Flight Ch. 05

"Their computers are gone. That's what's bothering me. This blank spot is where it should have been. I can't find any cut or yanked cords. They were able to take their time." Ade's husky voice announced.

Ranger pulled out a folder and then another one, "That's not our only problem. This filing cabinet is filled with folders, all labeled."

"But?" Ade asked.

"But? It's full of empty copier paper. All of them." He said, the feeling on his neck even worse. Ade spread her hands out on the desk looking into his eyes, trying to make sense of the situation.

Ranger shook his head and glanced away. Something caught his eye, though. Meredith had multiple picture frames on her desk but...they had been emptied. Leaning forward he snatched a picture frame off William's desk and sure enough. A blank white sheet.

"Ranger," Ade said softly, "I feel like we're in fucking Racoon City."

"Babe, you're not kidding." He joked trying to fight off his climbing unease.

Ade gave him a look that said she was about to say something smart-ass when a chirp interrupted them. They were too trained to jump at such an intruding noise but Ranger couldn't lie and say it wasn't helping the atmosphere.

"Commander, you need to get down here." His soldier, Carson interrupted.

"Report what's happening." He demanded, Ade watching him.

"We found the basement, sir," Carson reported and if he and Ade thought things couldn't get more bizarre.

"Impossible, Carson," Ade snapped, "there is no basement."

They had seen the blueprints, they always knew what they were walking into.

"I think...you guys need to see this."

***************

Kaz's fingers flew over the keyboard as he kept track of Ade and Ranger. He kept surveying around the area but strangely there was nothing he could ping off around the funeral home. No PCs, no security system, not a goddamn iPhone.

Instead, Kazuya had to go through the electric company that provided services to the area. The flat screens around him ran quickly scanning entry points in the town that could lead him back to Shanty Hallow Cemetery.

None proved strong enough so Kazuya sucked down his caramel espresso and went to work. He didn't care what Ade said it did not destroy his image

It was already a fucked situation with that demon Sebastian disappearing but this situation was making even Archer jumpy. Not that Archer would tell them but Kazuya missed nothing. He had his suspicions that Archer was sharing less and less with the rest of them.

That was an issue but he wouldn't address it until he had more information and the other LADS with him. That wasn't strange in itself, to be honest. Every once in a while one of them went completely off the rails and had to be reeled back in, him not excluded. But it was dangerous for someone of Archer's caliber to be wandering around without the support of the rest of them.

Thankfully, Mina had been found and transported back just in time. Archer would never wander off far with her being in residence.

Kazuya swallowed the sweet liquid he may have laced to keep him going. Ade wasn't here to threaten him so he could indulge.

"Commander?" A voice said beside him.

Kaz stopped what he was doing —barely and raised an eyebrow at one of the men he worked closely with. "We've detected someone trying to patch a backdoor."

Kaz took a look at the screen and narrowed his eyes. The code in front of him was interesting. They always had someone trying to infiltrate, steal, and burn them. None ever got as far as being able to start building a backdoor entry point. None of his triggers had gone off.

Which meant they were eating away at the virtual space. They wanted to be found.

Kaz took out his phone and dialed.

"If this is a problem I'm going to shoot myself." Archer's calm voice told him someone was about to die.

****************

Kora felt frustration rare is ugly head. That was the third time she had made the wall on her new piece of artwork collapse when she tried to pull up the walls of the clay.

She wasn't keeping her hands steady and consistent and it was showing up in her artwork. But Kora couldn't help it, that feeling that had been seeded into her chest was growing and making her uncomfortable.

Archer didn't come to see her this morning and while she knew he was the busiest man here, it broke the routine. Kora didn't particularly do well with surprises. Archer himself was pretty strict on his day and didn't like unprompted intrusions. It was what made them fit so well together.

He probably just had an emergency, Kora, stop being whiny.

No, he was with her.

But that's okay, her inner self cried, I want him to be around her!

She will always be his First. Status and body. He chose her even after years. After he saw your face.

But she couldn't help the self-attack. She was doubting the faith of her master and that meant she deserved the emptiness she felt.

Kora glanced over at a palate knife that was used to mix the oil paints she was fond of. She could just reach out and touch the cool handle. It would bring her back...to him...to herself.

