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Chapter 349: Candi, Nadine
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2022-11-24 14:23:07Related chapters
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 350: Quentin, Nadine
Tuesday. Motel. Georgia.QUENTIN STARED OUT OF the gauzy curtains at the parking lot. Neither he nor Candi could sleep, though Wesley had urged them to try.The shower turned off.They'd need to eat soon.Wesley had left them with meager supplies. One fully loaded gun. Two burner phones. Five hundred cash. And two bags of food from a gas station down the street.Quentin didn't like staying here regardless of Wesley's assurance that they'd most likely be fine. Candi didn't appear to be at ease either, which only made Quentin want to get them out here even more.The problem was getting their hands on a car.The only ones available to them belonged to patrons or employees of the hotel. Those vehicles would be missed immediately, which meant there would be no lead time to work with. They'd need to have a plan about where they were going and how they'd get new wheels.Wesley had made a good decision. Putting them here left both Quentin and Candi wholly dependent on him.
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 351: Candi
Wednesday. Motel. Georgia.CANDI SCRAPED THE LAST of the oatmeal from the paper cup.A lot had changed in twenty-four hours. At least inside of her.The fear had fizzled out yesterday afternoon. If the Metis people were going to find them, they'd have done it by now.More than anything she was annoyed.Annoyed with her brother for not telling her anything and trying to run her life. Annoyed at the hotel for having no cable. Annoyed at the food selectin, the cell phone coverage, her brother's silence. She'd even gotten annoyed at Q last night for doing push-ups.How dare he look hot when all she had to wear was the same pair of leggings?It wasn't fair.She had gotten over her annoyance. It helped that Q was quickly learning just where to kiss her to distract her thoughts. Who could be mad at a man with those skills?A maroon SUV pulled into the parking lot."Q." She sat up and set the oatmeal aside.He was at her side in an instant.They both peered out of th
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 352: Quentin
Wednesday. Roanoke, VA.QUENTIN WAS GLAD TO get out of the SUV. Wesley hadn't said a word in about two hours other than his order when they'd paused to grab food.Candi took a moment longer to get out of the SUV. She kept muttering and tripping over the hem of her dress. Quentin wasn't going to point out that it was a show. She was simply needling her brother because it got under his skin.She finally stood next to him and stretched her hands up over her head."Let me guess..." She glanced at the bag in Quentin's hand. "You want me to take that inside while you two chat?"Quentin swallowed the laugh that wanted to bubble up out of him. He'd been expecting Wesley to corner him at some point.Candi glanced at Quentin then Wesley, who was too busy scowling at nothing to look at her."Give me the bag." She reached over and took it from Quentin. "Key?"He handed that to her as well. "We'll be in soon."She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Try to be civil, okay?"Wi
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 353: Candi
Wednesday. Safe House, Roanoke, VA.CANDI PACED THE LIVING room. She'd jumped on the chance to use the washer and dryer to clean her things. Not that the oversized T-shirt and leggings was her favorite outfit, it was just better than a dress if she needed to run for it. Especially out here. A dress would just snag on the fence, trees, rocks. What had her brother been thinking? Seriously? It was already bad enough she was having to play damsel in distress. A dress just made it ridiculous.If Metis had anyone on the inside who actually knew her, this plan wouldn't work.That thought made her pause.Q glanced up, as if he'd heard her thoughts. "What's up?""If Wes is right, and Nadine is working with them, this might not work."Q put the newspaper he'd been flipping through aside. "Perhaps, but I can't help but think that Nadine has a lot more on her plate than worrying about you."She wasn't certain if she should feel comforted or alarmed by that assessment, or that he'd
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 354: Candi
"A box of brownie mix. I was startled, okay?" Candi said in defense.Q shook his head and clicked through the guy's messages. Candi peered over his shoulder.The latest message appeared to be some sort of rejected booty call. But the next message down?She covered her mouth as Q scrolled down to pictures of the both of them. The images were older. She hadn't had hair that short since she worked at the CIA. It was a picture Nadine might have had of her."They sent you to kill her? Or capture her?" Q asked."Fuck you," the boy spat."Hey," Q barked and crossed the kitchen to kneel next to the guy. "You should be careful. We work for the CIA."Could he say that?Candi covered her mouth and hung back. This wasn't in her wheelhouse.Q hadn't even read the kid his rights.She didn't like the creepy crawly sensation she got from that one thought."You work for Metis, don't you?" Q asked the kid.The guy said nothing."These texts prove it." Q turned the phone toward
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 355: Quentin
Thursday. Safe House, Roanoke, VA.QUENTIN PEERED UP THE driveway in the early morning light. His eyes felt grainy,, and he was fairly certain he could sleep for a week after the night they'd had. While they hadn't seen another soul prowling around the house last night, it wasn't from a lack of looking. He'd paced the interior and walked the shadows over a dozen times.It was the paranoia. It had gotten to him.Somehow he'd convinced himself that if he stopped being vigilant for even the smallest moment, that would spell their death.He couldn't allow that to happen.A neon blue hatchback bumped down the road toward him.This time Wesley had let them know he was on his way.Quentin glanced over his shoulder at Candi.She'd lasted until around three before she'd passed out on the sofa. He'd have preferred it if she were upstairs and more protected. However, he'd realized pretty fast after the attack that she wasn't going to leave his side unless he made her.They we
