The Lethal Agent (The Extraction Files Book 2) (45 page)
Read The Lethal Agent (The Extraction Files Book 2) Online
Authors: RS McCoy
SPRING STREET, BOSTON, NORTH AMERICA
SEPTEMBER 29, 2232
Theo pulled her aside as the others chatted. “I can’t believe you did this.”
Rarely did Mable have the opportunity to profoundly surprise someone, to pull off something this big. She smiled to think that she’d pulled it off for Theo. “They’re important to you. Arrenstein said we could start to ease up on security, so I didn’t see why you shouldn’t be able to see them.”
“Seriously. Thank you.” He pulled her against him, and she happily melted against his chest.
She looked up at him. “You’re welcome.” It had been a long time since she’d seen him smile so bright.
“You think Dasia will let me have you tonight?” His hand crept down to the small of her back.
“I think she’ll be a little preoccupied.” They both looked over to see Osip and Dasia intertwined, their arms around each other in much the same way as Mable with Theo.
“Do you hate having to share?” she asked.
Theo smiled and shook his head. “No, I get it. She was lonely without Osip. As long as you come back to me, I don’t care how long I have to wait.”
“How come you’ve never asked to join us?”
“Was I supposed to?”
“No, I think most guys would, though. You know, why have one girl when you can have two?”
Theo laughed. “Look, I love Dasia. She’s a great person and you love her, and she’ll always have a place in our lives, but she’s not the girl for me. You are. And you are
plenty
.”
Mable pretended to be offended as she laughed and smacked his arm. “Don’t try to make it out like I’m the difficult one.” She tried to squirm from his grip but failed as always.
“Oh you are. You’re by far the most difficult person I know.” Theo pulled her hips against his, hard and sure. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt,” Arrenstein coughed. “But I need to borrow Maggie for a minute.”
Mable groaned and looked over. Arrenstein looked horribly uncomfortable as he watched her peel her hips from Theo’s.
“What?” she asked.
“I have something to show you. Outside.”
“I’ll be right back,” she told Theo as Arrenstein led her down the hall and out the front door. “What is it?” she whined, more than a little eager to get back inside with Theo and Dasia.
Then she saw her.
There, in the front drive, was Hadley. Her hair was shorter, shoulder-length, and she wore a limp hat over the top of her head, but there was no mistaking her.
Hadley squealed as she loped up the steps and wrapped her arms around Mable’s neck. “Oh my god. I can’t believe you’re here. In Boston!” Hadley screamed in her ear.
Big fat tears fell into Hadley’s hair. Mable couldn’t get a word out. She could only squeeze her tight. Mable held her out at arm’s length and looked her over to be sure she was real. “Hadley?”
“Is Theo here?” Hadley looked over Mable’s shoulder and tried to get a look in the front door.
“Yeah, but—what are you doing here?”
“Uh, I live here.”
Mable looked over at Arrenstein where he stood on the top step, hands in his pockets as always. “She’s been in a Youth program here for the last few months,” he explained.
“Well, except for when he made me go on some ridiculous vacation to the mountains in Washington a few weeks ago. Zero hot guys there, let me tell you. A total desert.”
Mable laughed so hard she bent forward and clutched her stomach.
“So are we going in or what?” Hadley smiled.
Mable wiped her tears away. “Yeah, come on.”
Hadley ran into the house, and a chorus of squeals and cheers sounded a moment later.
Arrenstein remained at her side. “It’s called the Ares Protocol,” he explained, though she hadn’t asked. Mable stared up in awe as he continued, “Alex was the first. We set up an escape procedure in case we needed to get someone out. Hadley was the first since. But Boston wasn’t attacked, so I was able to get her back into her classes without issue.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Mable couldn’t help but ask.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as he answered. “Because I loved Alex like he was my own. And I—I wanted you to know that he didn’t die for nothing. He put together the foundation of this program. None of this would have been possible without him.” He squeezed her shoulder in one of his large hands and shot her a sad smile. “Go on in. She’s been waiting for weeks.”
Mable waited until she had her tears and breathing under her control. Then, she followed Hadley inside. Theo was introducing her to the others. Nate and Casey chatted with Osip over the table of appetizers. Jane and Dasia made drinks.
