Part 3 Ch. 14

It's been a while since I've driven a car, but Carson needs a way out if I fail. The car I'm driving is one of our own, a sleek black one that blends into the streets nicely. It's not to old, not too new. Perfect. "Jesus. Watch that pothole." I glance at him as I drive. He's holding on tightly to the handle on top of the car door. We hit the pothole straight one despite my efforts. "You should put a word in with the mayor to make the streets smoother." I tell him. "I mean, it's such a shame, these streets used to be so nice." "I don't think the problem is the streets, it's your driving. Have you even driven before? Here let me." "I am perfectly capable." I tell him, raising and eyebrow. "See? We haven't crashed yet." "Don't look at me, look at the road!" I do, but from the corner of my eyes, I see him looking out the passing city out the window. He's taken the OCIU insignia from his uniform and he hasn't put his mask on yet. If I didn't know any better, I would say he looks like how Paxton or Nathaniel would dress on missions. For a second I picture him working alongside me with the Yellow Thorns; I shake the image from my head. It's such a stupid thought. I keep driving. It's a thirty minute drive to reach Hernswood; which seems like an eternity when we could be there in less than a second. We've reached this city a few minutes ago but still have to travel across it to get near the Ravager's place. Somewhere in this city, Paxton and the others are waiting for my signal. They are close to their targets, hopefully keeping out of sight until then. By the time the sun rises, this city will be mine or I will be dead. I shift on the seat and feel the gun on my thigh holster move. I have knives there too, and a couple more up my sleeves-literally up my sleeves. The long black shirt I wear covers the knives in my forearm. And underneath it, Carson's pendent rests on my chest. It seemed right, somehow, to put it on for this mission. This mission... even I'm nervous. If I fail, Romero is going to go after Paxton and the others. Everything we worked so hard for will- "After this..." Carson hesitates. "Are we going to go back hunting each other? Pretending any of this hasn't happened?" This is something I've been trying not to think about. "I don't know." I glance at him and see him frowning slightly. "You could get away from here. Give this lifestyle up." He says. "I'm sure you have the money." "Carson, there's no retiring from this lifestyle. Unless it's forced retirement." Avan did it, I think. It's possible. I try to picture a life away from this but I can't. "Besides what can I do? I'm twenty-two years old and don't even have a driving license." "Yeah but if you could go anywhere, where would you go?" I snort. "I've been everywhere I ever wanted. I've seen the pyramids, the penguins in Antarctica, an Irish beach- all in the same day. I could go anywhere in the world but I still stay here. This is my home, it's where I want to live." I sober and keep my eyes on the road. "And now I'm defending it from men like Romero who want to muscle in." He doesn't say anything and I have the urge to break the silence. "Congratulations, by the way." I say, keeping my eyes on the road. "For what?" "Graduating as valedictorian. You're lucky I wasn't there, or you wouldn't have been one." "I'm not so sure about that." His voice is light and I can tell he's trying not to smile. "Why not?" "I know chem isn't your best subject. Senior year we had the worst teacher, even I barely passed. But the class was curved so hard, I ended up getting an A." All of a sudden it seems as if we were never apart, I recognize each and every one of his expressions like my own. It's easy to imagine everything going on as it was meant to- before Marcus took an interest in me. It would have probably ended right here, in a car driving to a city-not to wreak havoc on a criminal organization- but to take a break and watch a movie. I glance at him and my eyes land on the mask he holds between his hands. "Seriously? You're wearing that geeky-ass-" He glares at me. "Amazing mask?" "I have to keep my identity a secret. If you did the same, we wouldn't even be in this mess." "You look like one of those kids dressing up for Halloween." I stifle a laugh. "Can you even see through that thing?" "Yes I can." I look at him, he's looking out the window. I see his mouth twitch a little, he's trying not to smile. "It doesn't even work. For all your precautions, I knew who you were the second I saw you." I clear my throat. "No one else would look that nerdy with a gun." "You know, after all these years you haven't gotten any less annoying." "And you haven't gotten any funnier." He's the first to laugh. I can't stop myself from following a second later. After a while we quiet down, remembering exactly why we're driving together in the middle of the night. "Do you ever wish you had a normal life?" I wonder. "Normal? I feel like it is." "Most people's life doesn't include being shot at." He stays silent for so long I start to think he's ignored me. The streets start to change, becoming more and more wealthier.. "I like the person I am right now. I get to help people, to do something good with my life. Maybe eventually I'll get tired of it, I don't know, but for now, I'm happy here." From the corner of my eye I see him glance at me. "What about you?" "I feel like-" Ahead, I see the road we're supposed to stop on and slow to park the car, somehow I manage to get on the sidewalk but I don't think it matters. "We're here." According to the information Cosmos managed to get, Romero lives in a house two blocks from here. I pull out the picture I brought with us, it's taken from a satellite showing the roof of the mansion. I mentally run through the checklist to see if we have everything we need. It's in the quiet moments before the action that always scare me the most. It's here where I think about all the way my teammates or I could die. There are a lot. I push them away and open the car door. I hear Carson do the same while I stretch out my muscles, readying them. "Ready?" He says. I nod. "Let's do this."