Desmoterion, page 14
Trent glanced up. “No, sir. I acted out of line and should be sanctioned.”
“Good, that’s what I wanted to hear. The next mission is another undercover operation for recruits. Yet another male sex ring has appeared in the wake of Misha Petrov’s disappearance.”
“So they’re going to pose as waiters again?”
“No, they’re going to be some of the merchandise. We’ll be able to track them to the principal base and eliminate it.”
Trent stared at his leader. “They’re going to be sex slaves?”
“Correct, for the time being, at least. We don’t plan on having them there longer than it takes to locate their signal.”
Trent shook his head. “No recruit will want to take part in such a thing. They’ll push back when they find out what will happen to them.”
The leader raised an eyebrow, a half smile on his lips. “What makes you think we’ll tell them? It’s an undercover mission, and that’s what you’ll tell them, nothing more. We need them to act as they would if they were innocents picked up off the streets, which these types of rings like to do. If they know in advance, they will ruin it like Colin did the previous time.”
“They’ll be brutalized in the process. How will that help them in the long run? They might just come back here after the mission and try something stupid.”
The leader looked Trent square in the face, unfazed by the ever-present tinted glasses that shook and disarmed many people. “They aren’t likely to be returning. We only need them to find the base. That said, find two recruits that are underperforming compared to other recruits. Those who don’t excel in training are expendable.”
“And if they excel during the mission? Will you still eliminate them?”
The leader sat back in his leather chair to study Trent’s face. “Why does it matter? Anyone who underperforms here is useless to us. I don’t care what happens in the field as long as they lead us to what we want.”
Trent’s jaw clenched. “Very well. I’ll consult Mike to identify which recruits have been underperforming.”
“So no poor quality recruits spring to mind. You should be familiar enough with all of them to recommend them yourself. You’ll remedy that, I assume?”
Trent pushed the overwhelming emotions to the side. The last thing he needed was another outburst to give his leader another reason to punish him further. “Yes, when I’ve looked over the next mission.”
The leader got up from his desk. “Good, you’re dismissed. I believe Kannan should arrive soon.”
Trent swallowed hard but didn’t respond. That’s what their leader was looking for, another outburst or showing any emotion toward Girish. Instead, he got up and said, “I’ll be reviewing the new mission details in my office if you need me.”
* * *
Arden, Emyr, and Girish trudged through the hallway from the vehicle.
Girish walked in a daze, unable to think of anything besides shooting a small child. He was no better than the sex rings they were desperate to stop. Killing something so innocent was the worst of the worst and usually got you killed in prison.
Arden stopped short when he reached the opening, immediately standing up straight.
Emyr bumped into him. He turned in time to see why Arden was at attention and quickly followed suit.
“Kannan, I’d like to meet with you.”
The sound of his name snapped Girish out of his sleepwalk and his eyes widened at the sight of the red-haired man from before. He was the leader of their organization and not one to mess with. “Me, sir?”
“Yes, follow me to my office on the second floor. We have some things to discuss.”
“Where’s Trent?” Girish looked around the area.
“That’s not your concern.”
Emyr exchanged glances with Arden.
Girish shook his head. “Trent is my supervisor. Shouldn’t he be here too?”
“Trent is no longer your supervisor. I am now.”
Confused by his feelings, Girish took a deep breath. He should feel pleased the man he hated was no longer his supervisor, but their leader might be worse. But after the murder of a child, what did anything matter?
The last thing he needed was resorting to yelling at the one man who could decide his fate, so he asked calmly, “Did you kill him?”
The leader smiled. But Girish didn’t find it reassuring. “No, I have not eliminated Trent. He’s assigned to something else for now. We have a meeting to attend if you’re done with all these questions.”
Girish gave Emyr and Arden a concerned glance before nodding at the leader and following down the hallway.
Emyr glanced up at Arden. “What the hell happened to Trent?”
“I don’t know, but I’d rather him as my boss than the leader.”
* * *
Girish eyed the leader’s sparse office. There was only a large wooden desk and two chairs in front of it.
The leader moved over to sit behind his desk. “Have a seat, Kannan.”
The hard plastic chairs were not made for comfort or long visits and gave an impression of the inferiority of any visitors to the leader’s office.
The leader studied Girish’s confused face. “I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re meeting.”
Girish shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it’s to tell me I’m scheduled to be killed after murdering a child and missing my target.”
“You’re wrong. What happened earlier was very unfortunate; you missed but Arden rectified it afterward. We don’t kill someone after one misstep on an otherwise successful mission.”
“But a child died because of me.”
“Unfortunate collateral damage.”
“But that’s not my only screw-up.” Girish sat back in his hard, uncomfortable chair. “I almost killed Misha Petrov.”
The leader smiled wide again. “Yes, that’s true, but he was delivered alive. They were two successful missions. Now, you’re actually here to talk about Trent.”
“Trent? What about him?”
“Tell me about your relationship with him.”
