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“Well, Cohen and I thought it would be a good idea for us all to be connected. So, I got us some smartwatches, and he’s going to program them so we can always find one another no matter where we go. It only works if we wear them, but it’s better than nothing.”
“You did that for me?” I asked, looking between Cohen and Milo.
“Of course, sweetheart. I trust the Order, but it doesn’t mean there’s not something going on where we’re worried about your safety. I’ve programmed a lot of cool features where you can reach out to any of us and let us know if you’re in trouble, need help, etc.”
We spent the rest of the night going over the tech, and like the nerd I was, I couldn’t wait to play around with it. Before too long, it was time to pack and get some sleep before we started on our long journey. I hadn’t expected my mission to turn out this way, but as I smiled into my pillow, I knew I was glad. Now, if I could only figure out what Blackhawk’s message meant.
Twenty
FINLEY
After spending a day traveling,I was wiped and ready to crash onto the nearest soft surface. It had nothing to do with the increase in my sex life. Nope.
We’d only gotten a few hours of sleep before the alarm went off, spurring us all into motion as we got ready. First up had been a flight on a private plane, which was my new favorite way to fly, taking us up north. From there, it was a three-hour drive by car through mountains, firmly making it my least favorite way to travel. I'd be happy if I never saw a sign for a switchback curve again.
When we all finally stepped out of the SUV, I didn’t know who was happier to have it over with. We all looked a little green around the edges from motion sickness, except for Cohen, who’d been driving and seemed to take delight in our plight.
“Come on, I’m famished,” he said, patting his stomach. The thought of food had me clutching my stomach again as nausea rolled through me.
“Yeah, pass.”
Cohen chuckled, walking toward me. “Come on, sweetheart.”
He took my hand, leading me toward the ominous-looking building. Though, if I imagined a secret facility for a place, this wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned. It was concrete and looked like a place people went to die a slow death as a taxidermist or something.
Asa and Milo trailed behind us, both quiet as well. I didn’t know if we were all nervous, nauseous, or just plain tired, but the conversation had been at a minimum all day as we’d traveled. I’d been sucked into my own thoughts, so I wouldn’t focus on all the varying reasons why no one was speaking. Nope, I wasn’t going to spiral in a million directions. I wasn’t going to do it.
“You ready?” Cohen asked, breaking my cycle of thoughts.
“Yeah.” I glanced over my shoulder, finding Asa and Milo nodding.
Cohen squeezed my hand and knocked on the door. A screen appeared, surprising me. But when I really thought about it, it shouldn’t have. If this place was as high-tech as I expected, they would have the most advanced technology.
Cohen’s face was scanned, and then he placed his hand on the pad. Once he was done, he turned, looking at all of us. “You’ll need to scan as well. Biometrics of everyone in the building are recorded for safety precautions.”
Nodding, I stepped up, the screen flashing over my face. I could feel the warmth of the laser as it scanned, and I hoped it wasn’t exposing me to radiation or anything. Once it beeped, an outline of a hand popped up, and I placed mine over the screen. Once it was done, my name appeared with my date of birth on the screen.
Stepping back, I made room for Asa and Milo to go through the process. Once the four of us had passed, the door beeped louder, a hissing sound emerging as it opened.
“Was that sealed?” I asked, and Cohen looked at me, nodding. He had a smile on his face I hadn’t seen before, and I could tell he was happy to be here.
“Yeah. Security is top-notch. All the tech here is absurd. I can’t wait to show you some of it. Come on.” Again, he grabbed my hand, pulling me over the threshold. Excitement vibrated through his whole body. I wondered if he’d been electrocuted for a second.
The interior didn’t match what I expected, either. It was a stainless steel room with no personal effects. There wasn’t a desk or any furniture. Just an elevator bay at the back. Cohen walked toward it, and I peeked over my shoulder at the other two. They were both looking around as I had, looks of confusion plastered on their faces. Asa caught me watching and raised his shoulders.
The elevator opened as we approached, and we stepped in. There weren’t any buttons to push, so it was a little unnerving when the doors shut and it began to move. Cohen watched me, a smile on his lips. Scrunching up my face, I gave up, trying to figure it out, and sighed.
“How?”
With a short laugh, he pointed to the camera in the elevator's corner. “Someone is watching and knows where people are meant to be. It will only go to the floor you’re authorized to be on at a specific time.”
“Phew, I was beginning to think it was a magic elevator or something,” Milo said, blushing.
“I mean, it kind of is,” Asa replied. “Who’s to say tech isn’t magic in some form?” He shrugged his shoulders, completely serious.
“You’re a nerd,” I gasped, slapping his muscular arm. “I never realized it because you hide it so well. But under all the brawn and goldness is a bona fide nerd!”
This time, it was Asa’s turn to blush as he shrugged his shoulders, not responding. The elevator began to slow, and we all stopped talking, unsure of what to expect when the doors opened. So far, it had been sterile, quiet, and devoid of people. I couldn’t imagine an entire order being that way. There had to be people somewhere, right?
