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Chapter 468: Monday. Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom.
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Aegis Group Chapter 469: Monday. Unknown, London, United Kingdom.
EKKO STARED AT THE concrete floor. It had that artfully distressed look that went with the exposed brick and rustic ceiling beams, but was at odds with the stainless steel kitchen and stark white furniture.Why white?Why would anyone want white furniture?For one, it was boring.Second, it would get dirty and shabby in no time.Third, why the fuck did she care?Chayan was gone.Arrested.For a crime he hadn't necessarily committed. She'd gotten the passport. Not him. But he'd used it knowing it wasn't real.This was her fault.If she'd left well enough alone, he would have worked through his grief on his own. Yes, his home life would have been lonely. Chances were he'd get depressed, but couldn't talk about it for fear of bringing on the attention of the DSS.She cradled her head in her hands.If she'd never engaged in this plan those kids from the article would merely be grumbling under their breath.Why had she ever said anything?Ekko had seen firsthand how far Dauria
Aegis Group Chapter 470: Tuesday. Heathrow Airport, United Kingdom.
SILAS PEERED OVER THE top of his phone and the glasses.No sign of the targets. Yet.Earlier that morning he'd managed to crawl out of bed without waking Ekko when his phone had gone off. It was news he'd been hoping for.Someone had identified their DSS operatives.Igney and Pasley Bootur.Despite the men sharing the same surname, they weren't related. In fact, it was telling.Chayan had explained while lecturing about the DSS that children taken in before the age of five were stripped of family surnames and given one of a few state names. The Bootur surname came from the Yakut people, one of many who had contributed to the Daurain population. The name had been selected for two purposes. The first Minister of Public Affairs had roots that went back to the Yakut people, and the name meant protector. Since many of the protective service members were children conscripted from the state-run orphanages, the surname was a brand setting those kids apart. Bootur was also the name given
Aegis Group Chapter 471: Tuesday. Unknown, London, United Kingdom.
SILAS NARROWED HIS GAZE, every fiber focused on the car ahead of them.Was the car actually stopping or was this another slow their roll then go?Vito had been forced to follow at a much greater length. They were currently almost a city block away around the corner waiting at a stop sign."Someone's coming up behind us," Paxton said, drawing attention to the unsuspecting driver who was likely just trying to get somewhere.Ahead of them the doors on the silver car opened.Silas threw his door open."Down the street, around the corner and back," Brett said to Vito, ignoring both Silas and Paxton getting out of the car.They couldn't follow the car and they couldn't let the people out of sight. Which meant they had to take a risk and go on foot.Each of them had traded jackets with the other two men. Disguises didn't have to be elaborate. All they had to do was look slightly different to fade into the background.Silas and Paxton fell into step, both watching the four men gatheri
Aegis Group Chapter 472: Tuesday. Safe House, London, United Kingdom.
IGNEY FOLLOWED THE MAN down the cramped hall. Their driver had only introduced himself as Li, a name Igney doubted was real.The hall was ancient. Bricks were missing in places with the holes sealed in with more concrete or plaster. It was barely wide enough to walk without his shoulders brushing. Pasley must have to walk almost sideways.Just where were they going?Igney bit his tongue to keep from asking more questions. It was obvious after the initial greeting that these two men weren't going to divulge details. Igney wasn't even sure why the two Chinese men were the ones to pick them up at the airport. There was a whole contingent of DSS in the city. Why hadn't they come?One thing Igney did know about the men who'd picked them up from the airport was that they were killers. It was the way they moved, how they looked at a person. Igney knew both had killed before.The tunnel seemed to go on forever. Or maybe it just seemed that way because of the tight confines.There were tw
Aegis Group Chapter 473: Tuesday. Safe House, London, United Kingdom.
PASLEY TRIED TO IGNORE the pointed stare of the man who'd called himself Li. The man was just staring at the side of his head."You are Pasley, correct?" Li asked."Yes," Pasley said, keeping his attention on Igney as he demanded answers from Chayan."Is that a common name?""I don't know.""How long have you been tracking this man?"Why the sudden chattiness? Why was the man interested in Pasley?Igney punched Chayan in the gut. Pasley resisted the urge to wince. Igney didn't know how to do things in half measures. He wouldn't have held back.Li continued staring at Pasley's profile.What did he want to know?Pasley knew that the Chinese offered support to the Daurian government. In many things they worked together closely. Including cyber security.Was it possible he'd done something, even by mistake, that would make him a person of interest? Were there questions about him?"The restrooms." Pasley turned his head. "Where are they?"The man directed Pasley down a hall and
Aegis Group Chapter 474: Tuesday. Safe House, London, United Kingdom.
