now, Leon.”
“I don’t know about that.”
We find an empty cabana on the beach and I bypass the drinks with fruit and gesture for two shots of tequila and slide one over to Paris.
“Leon, this is your mission.” Paris says eyeing the glass, “I’m just… your excuse… your cover.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how you do it. Be in charge.”
“I just exude unearned confidence.” he says downing the shot and gesturing for another, “I imagine the world I want and I believe in it above everything else. Everything I do is in service of my vision.”
“Which is?”
“A peaceful city full of Angels and Demons and Humans living in true harmony. I still believe in it. But first we need to make sure Helios Thantos stays a footnote in New Aeterna’s history, because if he has a glorious resurrection I’m fucked.”
“Damn straight.”
We drink to that.
“I wonder where Sera is.” I say absently as Paris drinks a third shot.
“I don’t know, she said something about cigarettes before wondering off. She’s already off her rocker and I probably shouldn’t have helped her take those steroids. But I figure if I’m super accommodating I can get laid again."
He gestures for another drink, this time a double
“You know she’s pissed because you let Helios live.”
“She’s only pissed that he escaped”, he says , “But I couldn’t just let her murder him. It truly would have been too easy a punishment for him. To me the best thing is for Helios to live long enough to realize he was wrong.”
I walk a nearly drunk mostly buzzed Paris back to the hotel wondering if I was falling under his mind games. I’d been sure he’d made the wrong call that day by letting Helios live, but now my faith was wavering.
+++
Something doesn't feel right when I reach my hotel room door. I force the door open and curse because Seraphina
is in my hotel room fucking a tall tanned man I didn’t recognize in what seems like
an unnecessarily strenuous and complicated position.
"What the fuck ?"
I shut the door and curse again in the hallway trying to get the images of my head. I lean against the door like a dummy for five minutes. I hear the locks click and Seraphina slips out with a lit cigarette and her purse. She is covered in sweat and her hair is plastered to her face, she quickly straightens out her two piece black dress and tucks her high heels under her arm.
“What. The. Fuck.” I manage, “Our cover story is that you are supposed to be on vacation with your husband for fucksake. What the hell are you doing fucking some ---was that the guy who flirted with you in an elevator?”
Her eyes cut to me as she pushes open the door to the stairwell and jogs to her floor, I curse and follow her to the 35th floor.
“Sera”, I say following her to her hotel room door, “Talk to me.”
“There is nothing to talk about”, she calls back searching though her purse for her room key, “You don’t want to hear about my sex life.”
“Sera what the hell is going on with you”, I pull out my wallet and take out my spare key to her room.
“I asked to borrow a cigarette, He flirted with me, he was handsome and he had a big cock. He made me feel young and tight. And now I’m extremely satisfied-- since no other man in my life seem to do anything right including you.”
"Fuck that. I haven't done anything wrong."
"You dropped our informant."
"We're here aren't we ? And you know what ? In a way you can thank your son for that."
I regret the words the moment I say them. I was just so angry that she could act like I didn't give up my cushy military job to do this with her. I put my family's livelihood and future at risk to be her partner. The fuck has she done for me in return ?
"Sera, I'm sorry I didn't mean--"
She takes the spare key from me and opens the door. Paris is sitting on the floor meditating in the dim lights
“What are—“, Paris began.
“I fucked the man from the elevator.” Sea says throwing her shoes in the corner.
“Sera I—“, Paris began but Sera gives him a look that shuts him right up. She tosses her purse on the floor and heads into the bathroom, “The idiot with stupid cologne pick up line? He wasn’t even that attractive.”
“What the fuck is her problem”, I say gesturing to the bathroom door, “Telling me I don't get shit done. I mean fuck. We are supposed to be working together,”
“Why do you think Sera is team player?” Paris asks.
“I can’t keep putting up with her bullshit. I’m the one chasing all the contracts, and recruiting. The plan is for me to stick to home base but I can’t do that if Sera won’t step up. I am not the fucking problem in this partnership.”
“Come on”, Paris said picking up Sera’s purse and spilling out the contents, “Sera turned on Anne for Helios then she turned on Helios for me. Then she turned on me and tried to assassinate me. Sera aligns with whoever can best direct her rage. Learn what I did. Seraphina isn’t a partner…she’s a weapon. She’s made to be used.”