"Kora?" A silky voice flowed around her and yanked her away from the blackness floating around her mind.

Like the sun breaking powerful storm clouds.

Kora turned carefully, wanting to hide her eagerness, but the crinkles around his eyes gave her away.

"I didn't think I would see you." She said to her master, the sun highlighting his beautiful multi-toned skin. He had on black slacks and a white button-up shirt that fitted his body. His sleeves were rolled up allowing the chaotic tattoos on his forearms to show. His dress meant that he was deep into whatever work he had going on that day. Which meant he had stopped to come to her.

He had a happy glint in his eye as he looked her and her art over. Kora felt like she was exposed even though she had happily given everything over. She had been inherited and she had never had such liberties with her last master.

Kora had not been allowed a lot of things including her humanity.

A heavy feeling tightened her chest but she wasn't going to let that bring her down with Archer here.

He walked into the room his confident gait make her fidget. He took his time looking at her pieces both complete and incomplete. This really gnawed at Kora because she didn't think whether her pieces done or not were good enough. Suddenly under his scrutiny, she couldn't handle the tones or choice of brush type she'd used.

She wanted to push him out of here and hide it all.

Instead, he stopped in front of a piece that she had done in his honor. She felt a slight panic build up in her chest. She wasn't ready for anyone to see that yet!

Her insecurity back she almost yelled at him to please stop looking when he reached his fingers out and almost touched the canvas. But he didn't. Instead, he turned to her and looked...in awe.

"Kora, your work is extremely beautiful," He smiled at her but continued to look around as if he were mesmerized, "Are you going to submit it to the University showcase?"

Kora couldn't help the surprise that thrilled through her. She hadn't dared mention it to him or anyone else. Archer gave her a dry look. "Kora I know everything."

Kora bit her nail and gave a shy laugh, "I just...I don't know. I like my work. But I don't know if I want everyone looking at it."

Archer nodded and grabbed her hand. "I understand and I'm sorry for invading your space. I just wanted to see you since I was not able to this morning."

A really simple pleasure thrummed its way through Kora. He hadn't overlooked her!

"Kora," he purred, taking her face between his hands, "I hope I didn't... make you feel bad. That was not my intention." His brown eyes looked at her warmly and she wanted to run her fingers through his black, silky hair. But it was already in its messy style and she didn't want to irritate him. But looking at his tilted smile did something to her.

In a moment of strange boldness, she leaned up on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Realizing she didn't ask for permission she tried to step away her hands covering her mouth.

Leaning back and laughing her master put her at ease. The gold sunlight that filtered through the slats of her creative barn made him look ethereal. Like a god made out of sunlight.

"Kora, you're silly sometimes." He brought a strong arm around her waist, pulled her into his body, and kissed her more deeply. Kora felt the heat that surrounds him envelop her and warm her in from inside out. It was like a warmth that slowly seeped into a body when they had been exposed to a harsh freeze.

Painful and slow at first but throbbing and homey once it settles in.

She enjoyed the moments that she got to spend in his arms. He gave her precious moments as he kissed her deeply in the sunshine.

When he pulled away, she hung onto him like a guilty pleasure, loving his clean smell and the sound of his heart under her ear.

"Kora?" He asked and his tone made her lookup. It was so...inquisitive? Unlike Archer.

"What is that?" He asked lost in what he was looking at.

Kora glanced over her shoulder and saw a mug that had a purple geode crystal crack. The piece had been made to represent the moon and stars.

"Can I make that?"

He looked back at her, his eager expression making her laugh.

*************

"Do I want to know how you were able to swing this?" Sati asked trying not to laugh as we walked to the Maker's Space that had been built for the community.

I stepped onto the stone pathway, trying not to feel like a total cop-out. "Sati I did what any sane person would do. I sold my soul to the devil."

Sati did laugh this time, her face pretty and bright. She wrapped a hand around my shoulder. "Archer is a lot of things but I don't think we can add devil to the list."

I made a sour face at her, "Yeah, that's because he adores you. He doesn't use you as a form of public entertainment."

"And you think he doesn't adore you?" She teased again.

