Chapter Eighty-Two – Cleopatra Cortez – Winter's Grasp – Part Two

The single driving force that has kept intelligent life going more than anything else can be boiled down to one thing… love.

- Former WSA Researcher Georgina -

I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, my hands are shaking as I blink at the message. He's alive. He's… I fall to my knees, clutching Niva, months of pain flooding out of me.

"He's alive… he's alive…"

I look up at it again, shit. I need to reply. Before I can, I get another message from him.

[ SPC Novak: I missed you. ]

I reply back quickly, wiping the tears and straightening myself. Putting Niva on top of the bed.

[SPC Cortez: I missed you too.

Where are you?

Are you okay? ]

My breath is unsteady as I pace back and forth, the anticipation killing me.

[ SPC Novak: I'm fine, Sera has a sense of humor… apparently. ]

I blink at the name before replying, asking him who.

[ SPC Novak: Long story. I'll tell you when I see you. After I tell you something else, something far more important. ]

[ SPC Cortez: What? Where the hell are you? ]

[ SPC Novak: I'm uh, in a strip club of some kind, in my hometown, that's what my map says. Though, I've definitely never been here before… not really my scene. ]

[ SPC Cortez: I'm at your house with the others, we'll come get you, don't leave, just please, stay right where you are. ]

[ SPC Novak: Awesome, uh, can you bring me some clothes please, I showed up naked. ]

[ SPC Cortez: I'm coming, please, stay right there. ]

I scramble for a bag, Niva tilts her head curiously at me as I stuff it full of clothes in a haste, I need to hurry.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

She whines, tearing at my thumping heart. The rule my mother gave was simple, she can't be taken out in public, not with three tails. Fuck, those eyes are so good at making me feel guilty.

I close the door behind me, skipping steps as I bound down, looking for Mwangi, we can take his truck.

"Sergeant," I say, gulping, "I need a ride."

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Mwangi looks at me, eyes growing wide as he sets down the knife he was chopping vegetables with.

"He's back, isn't…" he breathes, almost not daring to say the words.

I nod, my face covered in a real smile for the first time in months.

All hell breaks loose.

"He's back!" Tran yells, "Guys! Jimmy's back!"

My mother's gaze sharpens through the glass as she peers inside, Greymore turns too, blinking three times, catching my gaze, hoping. I nod to him.

"Let's go," Gilroy says, pouring out his beer in the sink, "Let's go now, come on."

"First in, let's go," Mwangi says, running to the door, bounding down the steps.

"Cleo, what's going on?" Fisban asks as I rush past her after Mwangi.

"He's back."

She blinks, downing the cocoa liquor in one go. My mother is walking toward me now.

"Is it true?" she asks.

I nod.

"Shit," she breathes, "Where?"

"At a strip club in town."

My mother nods, turning to her agents, "I want the entire town sectioned off, no fly overs, no one comes in, no one comes out, unless I approve it. I want a tactical team wheels up in three minutes and medical within five. I don't care whose balls you have to bust, we are not losing the asset," she turns to Greymore, "You better sober the fuck up, you're back on active duty."

Greymore nods. I turn to leave.

"Cleopatra, tell him not to move. There's no telling how much has gotten out about him, and to who."

"None of my men would have talked," Greymore growls.

"Be that as it may, he needs to be quarantined. Besides, it was more than just soldiers that saw him, suits did too."

"Whatever," I say over my shoulder, rushing down the front porch steps.

"Hurry up!" Mwangi yells from his truck. Tran and Barlow are crammed in the back with Gilroy.

Dorliac shifts over to the middle seat as I jump in. Mwangi's tires spin in the gravel as he pushes it forward.

"Where to?"

"A strip club in town."

"Which one?" Tran asks.

"The Stallion."

"That's a male strip club isn't it?" Gilroy asks with an eyebrow raise.

"How would you know that?" Barlow asks.

"I uh, saw it on the way in."

"You're not missing much," Tran says, stretching his neck, "There's a better one near post."

Dorliac gives Tran a surprised look.

"What? My girlfriend wanted to go."

The vein on my forehead throbs, that must be what he meant about Sera having a sense of humor. Wonder who she is… yet another… nope, keep it in. He's back, that's what matters, I can sharpen my knives later. She won't be the first that I've dealt with, just hope she's not as crazy as Mira seems to be. I let out a breath, really hope. Still can't believe my mother's going to use him to get her to talk.

"Did he say what class he got?" Tran asks.

"Who the fuck cares about that right now?" Barlow asks, shaking his head at Tran.

"He didn't."

"Did he say if he got to meet Ulana?"

I pause, I hadn't thought about that. Did he get to meet her? What would that have been like? She seemed pretty fucking obsessed with him. My heart beats a little faster. It's bad enough having a chick with a dragon saying she won't talk until she sees her… darling. Now I have to wonder if Goddess's are after him too? Why can't it just go back to how it used to be. Just us. Fucking hell.

"Did he?" Tran asks, shifting, "I mean he said she was hot, just curious."

"Tran," Mwangi groans.

"I don't know if he saw her," I admit, "And I don't care."

"Good," Dorliac says, giving me a nod.

It wasn't that long ago that me and her had a poor relationship. It's weird how some things just naturally change over time. I gulp. His feelings haven't changed have they? What's the important thing he needed to say?

I check my messages, no reply from earlier. Fucking hell Jimmy. He better not be in trouble again.

***

Lights from undercover vehicles fill the low light as dusk rolls by. My mother moves quick. We've passed more than ten blacked out SUV's. Was this her escort? Or were they on standby?

"So, did he say anything else?" Tran asks.

"Uh, no," I say, somewhat worried, "He stopped replying after he told me where he was."

"Why isn't he replying? What's going on?" Gilroy asks with a worried expression.

Mwangi's face is starting to look worried too.

"I'm sure he's fine," Dorliac says, grabbing my hand, "Relax."

***

When we arrive my heart feels like it's sinking. The area is taped off. Hundreds of suits are already there. It didn't take more than forty five minutes for us to drive here. There's a helicopter parked in the adjacent parking lot. There's a man on scene giving what looks like orders, even from this far away, I recognize him, Special Agent Troller, Fisban's counterpart and rival. She really hates this guy, and will not be happy he's here.

"Shit, we have to go on foot," Mwangi says, pulling off to park.

The truck isn't fully stopped, but I'm already out of it, running past the caution tape. One of the agents points their weapon at me.

"Halt!"

"Stand down," Troller says as he walks up.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know," he admits, motioning for them to give me a lanyard with the UWO crest on it.

"Where is he?"

"Inside."

"Why aren't we going inside then?"

Troller swallows, "I'm going to need you to fall back, I'll let you know when I hear something."

"What?" I ask, taking a step toward the building, a large neon sign of a cowboy wearing a thong flickers back and forth, making it look like it's thrusting.

He grabs my shoulder, "I'm sorry Cleo, your mom said no one in until she's on scene, that includes you."

That fucking bitch.

My stomach knots. What the hell is going on? Fuck this. I wait for Troller to turn before I sprint toward the building. Suits raise their rifles to shoot, but Troller yells for them to stand down. I burst through the door, strobe lights dance in the smokey air. Loud music blares. Then I see him, Jimmy.

We stand there for a few moments, both just taking each other in. He steps forward, wearing nothing but a sparkly purple thong and a beaming smile that melts my heart. As soon as he takes me into his arms, everything falls away. The months of worry completely lift as the embrace that I've dreamed about wraps me tightly.

"I fucking missed you," I breathe.

"I missed you too."

I look up at him, "What did you need to tell me?"

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