The Gifted (ONC 2023)

Chapter 5 Debriefing

They didn't talk more on the way. Aleks looked through the window, trying to ignore Diego's pulsing aura, everchanging from angry red to fearful orange and anxious yellow. It only started to lose intensity when they left the public road and accessed the secluded area of GSO, walled from the outside world with high hedges covering metal fences. As Diego turned to the window, a small patch of curious green started peeking through all the ambers.

The gravel crunched under the tires, and the van stopped in front of the main building. It was a two-storey mansion made of red and grey brick with little brown roof tiles and several impressive chimneys. Aleks imagined it must belong to some influential person involved with the government or GSO itself, but such details were never officially confirmed. From the outside, the house was not unlike many country houses in England. However, it was refurbished to serve as pensions for gifted agents for the past few years.

"It's... not what I expected," said Diego, whose eyes wandered from the peeling white paint on the window frames to a crooked, half-rusted rooster weathervane on the roof.

"I bet you expected something fancy, like MI6 headquarters in London, huh?" Toni laughed. "Sorry mate, we are far less important than that."

"But we do have more modern facilities spread around on the grounds. This is just our main living quarters," Aleks added.

"How many people live here?"

"We have twenty-five agents living here full-time. Many of us have families and prefer to live with them. But we also have plenty of people popping in for a week or two if some intense training happens."

Before Diego managed to ask more questions, the green-painted door opened, revealing a refined older lady with grey hair dressed in a perfect bun and a black business suit with a pencil skirt and snow-white shirt. As her dark eyes met hers, Aleks instinctively straightened up her shoulders. Mrs Callaghan always seemed like a stern governess to her. But the kind that could also kill you with your bare hands before you blink twice.

"Diego Esteves, I presume?" she asked with a friendly smile that instantly warmed up her otherwise serious demeanour. She walked down three steps with her arms open. "You must be exhausted. Come in, and I'll show you to your room, where you can rest. Dinner will be served shortly. I'm sure you're starving."

"I'm starving too!" Toni chipped in.

Mrs Callaghan was already herding Diego towards the house, but she looked over her shoulders, her face returning to its stern, usual self.

"You know the rules, Antoni. Debriefing first, dinner later. They are waiting for you in Midnight House."

Toni groaned. "I will surely starve before debriefing is over!"

Mrs Callaghan pointedly ignored him, closing the doors behind Diego.

Aleks cocked her head. "Midnight House? That's odd. We've never been invited there."

Toni grinned, his suffering immediately forgotten. "That's because we've been invited to play in the big league!"

Aleks only raised a brow.

"Oh, come on, Ola! You are smart. You must have seen this coming. Because of this mishap with the deviant today, we are suddenly in the middle of the main kidnapping investigation! We are important witnesses, and our input is invaluable!"

Aleks snorted and moved down the gravel path winding around the main building. "You are so full of yourself. The fact that they need our report doesn't mean they will move us to that case. I think you're far too optimistic."

"And I think you are not optimistic enough!" Toni laughed, catching up with her. Once they circled the mansion, the dark shape of numerous, more modern buildings loomed in the distance ahead. "We are totally ready to get a promotion. We've been on top of our division for what, two years now? They can't treat us as newbie agents forever. They can't afford to waste our potential for tracking down and extracting newly gifted. Not when Rioters are up to no good, and it's clear they are short-staffed with gifted agents."