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 356: Candi
Thursday. Safe House, Roanoke, VA.CANDI STILL FELT OFF balance. She wasn't sure if it was from lack of sleep or passing out on the sofa. All she knew was that deep down, she didn't feel like herself. And that was concerning, seeing as what they were about to do."Are you really okay doing this?" Q asked in a low voice."Yeah." She patted the gun stashed just out of sight. "I'm fine. They think I'm going to be dead already. Besides, you'll be here."He still grimaced.Wesley jogged around the corner. "You ready? They should be here any moment."Candi glanced at Q."You got this," he said.She forced herself to smile. "So long as you've got my back.""Of course," he said softly.Wesley glanced over his shoulder. "Come on."Candi lay down in the trunk of the red car. There was more than enough room for her to fit. She knew both men were going to be right there. Still, the moment the trunk slammed down, closing her into the darkness, she couldn't help but feel a s
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 357: Quentin
Thursday.QUENTIN STARED AT THE white, four-door sedan. It had to be twenty years old, but according to the dash, it only had thirty thousand miles on it.Wesley's directions had brought them to a county road just off the highway. There was a gravel drive that led to an area with two awnings. There were half a dozen vehicles here, from a utility truck and van to a two-seater, flashy sports car. It really made Quentin wonder what kind of gig Wesley was running.Candi stood, her bag slung over her shoulder and staring at the car. "I wish we didn't have to rely on my brother for this.""It's good to have people." He felt a pang of guilt.Quentin had people. The Task Force had always pulled through whenever there was an emergency. He just hadn't wanted to rely on them. Now, he regretted not answering at least one or two of those calls."Can we trust him?" she asked."About as much as we can trust anyone."She shook her head. "I just feel like I don't know him."Quentin
Last Updated : 2022-11-24
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Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 374: Quentin, Epilogue
A week later...QUENTIN WISHED HE COULD savor this moment. He slapped the cuffs on the pint-sized asshole who'd had Candi's life in the palm of his hand that fateful night. Was it just a week ago?This should be more satisfying.It was, in a way.Eleven perfectly timed arrests effectively cut off all the heads of Metis. According to Nadine's notes, there was still one unknown head of the organization out there. But they were not alone. Metis itself wouldn't be ordering the death of anyone else. But it didn't bring Nadine back. It didn't restore the time Quentin had lost with Candi. It did make the world a little better, and in the end that's what mattered. Nadine's final acts were all about sacrifice and justice.Quentin stepped back as the FBI agents continued doing their job.He'd been granted permission to be here. As CIA, he had no jurisdiction nor the ability to make an arrest. Still, putting those cuffs on the little asshole felt good.Nadine would be pleased.
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 373: Candi
Sunday. Clementine Baker's Home, Washington, DC.CANDI CLUTCHED Q'S HAND in both of hers. "Is this it?""Yeah," he whispered.They stared at the moderate sized home in a DC suburb. Now and wind pelted them. Her teeth chattered. And yet, it felt good. The bone chilling cold reminded her that she was alive."Are we going to knock?" she asked."No. Come on. The FBI lookouts know why we're here."Q led her through the yard and a side gate. A uniformed police officer sat at the first-floor window watching them. Q nodded. Candi lifted a hand, but let it drop to her side without actually waving."This way."Solar lights chased away the shadows, making it less ominous. In a few hours, the world would wake up to a blanket of new snow. A clean slate.Candi didn't know how to feel right now.On one hand, they'd found Nadine. They'd done what they'd set out to do.But, Nadine was dead. Her final act had been to save Q and give them the means with which to combat two threat
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 372: Quentin
Small hands shoved Quentin sideways a second before bullets erupted into the night.Quentin yelled. It was mixed rage and fear. He staggered sideways, only for Nadine to shove at him again."Move, damn it," she barked.They dove behind the shelter of a single boulder. This side of the creek the ground was rockier.Quentin yanked his sidearm out of his holster and sucked down air.Unlike the men at their back, Quentin didn't have unlimited ammunition. Not unless he took theirs."Give me a gun," Nadine hissed.He still couldn't trust her. "No.""Damn you," she growled."Come out and it'll be quick," a voice called out.Nadine laid a finger across her lips and stared him down.He opened his mouth, but she spoke first."You can't think I'm that stupid," she said. With her other hand she pointed back down the way they'd come.She wanted him to go to the creek?"I think you know what your options are," the man called out.Quentin's head knew he couldn't trust Na
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 371: Quentin
