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“And that’s exactly why you will have Kenzie. She will be joining you on your current assignment. Hopefully, she can find leads that are not available to you. She’ll be going undercover as an aging out foster kid and potential victim.” Now this has piqued my interest.
“What, you want to risk your daughter being taken for sex trafficking?” Bishop sounds incredulous and slightly disrespectful considering he’s talking to his boss. I sit up straighter. Oh, this sounds even better than I thought. A new job, and one I can go undercover for.
“Trust me, Kenzie can take care of herself,” Dad assures them, and I decide to add my input because I don’t want them to fuck up my opportunity to do something outside of my normal assignments.
“Yup, remember? Phantom, ghost assassin.” I point to myself, and Dayton frowns, not hiding his annoyance before standing up and pacing back and forth. I hide the smirk that wants to cross my lips. As much as I don’t want to join a team, it seems as if they feel the same way, and I like this little bit of payback. Let them squirm after beating the crap out of me.
“Before you say anything else, let me just get Kenzie up to speed on the case and then I’ll turn the floor over to you. For the time being, she is on your team. If you really feel so strongly against it after the job is done, then we can reassess, but for now, she stays. Who knows, you might be surprised by her.” Dad has his this is final voice on, and I guess the guys have heard it before, because they don’t argue. I’m actually a little excited to hear what the assignment is. My last few were boring.
He turns to me but sits down amongst the guys. “Right, Kenzie, there’s a sex trafficking operation that is targeting girls and boys who are aging out of the foster system. A lot of them get kicked out of their homes when the money dries up from the state, and there are only so many options out there. They also target teenagers in group homes whose time and options are running out as well. Many disappear across the US daily, but in Georgia, it seems to happen almost double the national average. We suspect their base of operations is located there, but we haven’t been able to narrow it down to an exact location. The governor has asked us to get involved as a personal favor. He and I go way back, and he happens to be on one or two of the committees that know about MITHOS. He’s secured you a place at the local halfway house in Summerville, which happens to be his hometown.”
“But... look at her.” Dayton has been fairly quiet, happily pacing back and forth while listening to Dad, but now he stops and points at me. “She can barely get off the bed, let alone defend herself.”
I’m insulted at the insinuation. Sure, I must look like shit, since Miller packs a mean punch, but at least I didn’t lose too much blood this time. I’ll be stiff for a few days from the bangs and bruises, but I’m sure the doctor will give me something that will help with that, and then I’ll be right as rain soon enough. It’s irritating that they won’t give me the credit I deserve, instead viewing me as weak.
“She’ll be fine. Actually, the damage to her face will help sell the story that she had to be removed from her last home.” Dad smiles at me, appearing slightly apologetic, which I’m assuming is due to his enthusiasm over my injuries working well for my cover story... and his part in me getting hurt in the first place. I nod carefully, cognizant of said injuries despite the wicked pain meds in the IV.
“Sounds good to me. Just give me a couple of days for the stiffness to fade, and I’ll be fine. I’m sure Nurse Florence will give me some kickass painkillers.”
Anders snorts at my declaration. “I think it’s going to take a bit more than a few painkillers to get you back up and running.”
“I’m not even sure how you’re going to be able to get out of bed, let alone function in any capacity,” Bishop adds, sounding incredibly skeptical.
“Don’t underestimate me, boys.” I brush off their concerns, though there’s this warm feeling inside of me that suggests I might actually like their worry. Stupid emotions! I’ll examine them later when I’m alone. “After a couple of days of rest, I’ll be good to go. I’ve done it before.”
“See, she said she’ll be fine,” my dad says to Dayton, who throws his hands up in exasperation, but Dad continues, ignoring his outburst. “We think a teacher at the high school may be scouting for them, or someone who is involved with one of the after-school programs. Dayton and Anders have jobs within the community, while Miller, Bishop, and Lathan will be attending high school with you. They have two other team members already established in the community. Between the eight of you, I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out well before Kenzie is targeted and taken.”