Girish folded his arms across his chest. “What relationship? He treats me like garbage all the time. If that’s called a relationship, then remind me never to get in another one.”
“He has made no other overtures toward you? It could be anything from touching you more than normal to talking to you differently.”
Girish hesitated, thinking back to when Trent tied his bow tie for the undercover mission. That would be considered acting out of character for Trent, but should he even reveal such a thing?
“I’m waiting, Kannan. Did he ever make overtures toward you?”
“Sorry, sir, just trying to think of anything, but no, sir.”
The leader’s eyebrow went up. “Are you sure about that?”
Girish bit his lip and nodded. “Yes.”
“Well, you don’t look sure. I will tell you that fraternizing with other team members is strictly forbidden. The penalty is death, as your fellow recruit Jaxon found out.”
“Trent and I aren’t like that. The only way we’ll get physical is by fighting. As I said before, he talks down to me. That’s the only time I see him is when he’s either interrupting my training or calling me to his office. It’s never gone beyond that.”
“But you have feelings for him?”
Girish frowned. “Feelings of dislike. He doesn’t like me, and I don’t like him.” He thought back to when they fought last in front of Mike, the rush of energy from the physical exertion and the sudden desire to kiss Trent after it was over. It took several cold showers to calm down after that. At this point, he couldn’t figure out what he felt for Trent. It was half hate, half pity, and half a suppressed erotic desire that Girish would never admit to.
“If something is going on between the two of you, there are ways of finding out. Every single room has a camera to it, including the crew quarters.”
Girish flushed, wondering if someone was watching him jerk off in the mornings and at night. “It’s not like that. In fact, I don’t even think Trent is capable of loving anyone. He’s never shown feelings or fondness for anything at all. He’s like a robot, I suppose that’s why he’s good at this work.”
“So then you have no feelings for him?”
“No. Other than wanting to smash his face in, no.” Girish wondered how many times he’d be asked the same question and how many different ways he’d find to answer it.
The leader sat back in his chair. “Good, that’s what I wanted to hear. As it is, you’ll be reporting to me from now on. I want you to watch Trent from a distance via those cameras I mentioned earlier. I suspect he’s planning something, and I want to know about it before it happens.”
“You want me to spy on him? Can’t someone else do that?”
“I’m choosing you because of the history between you. I know he’s riled you up on more than one occasion. You’ve confirmed what I suspected, and this gives you a chance at getting back at him; let him fall by his own actions.”
“I don’t know. I mean, I don’t particularly like Trent, but isn’t this a little over the top?”
The leader shook his head. “It needs to be done now, as I don’t trust Trent any more. He’s plotting something, possibly with Leclercq or Laurent, and I want to know what. This is your next task, and you’ll do it to the best of your abilities.”
Girish sighed. “Fine. What do I have to do?”
“Have you ever noticed that hallway near Emyr’s area to the left? That’s where our surveillance offices are. I will have them set you up with one.”
“So it’s just when he’s wandering around the area? Not when he sleeps?”
The leader smiled. “If he’s sleeping, that means you should be asleep. He can’t plot things in his dreams.”
Girish wondered if that was true. Some of Girish’s dreams had been vivid and detailed.
“Go back to your quarters for now. Someone will come by later for training.” He stopped to look deep into Girish’s eyes. “Though I will remind you not to engage with Trent at all. I don’t care what he says to get your attention. You are to ignore him and continue on your way. Is that clear?”
Girish swallowed hard. Could he ignore Trent? “Understood.”
“Good, then you’re dismissed.” Before Girish made a move, the leader added, “One more thing, Kannan. If you tell anyone about what I’ve just told you, you’re as good as dead. I will see to it myself.”
* * *
Trent watched Mike’s morning class from the second-floor balcony. The lack of Girish did not surprise him. Their leader was keeping them apart for a reason, not knowing the reason bugged Trent no end. Was Girish replacing him? Was it for something else like spying?
He hadn’t thought about the spying angle until now, but it would make sense. If it was true, that meant Trent had done something to make the leader suspect something was up, assuming Trent was the target at all. His luck, Girish was tasked with watching over the supervisors like Emyr, Mike, or Kipper.
Mike looked around his group and then glanced up at Trent. “Where is Kannan?”
“I don’t know. The last I heard, he had a meeting with our leader.”
Mike snorted at the statement. “Aren’t you his supervisor?”
“Not any more.”
Mike angled his head, and his eyebrows rose.
Girish hurried into the area and took his position. “Sorry, I overslept.”
Mike grinned at Girish. “Then you get to be my partner for being late.”
Girish smiled back. “I welcome it.”
* * *
Wondering which two recruits to sacrifice to the next mission and finding it impossible to choose, Trent headed downstairs to talk to Mike after his class.
As Trent approached, Mike called out, “Hey, Kannan, where the hell are you going? The crew quarters are back this way.”
Trent watched Girish head for the hallway that led to the surveillance rooms. There was an answer: Girish had to be spying on someone inside.
“Girish!” Mike turned back to Trent. “What the hell is going on, Trent?”
