The scent of manufactured coconut and daffodil permeated the air. Thick with the heat and humidity of passionate sex, Evann shook himself awake and leaned up on his elbows. He rolled his shoulders and blinked rapidly before looking to his right where Chiaki was sleeping. She breathed a drowsy hum while Evann admired the soft curves of her back. The sheets shifted as he maneuvered back against the headboard, revealing Chiaki’s shapely rear.
A smirk slowly tugged at the corner of Evann’s mouth, and his manhood responded.
Chiaki breathed deep, then looked at him over her left shoulder. She fluttered her eyes, then wiped away the sand that had built up around the corners.
“Good morning,” Evann said.
She returned his growing smile, then turned to her left, allowing her generous bosom to spill forward. Glancing at the mound his shaft was creating under the sheets, she licked her lips and cooed, “Good morning, handsome. Ready for round two?”
Evann leaned forward to kiss her, stopped short by the buzz of his phone on the bedside table. He looked at it, hesitated, then gave her a peck on the lips before moving the sheets off and throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. “Gotta take this, sweetheart. Just a minute.”
“What a shame,” she said with a pouty lilt to her voice. “Well, I suppose I’ll get ready for work, then.”
As Evann scrolled through the notifications on his Centurion-issued phone, he looked over his shoulder to see Chiaki’s retreating backside. Hate to see you leave, but love to watch you go. He returned his attention to the phone, noting a single two-word message: ‘Presence required.’ Centurion—like many of the corporate entities which controlled Bastion—was secretive whenever it dealt with Evann. Being a SPECTRE granted him access to a wealth of information normally withheld from the public. Making sure that information didn’t fall into the wrong hands was a task within itself. For that reason, tasks and missions were delivered in person, never over an electronic device.
Evann sighed and ran a hand over his hair. The night prior was one he wouldn’t soon forget. They’d spent the rest of the prior night visiting arcades and bars and getting to know one another. One thing led to another, and by the end of the night she invited him back to her apartment. Visages of Chiaki’s smooth skin brushing against him and the sensation of her fingernails digging into his skin resurfaced. Lips so soft they were criminal, a giggle so infectious he couldn’t help but tease it out of her. He could see her gasping for air, her intense blue eyes burying themselves into his make.
Chuckling, he shook the thoughts away. Drifting into a sensual daydream could wait for later. He rose from his seat and, after a brief search for his clothes, dressed himself and retrieved his gun from the bedside table. To his relief, the power cell to his gun had lost some of its charge but it was still working. After clicking the cell back into the pocket of the pistol, it responded with an energy charge that read half-full.
“Good. Still works,” he muttered. The pistol didn’t require a power cell to operate. It bore many of the same characteristics that most small arms did, offering traditional explosive-based propulsion systems and allowing the user to change them as they saw fit. The power cell was useful for adding a bit of oomph to his shots and allowed him to fire the weapon with minimal risk of being heard. So, while it wasn’t necessary that the power cell worked, it sure did help when it did.
Evann walked up to the metallic bathroom door, knocking the back of his fist against it. “Chiaki?” The sound of running water reverberated against the door, inviting him to sneak in and shower with her. “I’m going to take off.”
No response. Evann frowned, and as he was about to knock again, the door hissed open slightly, revealing Chiaki’s soaked face. The side of her body was visible, and as Evann’s gaze traveled downward, her curves hypnotized him briefly.
“Eyes up here, babe,” Chiaki said, smirking. Evann returned her expression.
“I’m heading out,” Evann said. The longer he stayed, the more likely he was to ignore the call to action from Centurion. That would not be a good look.
“Will I see you later tonight?” Chiaki said, lowering her voice.
“Depends. I’ll let you know later.”
“Don’t make me wait too long. I might find someone else.” She smacked her lips, then disappeared behind the door as it shut behind her.
Evann licked his lips, nodding. “Right,” he whispered.
He turned on his heel, patting himself down to make sure he had everything he arrived with, then exited her apartment and locked the door behind him.
---
Centurion Headquarters was a very different place during the day. Men and women dressed in business suits and skirts strode from room to room and desk to desk at a brisk pace. Fierce determination lit the eyes of many, their sights set on a goal that they may never achieve. This was when the building truly came alive, and when ideas became reality.
Evann sifted through the crowd on his way to the elevator, gesturing and waving to familiar faces on the way. He looked out of place in his jacket and pants when compared to the suits around him. While his rank allowed him to get away with breaking the rules from time to time, he had to be careful not to make it a habit. It’d been over a month since the last time he walked around without his suit, so he hoped that would suffice.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Just to be on the safe side, I’d best meet the suits in formal attire.
Evann jumped onto the elevator for the highest ranked officials in the building, then slid his card through the reader and pressed the button for his room. There were two others in the elevator with him, and they offered little more than nods and passing glances. The hum of the elevator filled the air, and Evann took a deep breath, hands clasped in his lap. The two men got off on the twentieth floor before the elevator resumed its ascent to his room.
Evann strode at a brisk pace, not wanting to be late. Although the message hadn’t indicated a time, it was paramount that you arrived as soon as possible when Centurion made a request. As far as he was concerned, they were counting every single second he spent doing something else.