“Oh, but if I allow myself to get abducted, we may be able to find out where all the other victims have been taken. This could also result in the assignment being a rescue mission as well,” I suggest, and Team Basilisk looks like they are ready to blow a gasket. Rolling my eyes, I decide to add my feelings to the situation.
“Look, this doesn’t thrill me any more than it does you. I’m used to working alone, used to having to rely on just me, and I prefer it. I won’t fuck up, I won’t miss a shot, I won’t give away my cover. I now have to trust that none of you guys will do the same thing because of some false sense of concern that I can’t handle myself,” I deadpan. “I don’t know how you work. You’ve all been together for years and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. I know nothing, so how about you cut me some slack and we do this job, and once it’s done, you never have to see me again. I’ll regain my ghost status, and you can continue on with your sausage fest or Dad can find you another female you might approve of.”
Although I don’t want to be a part of this team, I’m still hurt that they are arguing so hard against working with me. Is it me, or is it just a new person in general? Either way, it fucking sucks.
Dad stands up again and stretches, his hands coming up to his back as he does. He looks down at the guys, his face hard. “Look, you have no choice in this, so I suggest you accept it quickly and learn to live with it. This is happening, and you will work with one another. I’m not asking you to be best friends, but I need you to do this job. Innocent lives are at risk. We need to stop the sex trafficking. If we plug up this supply, then the assholes have one less. Kenzie will do her part and pass on any information she may get, and I expect you guys to do the same for her.” Dad shakes his head. Now it’s his turn to be exasperated with Team Basilisk’s behavior. “I don’t know why I thought this would work. You are all so set in your ways.” He turns to me. “Kenzie, I’ll be back to pick you up and take you home once Nurse Florence gives me the okay. Mom has your favorite mac and cheese waiting for you.”
“Sadie made mac and cheese?” I see Lathan’s face light up like a kid in a candy store, and I can’t stop the growl that escapes my mouth. He raises his eyebrows in surprise, and I grimace sheepishly.
“It’s my favorite, and I don’t like to share,” I tell him sternly, and he grins cheekily as if he just found a way to irritate me for the fun of it.
“That’s okay, Kenzie, I do.” He winks, indicating he means more than just food, and I feel slightly intrigued. I wonder who he likes to share with.
“Lathan, Sadie made you guys a tray, too, if you want to pick it up on your way home.”
Mom is officially a traitor.
He fist bumps the air. “Yes!”
Anders and Bishop high-five one another. Miller is surly and staring at me with loathing, and Dayton seems troubled but manages a small smile at the guys’ antics. It appears they’ve had Mom’s food before, so my curiosity deepens.
“I’ll leave you all to get to know each other a little better. Why don’t you ask Kenzie some questions so it will make you feel better about her being on your team?” Dad suggests, hopeful that his recommendation will break the tension.
“Temporarily,” Miller growls, and Dad rolls his eyes and throws up his hands.
“That’s it, I’m out of here. I can’t stand listening to you any longer. Get your shit together. I’ll be back in a little while. I need to go find Theseus, and then I’ll be back to get you, Kenzie. Can’t trust my own blasted brother not to snoop through my files when I’m busy.” He waves goodbye to the guys and gives me a kiss on the forehead before he leaves. The door closes behind him, and the room falls into uneasy silence. Wonder-fucking-ful. I’m starting to hurt a little more, so I lean back on my pillow and close my eyes to block out some of the light.
“Ask away. I know you have burning questions, but just know that I’m also owed some answers. I have never gone into a test with so little information about a team. I want to know skills and stats for all of you. None of this redacted shit like the file I was given.” I put an arm over my face to block out even more of the light, but it doesn’t seem to work.
I hear a shuffling sound as someone moves across the room. I should probably be worried that I’m going to get smothered by a pillow, but I also have a scalpel under my body if they try anything. I managed to steal one off the tray when they were distracted by Dad.