Trent opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by another person’s voice.
“That is not your concern, Leclercq. Kannan is doing what he’s told.”
Mike glanced up at their leader standing on the second floor. “You’re his supervisor now?”
“I am, and you won’t interfere with Kannan going about his tasks.”
Mike shrugged. “I have no intention of doing that. I was just wondering why he was going into a secure location without an escort. That area is forbidden unless that’s changed?”
“It hasn’t changed, but Kannan has my permission.”
“Then the mystery is solved. I apologize for trying to impede his progress.”
Trent waited until the leader had left the area before whispering, “The question is, who is Girish watching?”
“It isn’t me, that’s for sure!” Mike laughed and walked away from Trent towards the door.
* * *
Girish swallowed hard, opening the door to his new office and headed for the desk. Monitors surrounded it from all sides, seeing everyone who milled about in the open areas and some in their quarters.
A console sat on the desk to switch between the cameras to follow someone to other rooms.
There wasn’t much to it after he learned how to switch between the monitors without losing someone. After that, it was just watching for Trent to do something odd.
Girish searched the monitors for Trent before stopping on the training area. Trent and Mike stood in front of each other, talking. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he had the ability to zoom in to see their lips.
It’s too bad Girish had no clue how to read lips. He’d have to figure it out before too long if he wanted to catch Trent saying something incriminating.
From the way the two were talking, it was more than likely about how the recruits were progressing. It was just a casual conversation between supervisors. Neither was in a stance to indicate anything controversial.
Trent’s lips were particularly red. Girish had noticed it the first time he saw Trent’s face when they busted him out of prison, but this close-up was enough for him to study them further. Trent tended to talk out of one side of his mouth that Girish never noticed before because, most times, he was too focused on fighting back.
A rush of heat filled Girish’s body, but he tried to ignore it. This wasn’t the time he’d thought about kissing those red lips. The leader must never find out about it.
* * *
Trent turned to Mike. “The real reason I’m here is I need to pick two recruits for a mission. You know them better than I do, so I wanted your input.”
Mike touched his chest. “You’re asking for my help? Be still my beating heart.”
“I haven’t been watching classes that much, so I’d be picking blindly.”
“And I’ve missed your cheery disposition.”
Trent’s eyebrows rose.
“So what kind of mission are we talking about? Grunt work? Undercover?”
Trent hesitated before answering. He shouldn’t tell Mike anything about the mission, but it would help them pick someone. “It’s undercover, but it’s likely to fail. Is there anyone underperforming?”
Mike itched at his beard. “I have Saunders, he’s behind everyone. Not as bad as Jaxon was, but he lacks in abilities.”
“Okay, then I’ll pick him. Got another one?”
Mike shook his head. “Not really. Saunders is pretty much a case on his own in this batch.”
Trent thought for a moment. “Any recruit you don’t particularly like? Someone who might be trouble?”
It was Mike’s turn to look curious.
“I mean, it’s a mission that’s likely to fail, so if there was someone you didn’t like, you could get rid of them, potentially. Not that I would suggest such a thing, of course. But some lucky recruit has to go.”
Mike chuckled. “Subtle, Dupont, subtle. There’s always Stevenson. He’s always been a pain in my ass, and I don’t like his attitude. Hell, that’s why I put him with Girish, so I can watch him get his ass kicked by a more advanced student.”
“You do know that working with Girish will make him a better student.”
Mike snorted, shaking his head. “Not Stevenson. He’s all ego and no substance. He thinks he’s better than others and will point it out every chance he gets, but then gets beaten by Girish every single time.”
“Which one is Stevenson?”
“He’s the dishwater blond guy with a few prison tats on his arm.”
Trent frowned. Would they pick up obvious prison residents for sex slaves? He assumed they’d go after young men with no experience.
“What is it?”
Trent sighed. “He won’t fit the bill unless his prison tats disappear.”
“Then make the tattoos disappear. We have surgical bays for that sort of thing.”
Trent stroked his beard. “That might just work. Though I’d have to get permission from the leader, I’d assume.”
“Or have Stevenson get injured with a weapon. He is far enough to start weapons training. I’d have to get someone good enough to hit him in the right arm with the prison tats enough to scrap the tats but not to take off his arm.”
“I assume that’s an obvious choice. You know the weapons almost as well as Emyr does, and you could easily hit him without chopping off his arm.”
“I could, but I might aim for his neck instead if I had my way.”
“Are you suggesting I do it?”
Mike laughed. “You’d slice him in half. No, I’ll do it. I’ll just schedule some one-on-one training after the class. When do you need him?”
“I have a month to plan this, so the sooner, the better. I imagine his arm will still be sore if we wait too long, not that it matters for this mission. He won’t have any weapons, just undercover gear.”
Mike shrugged. “Then I guess tomorrow is a good enough day as any. At least tell me Stevenson will get what’s coming to him after this.”
“Trust me, Mike, he’ll get more than any man can handle.”
