Animals

Day 16

Friday, May 25th

Today was the day this was all over. It was bittersweet, only because I couldn't get the thought out of my head that today might be the last day I ever spend time with Mitch. I was happy that this whole Midnight Anarchist business was almost done, though. I was craving a bit of normalcy lately. I didn't realize when I first started how much of a toll this would take on me. Part of me thinks that if I could do it over, I'd tell Greg to shove it.

I looked at Mitch from the corner of my eyes as he prepared himself. He was in all black, not unusual for him, but today he was bulkier from the protective gear. His thick eyebrows pulled taut, but with concentration or worry, I didn't know. A black mask covered his head and face, leaving only his eyes visible. Those deep-set eyes would be covered by darkened glasses later, and I smiled at him.

Then again, maybe I would do it all over.

As far as my own protection goes, I had many of the same pieces Mitch was wearing. They were thicker than they looked, and I felt 20 pounds heavier. Besides Mitch, only the SWAT had those same masks. The rest of us weren't given one as part of the uniform, so I assumed Mitch's was one of his own.

Mitch's eyes found mine for a brief second before he did a double take. A dark cloud crossed his eyes as he took in the sight of me, and I tried to hide the frown forming on my face. How was it possible that I was falling for someone who looked so annoyed by the presence of me?

All around me was bustling with preparation, but the minute Mitch began to walk towards me, the noise faded away until it was hardly noticeable. He pulled off the mask like a glove, and his shaggy hair fluffed up comically.

"Here." Mitch held the mask to me.

"Why?"

"Stop asking questions. Just wear it."

"But wh-?"

With a frustrated grunt, Mitch slid the mask down over my head. He situated the mask to his liking, tucking my hair this way and that, as a small smile formed on his lips. It dropped when he looked at me and realized I was watching him intently.

Suddenly, he stepped back. "Don't take it off in the warehouse. It'll hide your identity." With that, he went on his way, continuing his previous actions as though nothing had interrupted him. It was a good thing that the mask hid my mouth because I was unable to stop my grin. It smelled strongly of him; a scent I wished I could bottle for my future without him.

I wasn't scared for the events to come. If anything, I was excited for the action. It felt like I was officially in the game instead of acting as a pawn for the CIA to move around the board. I was becoming a knight that would checkmate the king.

"Listen up!" Agent Andrew's deep voice yelled. He sounded aggressive, a way to let people know he meant business and it was time for us to settle down, too.

Scattered around the room were troops of SWAT standing at the ready with their masks on and helmets in hand. I attributed the reason I felt so safe was because of my faith in the SWAT team, and it was exciting to feel like I was one of them, even if it was only in my head.

"I've debriefed you already," he said. "So I won't do it again. Remember that these people are dangerous. You are under orders to kill on sight. Especially if you see these men."

Andrew pointed with a firm finger to a set of pictures hanging on a white board. Lester and Evanoff were among the photos. One was a man I didn't recognize. Even though the photo was from the shoulders up, it was clear that he was a heavy-set man, with arms as thick as my thighs. Coming from a woman who wasn't lacking in the curve department, that was an impressive feat. I briefly wondered how long it had taken him to build up that muscle.