A quick change of clothes later, Evann tucked his gun back into its holster, wearing it under his suit. He never liked the feeling of a tie and collar. It felt too restricting, too uptight. As if at any moment the suit could come alive and kill him to assume his identity. Doing a quick doubletake in the mirror, he nodded and exited his room, then continued his rise to the suite.
The elevator dinged after a short trip upwards, the doors sliding open to reveal a woman with fair skin, violet hair, and deep red eyes. She wore a white button-up shirt and blazer. A business skirt accentuated her feminine features, and a red tie with a large golden pin denoted her ranking. She stood at a distance, eyeing at a data pad she has holding in her hand, affording him the chance to depart the elevator and approach to pay proper respect.
“Commander Lara,” Evann said as he stepped out. He proffered her a crisp salute, then stood at attention, his arms held at his sides.
“At ease, SPECTRE Evann,” Lara said as she looked up at him. Evann placed his hands behind his back and relaxed his footing. “Has anyone told you why you’re here?”
“No, ma’am,” Evann said, looking straight ahead. When paying proper respects, it was important not to make eye contact with your superior officers unless otherwise specified.
“Good. The message sent to you this morning was delivered by me.” She turned on her heel and flicked her head down the hallway. “Come with me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Evann followed her down the corridor, taking note of the perfume she was wearing. It was difficult to describe but carried the aroma of someone in charge. Dark, heavy, intoxicating if one smelled it for too long. It accented her power, despite her being a head shorter than him.
As Lara’s heels clicked against the tile, Evann steadied his breathing, following close behind. He’d been through these briefings dozens of times, but each one was just as nerve-racking as the last. The double-edged nature of his job meant no two missions were ever alike. Even if lately they’d all been data retrieval, each group he’d snagged chips from were different and wholly unique. Black market salesmen, prostitutes, con men, murderers, you name it. His mind remained sharp as a result, granting him favorable expressions from his superiors.
“In here,” Lara said after passing the first three sets of doors. She procured a card from her pocket, sliding it through the reader, then leaning forward for a retinal scan. An LED light above the door’s handle turned green, and a chime followed. The door slid open, and she gestured him inside. “Take a seat.”
Evann did as he was told, taking a seat in the leather chair in front of her desk. Lara rounded the dark oak desk, then sat down across from him. Unlike Evann’s chair, Lara’s could be adjusted. From how they viewed one another, she sat higher than he did. The tactic—commonly used to assert dominance—was one he was intimately familiar with.
“You weren’t in your room this morning,” Lara said.
Evann adjusted his posture. “No, ma’am.”
Lara clasped her hands on top of the desk. “Why not?”
“Dealing with personal matters, ma’am.”
Lara observed him for a time. It was mere seconds, but it was long enough that the woman’s cold gaze and sharp features unnerved him. “I would have preferred if you had slept in your room. As you know, Centurion has been suffering from data breaches.” She looked at the data pad to her side, scrolling down the screen. Shortly after, she returned her hands to their prior positions and resumed her stare. “It is fortuitous that the reason I called you here is not for the aforementioned issue.”
“Yes, ma’am. That was short-sighted of me.” Playing a careful balance between living one’s personal life and accepting responsibility was a tough act. Working for Centurion often meant reading between the lines and understanding implied meaning. While he had not been asked to remain in his room, his jobs had been without end as of late. That was hint enough that he shouldn’t have left the building. “I will work harder to correct this action in the future.”
“Yes. See to it.” Lara leaned back and crossed one length leg over the other. Despite being a woman who sat behind a desk during most hours of the day, Evann could tell from the shape of her calf that she was a woman who sought efficiency in all things. Even herself. He’d never seen the woman in anything less than a suit, but he was willing to wager she handle herself in a fight. No commander reached their rank without extensive training and combat knowledge. “As to the reason for why I called you here today…”
Lara stood and walked to one side of the room where the window was. She stared for a time, then glanced at him. “There have been a number of arms dealers spreading misinformation and classified designs for Centurion-issued weapons.” She turned her head and maintained her stare. “We have discovered their hideouts and will be sending you and two other teams down to exterminate them.”
“Is this an ambush?” Evann asked.
“Precisely. Each team will be led by a SPECTRE. You will be working alongside SPECTRE Cyrus. While you and Cyrus flank the main force, another team will infiltrate another of their hideouts and retrieve the data.”
“How many people will I be commanding?”
“Approximately four soldiers will be in your strike team. We predict that the ambush, as well as the experience offered by you and your men, will be sufficient enough to suppress them.”
Evann crossed his arms. “You say ‘suppress,’ but moments ago you said we were eliminating them.”
Lara nodded. “Semantics. Once the perpetrators have been eliminated, and the weapons retrieved, the mission will be considered a success. Prisoners will not be an acceptable course of action. You are to shoot on sight.”
Evann frowned but nodded. “What of the third team?”
“The third team will not be involved in your portion of the mission. Pay them no mind.”
Evann nodded. Sometimes it was best to refrain from asking too many questions. “When should I be ready?”
“Tonight, at twenty-two hundred hours. You will await pickup at your room, where we will take you to the landing pads for transport.” Lara sat on the corner of her desk, and Evann subtly observed her legs. “Failure is not an option, Evann.”
Transport units were not a cheap venture. Only the most crucial of missions used them. Weapon dealers were a problem for all three corporations, but this felt overkill. Something about it didn’t sit well with Evann. “I understand.”
“That will be all. Dismissed.”