When Dasia saw her come in, she set down the cups in her hands and hurried over. “Hey. You okay?”
Mable swallowed the last of her sobs and smiled wide. “Yeah. Did you meet her?”
“Yeah, she’s sweet. I didn’t realize she was so young.” They both looked over and laughed at Hadley fawning over Theo’s muscles. “Oh, uh, Osip wants to play that horrid card game. Jane and I were setting out the drinks. You want to play?”
“Yeah, but I’ll get my own drink.”
Mable walked over to Arrenstein and crossed her arms. “Hand it over.”
“What? Now?” he fussed.
“Yeah. You agreed. This is my final condition, and I want it now.”
Arrenstein whined a while longer but eventually fetched a bottle of brandy from a drawer. “That’s it. Just one. Now I have to move my hiding spot.”
Mable grinned as the cool glass bottle hit her fingertips.
“Did you blackmail Silas for a bottle of his prized brandy?” Dasia asked with an incredulous laugh.
“Sure did.” Mable twisted off the top and dipped a few ounces into Dasia’s glass.
Dasia ran her fingers through the ends of Mable’s hair. Then, she sank in close and kissed Mable. She had to work not to drop the bottle. Her free hand crept over Dasia’s back and held her near.
A round of cheers went up around the room. When Mable’s eyes opened, they had the attention of the entire group. Dasia kissed her lips again and laughed. Mable took a swig straight from the bottle.
“All right, who’s ready to lose?” Osip asked as they sat at the table.
“You’re going to lose, comrade.” Arrenstein rolled up his sleeves and poured his first glass.
“Shit, Dr. A. You’re playing again?” Osip shook his head. He’d already lost. They all had.
Arrenstein smiled a big, satisfied grin. “And there’s no more cleaning. You’ll have to live with the error of your ways. Burn it off the old-fashioned way.”
Dasia ran a hand over Mable’s thigh under the table. “I’m so going to lose,” she said with a laugh.
Hadley slid into the seat on her other side. “I have no idea how to play. And Theo looks way hotter with long hair. Please don’t let him cut it again.”
Mable smiled and kissed her head. “Agreed.”
Across the table, Theo looked over at her and winked. She’d get to him later.
As expected, Arrenstein was a professional. Casey, too, was an exceptionally skilled drinker, but the rest of them were gone by the second round. They were all too drunk, laughing too hard. After Dasia knocked over her glass, Osip managed to convince her to call it quits and head upstairs.
Nate and Casey retired to the couch with Theo. Jane and Hadley chatted easily, something about Scholar boys they knew from before. Mable sat back and watched the revelry. By far, one of the best nights of her life.
Then she saw Arrenstein collect his glass and sneak out the front door.
Mable followed him into the cool dark. “What are you doing out here?”
Arrenstein spun at the sound of her voice. “I just needed a minute.”
“To do what?” She crossed her arms and stood beside him.
He laughed and sipped his drink. “To process.”
“Because you’re not looking for bugs anymore? At least, not like you used to.”
“It’s a little weird. But no, that’s not why.” On the steps, Arrenstein handed her a small, wrinkled piece of paper. On it, the lop-sided heart she’d drawn for Hadley a lifetime ago.
Mable traced its torn edge with her fingers. “You know, I think I was wrong about you.”
Arrenstein put his hand in his pockets. “Did you really think I wouldn’t take care of her? I told you I would.”
“No, I know. I mean, I think I had you all wrong. From the very beginning. You were always in my corner.” Mable leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”
The Sparks Saga
The Luminary Chronicles
The Sea Shade
The Alder Tales
Raene and the Three Bears
Hale and Gemini
The Snow Owl
The Extraction Files
Rachel McCoy is a Texan living in New Jersey. Between binge-watching MTV reality shows and baking gluten-free treats, she writes paranormal fantasy and science fiction novels.
She is the self-published author of the
Sparks Saga
trilogy,
The Alder Tales
series, and
The Extraction Files
. Back when she lived in the real world, Rachel earned a degree in marine biology, which contributed to her die-hard love of manta rays.
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