Special Unit

4)Thick of it

Sunday was, let's say spectacular. Besides breakfast with Aria and Tyler, before they left, I didn't leave the bedroom. Going back to the room and staying there all day and night. Max left to retrieve food and drinks but was mostly satisfying me and I him, some rest and I squeezed in two episodes of a Netflix show Aria was banging on about over breakfast that sounded interesting.

Today, Monday on the other hand was unexpected and exciting. I arrived at the Unit ready for another week of Physical turmoil, instead, I was greeted by Dominic in the foyer and asked to follow him. I'll admit I was sort of packing myself, thinking I was going to be told that I would never make it, although I was sure I had done well during the training. 

This is where it became interesting, I was led to a different floor with meeting rooms and what looked like personal office spaces for the Unit. I was in awe as I walked past different teams in their full uniforms, having meetings or one on one discussions in the rooms. Dominic wasn't in that uniform the others were wearing, his was black t-shirt and cargo pants with high black combat boots. He was quiet the whole time we walked, only looking back over his shoulder to check I was still following, with an amused look on his face. 

"This is us." Dominic out stretched his arm to indicate the next door on the left of me. I froze in place when I entered a foot in front of Dominic, who stepped aside for me. There were six clean white desks in this space, each desk held minimal personal details but all where crisp and clean, like the walls and circular table, with a holographic disk in the middle of the large room. There was a man's face in the hologram, that I didn't recognise.

"You may enter Miss Patterson." Dominic sounded like he wanted to laugh at me, but tried to hide it with his serious words.

"Hi guys" I finally say, as I enter the room.

"We are your family. Call us Team." Alice said walking up and grabbing my arm.

Once she had forced me into a seat, at one of the cleanest white desks I have ever seen, she walked over to the one on my right and sat down.

"This is our work space, Home base anyways." Dominic stretches out both his arms, adding emphasis to his words. I'm in the thick of it now.

"We welcome you and congratulate you on finishing the course in record time. Without using your skills may I add." My jaw dropped at Dominic's words. As the other three clapped in unison. Mark whistling.

"I finished?" I finally said as Dominic took his seat opposite me on the other side of the large room.

"You got the highest score for the past three years, by yourself." Alice adds. She sounded almost like a proud parent, though I can barely remember if my mother ever sounded like that. 

"Wow" I was still gobsmacked, I had passed, already.

"Wow's correct May, Dominic was the only one in our team to get higher." Mark's head gestured to Dominic.

"And he had a group run." Regan softly said, looking down to avoid Dominic's eyes.

"You are now on the team." Dominic nobs with a smile.

"Now let's fill her in on the mission team." His voice stern again.

The paperwork side wasn't exciting, I got my login details and formal Unit contract, which I will go through at some point. The laptop and iPad given to me, for work, can't leave my sight, if off site. Fare enough. There's only this case on it but don't want to risk blowing the mission before it starts.

The three-stage password login is going to take some getting used to. Oh, I got an actual uniform too, well multiple, there is the Training which I got last Wednesday, the Formal all Navy blue, with white stripped shoulders and two different Field uniforms, one beige and one black, both have button up long sleeved and short sleeve collared shirts too.

I've never been one to have too many clothes, throwing out old ones when I got new, but now I might have to extend my wardrobe to Katherines room if I take them home. There are lockers on site, showers and a sauna too, so I'm sure if I just go back to base after a field mission, I can go home fresh, relaxed and changed.

The first mission although classified, I can say is an Elemental Skilled that has gone on a killing spree across the country and ended up in our West coast domain. I have reviewed the case files and security video the other states and territories have sent over. Nothing has jumped out at me to help, with motive or connecting his victims.

They have his identity and have advised that some case, my skills won't be required but the team still needs to be together, every mission unless absolutely necessary. I must have had a strange look on my face, Alice advised she took leave from Field missions, whilst pregnant and for a month after she had her son.

I didn't even know some of my team where parents in fact it's just me and Mark that aren't. Alice has a son. Dominic has a daughter and son; Regan has three boys and a girl. He has been busy as he doesn't look a day over thirty. Dominic is the only one with teenage children, his daughter is only two years younger than me, at sixteen and his son is thirteen. All the other teams children are under ten years with the youngest, ten months.

"Now you are part of the family, we will have to have another get together." Says Mark with a huge smile, as we concluded today's mission brief and exited the office.

And so, as of today my family and friends circle has grown again to include a full team. I'm so excited I made the team already I can't even go to sleep. It is approaching midnight and I'm still up.