The Portal Effect

Chapter 25

An hour after we had been approved for the mission, I walked back to the observation room elevator to find Keegan. He must still have been talking to his father, as he was not in his room.

As the elevator doors closed behind me, I thought about how quickly things seemed to happen as of late. From dreaming of the lab explosion to seeing the lab to the portal in the base to its explosion to the attack on the airfield to now, it all happened in just under six months. I also thought to my conflicting feelings for Keegan. I knew I liked him but was afraid of what admitting it would mean for my future as a field agent.

We would have to try to be unbiased during ops as well as keeping a low profile. It was still frowned upon to date someone in your team.

Finally, the doors opened, taking me from my thoughts. What I wasn't expecting to hear was a full-blown argument.

"I was a terrible father, I know that! But let me try to make it up to you. Let me prove myself!" Dr. Solace cried. He looked wild eyed and desperate.

"After three years of no talking, you suddenly want to make things right?" Keegan accused.

"I want my son back!" Dr. Solace said, suddenly looking a bit exhausted.

"I've moved on, father. And right now, my group is waiting for me." Keegan said crisply. He left his father there, stunned. Seeing me, he grabbed my arm and walked me back to the elevator. He didn't say a word.

"Keegan..." I started, but he shook his head.

'I don't want to talk about it." he said. He was quite upset.

We went up and made our way to the shuttle that would take us to the airfield. The others were waiting for us.

"Bout time. General Anderson wanted us gone twenty minutes ago." McFay said. She was looking at Keegan though, as she knew he was talking to his father. Keegan shrugged apologetically and we all boarded the shuttle.

Ten minutes later we were at the jet. Cody had it all fueled up and ready to go. He was in the cockpit doing last minute checks. We all grabbed our bags and got in quickly. Sarge and Andvari were already buckled in. And for once they looked quite at home. It was just another mission to them, and that was what made them happiest.

"All set Cody!" McFay called up to the cockpit. I went up to the cockpit and sat in the copilot seat. Cody never really had a copilot, so I was the closest he ever got to one.

"What took so long?" Cody asked once we were up in the air.

"Keegan and his father were trying to work through some issues." I replied.

"Did it work?"

"Not really. Keegan bailed. I think he's still angry about whatever happened between them."

Cody nodded, but said nothing more. For the next hour, we flew in silence, the occasional bickering from the twin or Leo and Nick barely reaching our ears. That was why I liked it up here. I felt bad for Keegan, but it was probably for the best. He needed some space after what happened between him and his father.

Soon, the clouds broke to reveal the mountain that hid the lab. However, something did not seem right. Something felt off, different. I looked around the area but saw nothing different. I could see the minefield that was exploded, trees blasted away in an odd oval shape.

We landed a few minutes later in a clearing a mile from the lab entrance and prepared to head out. Aside from Keegan, I could tell the others felt the strange change. Could it be simply that the Rift Gate was no longer here? I looked at Riley, who was avoiding the direction of the mountain entrance at any cost. He looked a bit pale, clearly anxious about being back here.