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An array of emotions ranging from sorrow to pride to anger cross all of their faces at my words.
“On the other hand,” Trick starts, “from what Jynx was saying and how we now know she was brought up, which was thoroughly ensconced in this world, she is stronger than most people, and we don’t know for certain that she doesn’t have someone who can pull her out of the darkness, so there’s still every chance that she’s not been turned against us.”
I smile, “Honestly, I think that she’s far too stubborn to be turned against us, and if someone tried, I think it would push her even more on our side.
The guys all chuckle as Rafe replies, “Yeah, that sounds about right. She never had any problem telling any of us off, and looking back; we should’ve known then that she was more than she appeared to be.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Peter grins, “she sounds like she’s going to be my fourth bestie.”
I chuckle. “You’re going to love her. You know you’re so much a part of my life, and it feels like you always have been. Sometimes, I forget that you never met Rylie.”
“I know. I feel like I know her though. You’ve told me so much about her.”
“I’m not surprised,” I reply honestly. “We’ll just do what we usually do, take one day at a time, and be aware that she could have switched sides even though we think it’s unlikely.”
“Sounds good to me,” Rage replies with a smile and then looks down at his watch, “Atlas and you had better start getting ready to go to headquarters. You’re supposed to be picking Jynx up soon.”
“I had no idea that it was that time already,” Atlas says, standing up.
“I shouldn’t be too long, and I’ll meet you down by the front door,” I reply as Atlas nods, and I start to turn around to head up the stairs to grab a couple of my favourite weapons. Before I get far though, a thought occurs to me, and I add, “I feel really bad, but has anyone heard from the parents to say that they got back okay?”
Trick smiles reassuringly in response to my question and replies, “Yeah, Mom messaged and said that they all got home safe and that Rafe’s parents had set off already and were more excited to start this new adventure than she had seen them in years.”
“I’m not surprised; they’ve always talked about traveling the country, and I’m just really glad that they’ve managed to do it,” Rafe says with a fond smile.
“Good, I’m glad they’re all okay and got back alright,” I reply.
“Mom also said don’t work too hard,” Trick adds with a chuckle.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Pete grins, still typing away on his laptop. I’m assuming he’s setting the programs running to see if we can find out what Rylie was doing in the last two towns where she made her check-ins.
I leave them all to it as I take the stairs two at a time and head for my bedside table, where I keep my knives that Atlas gave me at the first Christmas we spent together. They’re my absolute favourites, but I’m very careful about when I take them out. I’m also glad that they are part of a set, so if I do lose one, I have more, not that I wouldn’t be heartbroken if I lost one of them, regardless of whether I have more or not.
As always, I’m excited to go to work. I love what we do, and I also love the part of the job that’s putting the clues together and trying to find the answers. I always get a thrill when I find the right answer, and because of that one answer, several other things that we were unsure about fall into place.
I love it.
“Are you ready?” Atty asks me as I reach the bottom of the stairs and find him waiting by the door for me, holding my jacket out to me.
Turning around so that he can help me into it, I reply, “Yep, I’ve got one of my favourites with me.”
He chuckles and then spins me around, ducking slightly so that he can kiss me thoroughly before he steps back, his thumb gently rubbing across my cheekbone. “I love that you love the weapons I got you. I was so nervous to give them to you.”
“I love them,” I reply, and then turn around and yell, “we’re off! Love you!”
“Love you too,” is the chorus of replies that I get, and it makes me beam with happiness.
The drive to Jynx’s house, and it is her house now that she’s brought it, is a lot slower than it usually is simply because of the ice and snow on the roads. The roads are going to be like this for the next couple of weeks at least before things start to thaw a bit and the snow turns to rain, which can be far more challenging to deal with if you have to work out in it, but is just as cozy if you don’t have to leave the house. I am definitely more of a fall and winter kind of person; I get a bit cranky in the heat, I’m not made for it.
“Hey, what did Pete say? Did we find out anything interesting?” Jynx asks as soon as we’re on our way.
“Not really. He’s going to set up facial recognition in the towns at the last two check-ins she made, and we’ll see if we can try to make sense of her movements.” I explain.
Atlas then goes on to explain everything in more detail, including bringing up the fact that she could have switched sides, especially with what we know about this Erebus Hunt and the power that he wields. Like me, although she doesn’t like the idea and thinks that Rylie wouldn’t be able to be swayed like that, she also knows that it is possible because anything is possible and that we need to be aware of it.
Headquarters is still reasonably quiet since it's only a couple of days after Christmas, but it is busier than I imagine that most places are this soon after Christmas.
“Do you know if Raiden and the guys are going to be here today?” Atlas asks me. There’s no doubt that after the last job, we’re all even closer than we were before; there’s an even greater level of trust between us.
