Celestial Bodies

[CHAPTER 10] - AQUILA : FLORENCE WOLFE

Aquila is Latin for 'eagle', the creature of Zeus. The mythos behind this constellation tells the story of the abduction of Ganymede, the pretty girl who drew too many eyes. Zeus wanted her as his own, and so kidnapped her, making Ganymede his cupbearer and lover.

Though I don't intend on making Arber my lover, and by no means is he pretty, we do intend to kidnap him. And I guess he could hold my cup.

He has our tech and a celestial, that makes him a dangerous man.

"The elevator is around this way." The slick inside man purred. As he led the way, I tuned into our team's private coms.

"Arc, is this guy always so... weird? Lucy asked, a hint of disgust evident in her pause. It was a mutual feeling, even the friendly Leo kept his rifle not too far from the rogue security guard.

"He's one of Marco's. I've never actually spoken to him before, only messages." The steely focus of our team leader left no emotion in his words. We stuck tight.

Dialling in a few buttons to a hidden side elevator, the sleek doors slid open, revealing a wide, glass box.

"Shall we?" He almost sneered, a sparkle in his eyes. We stayed still.

"Arc, you sure about this?" Leo faltered, expressing his uncertainty. A few moments of bubbling static.

"No." A few more. "Lucy- stay here. Watch the exit. Set up in one of those offices we cleared, smash a window, peak out." He left us an insurance if this plan went wrong. Lucy shifted from foot to foot, and a cold silence from Leo depicted his internal debate. Eventually, he came to the same logic as I: it was safer for her here than up there. "Leo, Florence, up we go." Departing promptly, we filed into the diagonally oriented elevator, the doors locking us in a box suspended above the lower Alps.

"Some music wouldn't go awry." The man with jet black features commented, raking his thin hair back. On his right cheekbone, a purpling bruise sprouted, and cuts lined his jaw. It set me on edge.

"You seeing this, Arc?" I whispered, taking on a hushed tone as if our odd double agent could hear us. Arcturus was dead-focused, barely showing a hint of recognition at my observation. I shared a moment of concern with Leo, our knees wobbling slightly at the incline.

"I see." Ernesto replied, not so much as glancing at the beat-up guard. He projected his voice out into the hollow lift, probing our new friend. "Who will be up there?"

"Jacques. Five of his personal security. Maybe a partner, it wouldn't be unusual." I noticed his knuckles were shifted out of place, only on his right hand.

"That seems awfully lax." Lucy, patched into our frequency, commented, being able to hear what we hear.

"Ask him about Marco. Quiz him." Leo hurried his suspicions, begging Arcturus' compliance.

"They are caught off guard, no doubt additional protection will be coming as we speak. Leo, that is a stupid idea. He will catch on, and then we have a fist fight in a glass box on our hands." The elevator rose with only an electric whirr.

"Uh, guys... there's a dude in here with me." Our hearts momentarily ceased. Lucy's statement was strangely matter of fact, no hint of anxiety carrying in her tone. Leo was the first to respond, his promise to Zara having no doubt remained firmly in his mind.

"Are you ok? We can turn this around right now if you need us."

I barely supressed a twitch. Our double agent flickered his focus between our helmets.