He sorted through the pack of condoms, empty syringe and handful of seashells that had fallen out of her purse. He runs a hand over the seashells and sets them on the dresser.
“You don’t really believe that” I say.
“When I saved Sera from that prison camp I knew she would be forever indebted to me, which is why it was easy to get her to marry and pledge her loyalty to me. I used her to keep myself alive during a war and she's proven she will do anything to protect me. Hell, even when she tried to kill me that was for my own good. That is . . . a kind of love. “
Paris doesn’t notice the slight shift in the room. Behind Paris I can see Sera standing at the bathroom door, her hair is wet and it looks like she’d messily thrown her black dress back on.
“Is that what you think?” she asks looking at the back of Paris’s head, “I’m indebted to you? I'm a weapon”
He swallowed and turned the chair to face her.
“Sera”, he says, “This isn’t news to you. That doesn't mean we don't love each other.”
“Is that what you really think,” she asks again taking a few steps forward, “You think I don’t want more than this? Than war and violence. Than serving you and your causes ? Answer me.”
“I know you want more but maybe the reason you’ve been fucking over Leon is because you know you aren’t cut out for more than war and violence—which I personally find insanely attractive--
She wraps his loose tie around her wrist and pulls him out
of the chair and to his knees, his hands claw at the fabric around his neck. He starts gasping and turns a slight red.
“Husband", She says, "you can use me as your weapon all you want but the backfire is a bitch.”
She pushes him back abruptly and leaves the room barefoot, slamming the door shut behind her. Paris scrambles to take off his tie while fighting to catch is breathe. I help him into a chair.
“You okay, boss?” he looks briefly alarmed, maybe something Sera had said got to him… then resets his features into that fake roguish grin.
“Yeah, can you…”
He gestures vaguely to the door.
“Yeah well…I want a new room”, I said throwing my hotel key down and picking up Sera’s shoes, “With a hot tub.”
+5+
There weren’t a lot of places for Sera to go this late barefoot so I start my search in the outdoor bar, she wasn’t there but the guy she fucked was there chatting up another girl. After what I saw I couldn’t make eye contact with him. She wasn’t by the pool and by the time I made it out to the beach I spotted her standing in the water with the tide up to her knees.
“Leon?” she says not even turning to look at me. She’s collected a few more seashells and rattle them in her closed fist.
“Who else?”
“I just thought…” she turns and looks at a point beyond me.She untucks a carton of cigarettes and a lighter from her waistband.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“Good. Because Fuck, Sera.", I sound fucking exhausted, " "You know what you’ve been a fucking bitch ever since Helios escaped. We are all trying to fix this.”
“There shouldn’t be anything to fix. It was Paris’ idea to keep him alive, it was Callum’s job to keep him locked up and it was your fucking job to find an Angel to guard him. Now I have to be the one to find him and kill him.”
“You’re not alone in this.”
“Yes I am Leon.” she says heading back to the beach, “Because you give a shit now. You all give a shit now”
“What?”
She blew out a frustrated column of smoke.
“You have a family, now. You give a shit about your life and choices. You don’t take risk. You can’t anymore. When it comes to going after Helios it’s going to be me because I have nothing to fucking lose. Paris has his career, you have your family, Callum has Gemma, and Isobel has a real job. Fuck even Ares is having a kid. I’m just back to where I started 16 years ago with nothing. This is all I have. Killing Helios is going to be my last act. It's all I have ”
“You have—“
“I have what?” she says to herself, “Paris? I love him but New Aeterna is always going to come first, and let’s face it he can barely hold an erection let alone a conversation that’s not about him.”
My phone rings and I see the secure DEA number on the screen. Shit. I can’t talk to them in front of Sera. I shut my phone off before she can see the number.
“My whole life I’ve been told I was dumb, slow, crazy…hysterical. I thought after the resistance and building New Aeterna I would be a worthy…a better person with a purpose. But I’ve got to shit to show for it all.”
“You know I used to be in love with you.” I finally admit, “Then I thought… here is a beautiful woman who is literally fearless and doesn’t give a fuck. Just my type and I had to make her mine."