SILAS' HEART THROBBED IN his throat. He caught sight of Chayan ahead of them down a continuation of the subterranean hall through a group of people.Who was the other victim? Was there someone else?Was Ekko okay?He shoved the last whisper of fear aside."What's happening?" Brett demanded."On three," Paxton said in a steady tone.Neither actually counted out loud. They'd worked together for so long that Silas could feel the count under his skin.One...Silas picked his target. The man on the right holding back.Two.Paxton would obviously focus on the left side.Three...Silas fired in unison with Paxton, but it was Silas who moved first. He darted forward. The remaining two men hovering over the downed man whirled, but Silas was already on them."Fucking, fuck, fuck, fuck," Brett growled over the headset.The man on the right struck out before Silas could fire.It was that guy. Iggy or whatever his name was. From the park.Silas' right arm smacked against the wall. H
Aegis Group Chapter 475: Tuesday. CIA Safe House, London, United Kingdom.
EKKO PACED THE LENGTH of the bar, back and forth, her eyes locked on a shirtless Silas leaning against the kitchen counter.He'd gone and gotten himself hurt.The idiot man.Silas' face scrunched up."What are you doing?" She braced her hands on the bar.Paxton glanced at her. "Making the stitches tight.""Do you have to?" She gestured at Silas. "Look at his face.""He's a wimp," Paxton said."I'm a wimp?" Silas snorted though his voice was strained. "Should I tell her about that one time I had to..."Paxton's scowl silenced Silas. "We agreed we were never talking about that."Silas merely grinned and winked at her.How was he so cavalier about this?She should go to him. She should help.Except she was banned from the kitchen for trying to help.Ekko wrapped her arms around herself and forced herself to watch.She'd woken up alone, fuzzy headed and with nothing but a two sentence note informing her about where everyone had gone.That had been hours ago. She'd been read
Aegis Group Chapter 476: Tuesday. CIA Safe House, London, United Kingdom.
SILAS RESISTED THE URGE to follow Ekko down the hall. She was just going to the bathroom. They were leaving in minutes. She'd be fine. Still, he couldn't silence this urge that told him to go to her. Stay with her just in case someone else tried to snatch her from him.God, he was pathetic.His mind rejected that thought no sooner than it had formed.This thing with her, this partnership, it wasn't pathetic. It was special. He just didn't know what to do about it."How do the stitches feel?" Paxton leaned on the counter across from him and twisted the top off a water bottle.Silas glanced back at his best friend and partner. "Fine. You do good work, nerd."Paxton studied Silas. It was a calculating look, parsing Silas down to his parts and weighing him. In the very beginning when they'd met, Silas hadn't liked that look. It had made him uneasy, which had driven him to poke at the then silent kid. That poking had turned into an initial dislike, but they'd gotten over it. Even that
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Aegis Group Chapter 490: Epilogue.
Two months later. Ekko's Apartment, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.EKKO STARED AT THE table with the spread of food laid out.Was there enough? Did she need more? Would Coco and Paxton like it?She reached out and adjusted the tray of cheese so it was at more of an angle instead of perfectly aligned to everything else.It looked too neat."Stop." Silas took her hand and spun her toward him, capturing her against his chest with strong arms around her waist."It looks like I'm trying too hard." She smoothed her hands up and over his shoulders."Stop. It's just Paxton and Coco.""Your best friend and his fiancé, who I haven't met yet.""What?" Silas' face scrunched up. "You've talked to her dozens of times.""In the background of you and Paxton talking. That doesn't count." She pulled away from him and proceeded to turn dishes a little this way and that."You do realize Coco spends most days digging in elephant shit and stuff, right?""Silas." She scowled at him."What?" He gr
Aegis Group Chapter 489: Thursday. New York Hospital, New York.
IT FELT LIKE THE weight Silas had been carrying around in his gut had now attached itself to his eyelids. He floated in darkness, no longer asleep but not yet awake. Someone had called this twilight once, though he couldn't recall who. Something wouldn't let him go back to sleep. There was something he needed to do. It was urgent.What the hell was it?That nagging question hounded him as he ever so slowly gathered his strength.He wasn't aware of time or how long it took to wrestle one eyelid open, but at long last he peered out of his darkness into...more darkness.Well that was just dandy. What the fuck?He blinked that one eye again, letting his vision adjust. He was in a room and there was a light on, it just didn't do much.Machines beeped and whirled around him.That was a sound he could never mistake and it told him the first piece of his puzzle. From there the others fell into place, one after another.He was still in the hospital.He'd been hurt.There was a fight.