Whatever Archer felt for me was most certainly not in the category of adore. More like the area of waterboarding. Archer was not in my good graces right now after the shit he pulled in the locker room.

When I told him as much, he just buttoned his sleeve, gave me a hooded look, and said, "It's not my fault I can make you cum so hard."

"It's exactly your fault!" I retorted coolly, letting my anger known.

As if he cared.

Archer laughed, "I know I just like to hear you say it."

"Anyways, at least you get to hang with me," Sati said breaking my train of thought, "I want to show you all the stuff Jo and Kaycee help bring to the Maker's Space, you won't believe it. WE CAN MAKE BUTTONS!" Sati beamed showing me a metal button with one of the Golden Girl's faces on it.

"The last time I saw the Maker's Space it was that stupid tin building that looked like a backwoods meth shed run by someone named Bubby."

"True," Sati said flicking her thick mahogany hair over her shoulder, "but between Jo, Kaycee, and I persuaded Archer to gather funding for the "community."

I blinked against the afternoon sun, "Of course! What says 'not a cartel operation' like crafted wire jewelry and gentrified pottery."

Sati gave me an amused look, "Thankfully, it's a little more advanced than that."

As we were walking down the stone path, catching up in our newfound freedom I heard a powerful voice. I knew the way my body tighten who it was.

But what was he doing here?

There was a little pre-manufactured shed slightly off the path. It was one of those unnecessarily expensive ones that looked as if it belonged to a Seattle neighborhood that was home to an upper-class housewife whose husband was cheating on her.

The windows went from roof to floor and were crystal clear. The wood held highlights of bronze and red.

Clear enough for me to see Archer wrapped intimately around some blonde girl.

***************

"What the fuck? Who is that?" I asked, probably louder than what I meant to. I took a step forward, a million emotions coursing through me. I couldn't figure out which one I wanted to go with so I settle on absolutely seething.

"Mina," Sati said her voice low and urgent, "please come with me!"

She was basically dragging me behind her, while I looked over my shoulder and watched as that fucking dick Archer whisper in that girl's ear while she laughed.

"Sati, let go of me! That fucking motherfucker! I swear to God—"

My friend swung me around and put her hand over my mouth. "I'll explain but please calm down."

I certainly was not going to calm the fuck down but it was not Sati's fault so I wasn't going to take it out on her. I'd wait until Archer was in striking range.

Sati took a deep breath and placed her hands on my shoulders. "When you left, Archer and Sebastian went to war. When the dust settled and everyone made it home okay, Archer was in power and things were different."

I barely had any idea what had gone down when I left. I was just happy Sebastian was gone but I could lie and say I wasn't curious. Archer hadn't said anything about it and the LADS wouldn't talk to me about it. Maybe Tiller but he hadn't visited me since I got here, which kind of hurt, but I could only deal with one shit-storm at a time.

"I wasn't told much when Archer brought her home with him." Another look of bitterness hardened my friend's face for a second but she looked at me with soft eyes.

"Mina, Archer got a new First when you left. Her name is Kora."

I felt the sound drop in my ears for a second.

Sati rubbed my arms in comfort. "She used to be Sebastian's. Do you not remember her?"

I shook my head, a moment of pity lancing through me for whomever she was. My run-ins with Sebastian were not family-friendly. I could imagine belonging to him around the clock.

But that wasn't what enraged me to a catastrophic point. Archer ripped me out of a life where I was trying to find happiness because of his own selfish fucking reasons. I had spent two years trying to fight off the fixated feeling I felt for him because he forced them on me.

He wouldn't let me exist without him but he could fucking have someone else in his life? I would not let him get away with this. I don't care if he lashed the skin off my back and buried me in a hole. I couldn't stand the thought of him getting away with this. The calmness of revenge cooled me off a little.

"Mina?" Sati asked slowly snapping her fingers in my face.

"Oh yeah. I totally get it. He needed someone else, sure." I smiled at her. Sati had so much shit to deal with and I refused to dump this on her.

It also might be how I was currently preoccupied with how I was going incapacitate Archer. Sati needed me to be present and her friend right now. When we met up to walk out to Maker's Space, I saw the desperate happiness in her eyes. It made me wonder just how bad she had been treated by Ranger since I've been gone.