“What changed?”
My eyes have adjusted enough to see the strange mix of the barefaced woman I knew in the siren dress that usually came with the beautiful queen.
“Nothing.”, the tension around my mouth was involuntary. I realized it was a smile, “That’s why I had five babies with her.”
Sera shoves me a little but I’m more solid than she thinks.
“You’ve got my respect, Sera”, I tell her,”Since the day you joined the resistance. I got you. No matter what.”
She rolls her shoulders.
“I know. I’m…I’m sorry about your room. I just wanted a hard fuck”, she says laughing to herself.
“Are you going to be less of a bitch now”, I ask half seriously.
She considers this and turns back to the water. I stand next to her because that’s what I do apparently.
“I can count the times on my hand I’ve seen the ocean”, she says
“When this is over you need to go on a real vacation—“
The lights around the resorts click off and we are plunged in darkness. A few guest on the beach gasp. Sera’s lighter flashes and I catch only a glimpse of her face before I register the hooded figure behind her. Her lighter is knocked out of her hand and I hear the sizzle of electricity and catch a blaze of blue electric light.
I smell burning flesh before I feel the searing shock to the back of my neck. There is another flash in the darkness and someone grabs me from behind with strength I’m not used to. Not human then.
I hear Sera struggling and the sound of bodies thrashing in the water. An arm locks around my neck and another one grabs me from behind. A searing spasm runs up my back and I nearly bite my damn tongue off. An ATV zooms past us and then back around. My wrist are locked together and I attempt to throw the weight but another shock of electricity makes my whole body spasm. I feel dozens of hands lift me and throw me into the trunk of the ATV before it all goes black.
+++
It is hot as hell.
I wake up face first on the scorching hot hard baked clay ground. I can still taste the salty beach sand in my mouth, my shirt is gone and my pants are dried stiffly to my body. I sit up and take in my surroundings.
I’m caged in.
At first I don’t notice the thin spindly wire that create the make shift cage that barley reaches above my head. I reach for the cage and the sharp shock that rings through my body confirms it is electrified.
I turn and realize I’m not alone.
On my right Paris is passed out on the floor in a black t-shirt and orange boxers. His exposed fair skin was blistering and sun burnt.
Sera is sitting next to him, judging by the bruises she had taken a few hits when we’d been jumped on the beach. The black two pieces dress she’d been wearing was covered in blood, dust and sand.
“You look like shit”, she says with zero warmth.
“You look worse.”
We were in the barren courtyard of some massive hacienda style estate with crumbling sun baked walls covered in in obscene graffiti. I could smell sour water and shit in the air. The estate itself is three stories and it’s in no better shape than the courtyard. The blacked out windows are tapped and patched together.
The hum of a generator and the mild dessert air confirm we are probably somewhere in the desert deep in cartel country, probably miles from civilization.
Sera turns back to Paris and pushes up his shirt to reveal a bloody gash on his stomach that was being bound with my shirt. She pulls the compression tighter and Paris stirs a little bit.
“He was shot.” she explains, but not for the obvious reason.
“They have white gold bullets. Fuck.”
I hear footsteps coming from all sides as doors around the courtyard open and curtains are pushed aside to reveal a motley crew of dirty disheveled men with thick beards and glassy eyes. Some of whom I knew by name.
The main courtyard gate opens and three figures emerge. I recognized Eos and Troy instantly, even though their thick beards. They were covered in fresh makeshift bandages, confirming they had been the ones to attack us. The one clean shaven human among them was instantly recognizable as the cologne guy from the elevator.The three men didn’t even meet my eyes and neither did the fourth man now standing between them.
A/N
So, this is actually a chapter I split or else this would have been a 19K chapter. This was my struggle chapter that I could never figure out because I had to transition. I had to strike the right balance between providing background information, setting and character motivations while moving to the main conflict which is that…our group has been captured by Helios.
Also, I did a ton of research on past perfect tense so...not sure how that went
Also, no I don’t know what needless complicated and strenuous positon Sera and Cologne guy were doing.
Also, I know a two piece black dress is a skirt and crop top but Leon doesn't know that.