Saturday. Harper's Ferry, VA.QUENTIN KEPT AN ARM right around Nadine and held to the broken stub of a branch. The ground beneath them had started to crumble. He wasn't convinced that they'd keep their perch if he let go.Damn it.Every time they made a move someone was in their path. And it wasn't always the same pair.Were all six circling him and Nadine? Did that mean they'd captured Candi? Or had she gotten away?He'd heard a couple of shots off in the distance. Could it be...?No.He had to keep his mind here and now.Quentin strained to hear anything. A leaf on the wind. The crunch of a boot. Something.To Nadine's credit, even her breathing was soundless.Could he trust her to not turn on him?He didn't think so.She leaned toward him until she could whisper ever so faintly in his ear. "Now."He understood her meaning. They were both watching and waiting for an opening. Words were unnecessary risks.One thing was certain, he could trust Nadine to h
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 370: Candi
Candi's heart raced as she watched the man kneel by the bag and yank the zipper.She lunged left, behind a tree and drew her weapon.Overhead, there was no mistaking the whining whirl of helicopter blades. It might not be anyone friendly, but DC was about a half hour away by air. They'd called Q's contacts about forty-five minutes ago.Could that be help? More enemies? Something else?She didn't know, but she had to hope. She had to believe this wasn't how it was going to end."Hey!" the man barked. "Get back out here.""Keep the cash and let me go, no one has to know." She clicked the safety off the gun.Candi had mostly blocked out the fact that she'd shot and killed someone after being kidnapped. Now, it was on repeat in her mind.Could she do it again?If she got to tell Q she loved him-again-she'd pull the trigger.Her hands shook.The leaves rustled underfoot, allowing her to track the man's movements. She shifted around the tree, keeping it between them.
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 369: Candi
Saturday. Harper's Ferry, VA.CANDI CROUCHED BETWEEN THE rotted out remnants of a tree and a dense holly bush. This was as close as she could get to the house without being seen.Where had Q and Nadine gotten to?Candi had run out of the house, unable to hear anything beyond the blood pumping in her ears. She'd pushed ahead, convinced those men were right behind her. The only thought in her head was that she couldn't lag behind or else Q would have to leave her.Only, it had happened the other way around.She didn't know when or how Q got separated from her, but when she'd paused to turn around and look, he was gone.Her teeth chattered together. Had something been on the news about a cold front? The winter had been awfully mild so far. It would be their luck for snow to settle in today.Please, no...Where were they?She cautiously peered out through the branches.All but one of the men who'd arrived at the house had gone into the woods.Was this a bad idea?
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 368: Nadine
Friday. Harper's Ferry, VA.THIS WAS A DISASTER of her making.The stitch in Nadine's side felt like a knife was being plunged into her. That, or her scar tissue was warning her about the turning weather. The warm spell was most certainly over."This way," Quentin whispered.Her heart twinged.This was her fault.She was going to get this boy killed. And for what?Over the years, she'd lost her focus. She'd become a leaf, being blown about with no respite. She'd done things to stay afloat, things she regretted.Like involving Quentin.He didn't know it yet, but she wasn't leaving this forest alive."Shit," Quentin muttered."What-?"She never got the question out. Her foot slipped on the underbrush then she tripped on a root. Only, the ground wasn't where she thought it should be. She pitched forward and just kept going. Her shoulder hit the steep incline first, then the rest of her. Limbs tore at her clothing. Rocks scraped her skin. Something rubbery smacke
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 367: Quentin
Friday. Safe House, Unknown, VA.QUENTIN HELD TIGHT TO Candi's hand. He kept glancing at her to make sure she was really there and he hadn't imagined her dramatic return. He had the urge to leave Nadine here and run away with Candi, somewhere it would be just the two of them forever.Instead, he secured the front door then stood in the entry staring at her."And here I thought you'd finally grown a brain," Nadine said dryly.Candi held up her other hand, extending just her middle finger in Nadine's direction.Quentin's phone buzzed. He knew before he pulled it out that it was Wesley. Quentin turned the screen toward Candi. She shrugged and didn't offer any insight into what he should say or do.He clicked the answer button and put it on speaker."Wesley, hey.""Is she there?" Wesley's voice was flat, emotionless.Quentin glanced at Candi. "Yeah."Wesley sighed heavily. "Damn it.""You're on speaker," Candi said."Do you have any idea what I sacrificed to help
Aegis Group Task Force Chapter 366: Candi
Friday.CANDI SLUMPED DOWN A bit more. Wesley gripped the steering wheel like he was on a race course. From where she sat, she could see the speed wavering between five and ten over the speed limit.He couldn't wait to get away from Q.Her heart nearly seized up just thinking that.She wrapped her arms around her more tightly, as if she could hold herself together with strength alone.It felt like history repeating itself.She had to leave because of Nadine for her own good.While Q remained where he was.Candi understood his resolve to carry through with his job. She really did. But her heart couldn't help but feel abandoned. Again.Q had chosen Nadine once over her, and now it was happening again.Yes, Candi knew it was different. This was about doing the right thing and protecting themselves."You're awfully quiet," Wesley finally said."Know your audience," she mumbled.He glanced at her. His sunglasses hid his eyes and made it impossible to guess at wh