Sati pursed her lips. "Mina, I know you're not okay. You're a Scorpio. They don't let anything go. They're all pre-destined serial killers."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "I'm gonna let that go because it's obviously founded in jealousy. But I promise! I'm fine for now! I want to have matching Golden Girl buttons."

Sati squealed and wrapped her arm around me guiding me toward a now-transformed Maker's Space of more golden stained wood, slanted metal roofs, and large floor-to-ground windows.

I thought of what Archer put me through these last few days. The public sex was one thing but he had rifled through the two years that belonged to me and stamped his name all over it so I couldn't have it. Because I couldn't have anything that didn't revolve around him.

And then a beautiful thought took root in my brain calming the frenzy of my emotions I wanted to drown Archer in.

"Sati can we make T-shirts?"

___________________________________________________

Ben hid in the shadows, watching his target's apartment building. Ricci would have his ass if he found out where Ben was.

If he didn't already. Ben liked to think that his skill-set was well above exceptional. Ricci was god-like and he didn't take it well when his orders were disrespected. Ben thrived on bending the rules to suit his purposes.

And for Mina he'd do anything, Ricci be damned.

That probably was not the best mindset to have considering Ricci would make him eat his teeth but Ben knew that old man too, had a thing for their little stray. Ben had, at first, thought, it was sexual but it became clear as time went on that Ricci was riding a deeply complicated paternal wave.

Ricci was collecting some of the most deadly in their world like rehab for professional killers. Mina most certainly was not that and Ben still couldn't figure out Ricci's reasoning. But right now he didn't have time. Mina was missing and the circumstances indicated everything was not okay. Ben wanted her back.

Moving easily, he walked with a lazy stride that didn't alarm neighbors or anyone who was watching him. He had on nondescript clothes that didn't look any different from any average white guy on the street. Long-sleeved shirt, jeans with a stupid rip in the knee, and a Reds cap pulled low.

The area wasn't too crime-ridden and anyone who looked at him wouldn't think twice of his presence. Ben walked up the steps, confident because he had already ensured the cameras around the property and in the stairwell were down thanks to a guy who owed him majorly.

Coming to the door he had been looking for, he pulled a key that had been given to him and unlocked the deadbolt.

The apartment sat quietly but it usually did for a certain period. And that time was coming to a close.

The door behind him clicked and the front door was pushed open.

A gasp filled the space and Ben turned to his target, a small spark of anger building inside of him.

"Who the fuck are you?" A voice sultry and defensive accosted him.

"Hello, Alma. Let's talk."

*****************

I was stabbing pins into a crude drawing of Archer's name I carved into an oval piece of wood. A robotic voice sounded off behind my shoulder. Sati looked behind me, her eyes going wide with humor. I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"Ma'am, we are instructed to move onto the next part of your schedule." It was Thing One and Two from yesterday.

I turned in my twisty chair, crossing my legs and extending my arms along the work table.

"Schedule? I have a schedule?" I retorted ignoring Sati's snicker.

I could tell they were exchanging looks behind their mirrored glasses. Archer must have not informed them of this fact. Join the club, I thought irritated.

"Yes, ma'am. We were instructed to end your time with Ms. Tyler to guide you to the living quarters for lunch. Then you will be resting before meeting with Nicole Tormini and her team for tonight."

Nicole? I hadn't seen her since...the night I ran away from Archer.

I turned on Sati quickly, "Why am I going to see Nicole?"

She looked at me with a look an exhausted mother gave an amusing child, "The Crown's friend is coming to dine with Archer. Don't worry! Tiller will be there since 'you-know-who' won't be in attendance. But it's just a courtesy and hosting dinner. I think they're just passing through."

"Hmmm, I guess I'm playing trophy pet tonight." I pouted like a two-year-old.

Sati gave me one of her award-winning laughs, "Of course! You're a famous little slave. Avoiding the Crown's right hand for two years? You're a movie star, dah-ling."

I felt a sinking feeling swirl in my stomach. I hadn't thought about what the Crown would say about my disappearance. Sati seemed to understand because she stopped smiling. Clutching my hand she raised her eyebrow in a fierceness, "Don't. Archer would never let that happen. He would never let the Crown have you."