The Program [COMPLETED]

Chapter Six

It had been exactly two months since Zariah arrived in Second Unit.

Another Consignment Day had passed, which proceeded as per normal. There were no attacks from any rebels, no threats against the nation, no exploding radio towers and no missing city representatives. Consignment Day had been its usual, uneventful self. Abree City had been temporarily taken off the Consignment lists though, a detail Aiden had noticed when he and Virgil checked the assignments the month prior. He found it odd that it had been removed.

Then again, what was actually considered normal these days?

Theo had warmed up to Zariah after her arrival to the Unit. Following her fight with Maddox, he was more than accepting of her, and had no issue with Zariah joining their dining hall table. Virgil had agreed to it without question, which was much to be expected, and Rania, well... she was getting there. She still harbored a massive grudge against Zariah from their fight in the training centre. Aiden had apologized to her for his comment the next day, but Rania still seemed off. She had accepted his apology, and insisted she was okay even after Aiden had questioned her, but guilt still gnawed at his stomach. He felt bad about how they had left things. He didn't want his own stupidity to affect his friendship with Rania, especially when he was still contemplating his feelings for her. He hated himself for it. She deserved better.

Aiden sat beside Virgil at their table for dinner. Zariah sat by Virgil, while Rania sat opposite to them, next to Theo and his girlfriend, Jayda. Jayda had recently come back from an undercover mission in one of the Creatan cities, where she and her partner single-handedly took down one of the biggest drug smuggling operations in the nation. She was a Sergeant like Theo, with long dark hair and eyes. Aiden had known Jayda as long as he'd known Theo, and the two of them were inseparable. Jayda was one of the toughest people he knew, surpassed only by Zariah, of course. Jayda settled for little nonsense and was tomboyish in the sense that she got along very well with the guys in Second Unit. Virgil particularly enjoyed messing with her, as she practically considered him as her younger brother.

"Geez Virgil, do you want mine too?" Jayda said sarcastically, observing Virgil's polished lunch tray.

"Actually, yeah," Virgil replied, his hand extended to steal a slice of bread from her tray.

"Hey!" Jayda growled, smacking his hand. "Paws off the bread, infer."

Virgil grinned. "My apologies, Jay. Didn't see you there."

Jayda smirked, ripping a piece off of the bread slice and heaving it at Virgil's face. "Yeah, yeah. Don't make me come over there and kick your butt. You don't wanna end up like those dealers, do you?"

Virgil raised his hands defenselessly. "Alright, alright, I surrender!" He caught the piece and threw it into his mouth.

"Damn straight," Jayda replied, satisfied. Theo wrapped his arm around her waist.

"That's right. Messing with her isn't worth an ass-beating," Theo agreed.

"But when I do, I get bread out of it," Virgil pointed out. Theo shook his head.

"Tell us more about the bust," Rania begged, ignoring him. "It sounds like it would be terrifying."

Aiden smiled. Rania hadn't been on a genuine mission before, but her odds became increased once she became part of their group. He found her excitement amusing in an adorable way. She'd get her chance to shine one day soon.

"It wasn't so bad. A lot of stakeouts and a lot of inside work. I had to pose as a smuggler and get cozy with a few of the operation figureheads," Jayda explained.

"What drugs were they smuggling? Tars?" Zariah inquired. Jayda nodded.

"Yup. Big shipment going out to different sectors. How'd you know?" Jayda took a bite of her stew.