Aegis Group Chapter 488: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO CLUNG TO THE stretcher bearing Silas out to the parking lot.She hadn't realized how bad his injuries were. He was barely keeping his eyes open. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she kept pace with the two paramedics. Silas covered her hand with his as they came to a stop at the bumper of an ambulance.Paxton, Brett and Vito were sitting inside. They were worse for wear and grim, but seemed okay.All around them police were marching uninjured people they'd arrested to sit in a line next to a chain-link fence blocking the sidewalk. The night was lit up with swirling lights that made her head spin."Where's Chayan?" she asked. Her heart was tearing in two, aching for both men.A little distance away an ambulance took off, sirens blaring. She hoped it was the one with Pasley in it."Ma'am, I need to look at that wound," a paramedic said to her.She held tight to Silas' hand. "What about Chayan? Older man, little taller than me? Salt and pepper hair?"Silas had said he was fine.
Aegis Group Chapter 487: Wednesday. New York City, New York.
IGNEY PACED IN A circle, looking down each hall in turn.Where were they? Had he miscalculated? Were they willing to lose the woman so long as they got the man?His orders were clear. Get both the man and the woman.The woman was a symbol. Too many young people had taken to the streets because they listened to others like her.The man though, he knew things.Killing the woman was personal. Chasing her had cast him in a bad light. But the man was more important in the grand scheme of things."Fuck," Igney muttered. He glanced at a pair of men striding for the doors. "You. Come here."The men never glanced at him. Because they didn't understand him?He whirled to face Alban. "Where are the others?""I don't know where Delem and Michil are." He grimaced. "I haven't heard from them since we split up to search the building."That wasn't good.Igney had heard a lot of gunfire. Was it possible the other men he'd brought with him were dead?If both Chayan and Pasley escaped, leavin
Aegis Group Chapter 486: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO'S ONE OFFENSIVE ATTEMPT was an utter failure. Her head spun and she was going to be sick.This wasn't good.She felt like a ragdoll being drug around, first by Igney then another man she didn't recognize. He spoke Daurian though which could only mean one thing.He was London DSS.Her body chilled. Was that from fear or the blows to the head? She didn't know anymore."Come find me, Pasley, or your little bird dies," Igney cackled into the radio.She tasted bile.Pasley had called her little bird back in the park.Igney cackled like a bad movie villain. The man was enjoying this. He was getting off on torturing them all.What about Silas?Pasley was with him.If Pasley told Silas, if he knew, they would come for her. Silas was determined to bring them all home and to keep her safe. But if he did, if he came to her rescue, Igney would kill them. Igney needed her and Chayan. Which meant he couldn't kill her here and now. It was an empty threat. Wasn't it? Did she dare belie
Aegis Group Chapter 485: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS PUSHED HIS GROUP hard as they traversed the second floor. The sun had fully set, plunging them into complete darkness where there weren't windows or other lights.This building was a damn maze, and every turn they needed was blocked by too many people to fight their way through.There had to be more than the fifteen or so they'd estimated. More like thirty.This wasn't good.What about Ekko? Where had the others gone to?He'd hoped getting down here meant they would find her and Paxton, but so far all they'd found were a few bodies. At least they knew Paxton and Brett were eliminating the other side. But no one had taken the ammo or guns. Why? When resources were this precious, why not take them?Could they have gotten free? Did he dare hope?Something thumped in the darkness. Like a heavy footfall.Silas cursed himself as he skidded to a stop. He didn't see anything, but his gut screamed at him. He pivoted and threw himself at Chayan, shoving the other man aside. Silas w
Aegis Group Chapter 484: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
THE DARKNESS FELT AS if it were swallowing her.Ekko clung to the back of Paxton's shirt like he'd directed. She couldn't shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?They'd been separated before she realized what was going on.Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them."Stay close." Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn't want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen."Will you cut that out?" Paxton yelled behind them.He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap betw
Aegis Group Chapter 483: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS GRIT HIS TEETH to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn't like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn't know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn't good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out."Which way did they bring you up?" Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. "We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?""Different way." Silas grimaced. "Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?"Brett grimaced. They'd been hooded when they arrived. "Hard to say.""Let's assume at least the three that came in here plus one o
Aegis Group Chapter 482: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO STARED IN SHOCK, her head spinning as the men left the room again."S-Silas?" she whispered so softly she barely heard herself.He slumped sideways groaning.Had that man-that monster-just stabbed Silas?"Man, Silas, dude, talk to us." Paxton had scooted forward, his arms extended behind him, attention on Silas."I'm fine." Silas' voice was strained. "Brett, Vito, how are you two?""Alive," Brett groaned."Vito? Man?" Silas shook his head and sat up straighter."Fine."This was it.Ekko swallowed.They'd done everything and in the end, they were outplayed.The DSS would kill them. She wasn't sure why they hadn't already, but she didn't doubt that death was the final move. All of these people, they were going to die because she'd been arrogant. She'd thought she knew what she was doing, when in fact she hadn't a clue.A sob tore out of Ekko making her already aching head pound harder."Ekko?" Silas called out. "Ekko, listen to me, this is going to be okay. Pax?"A ch
