The Candles

6

Jane placed a tiny communication device in the agents' ears using tweezers. They could activate and deactivate it by tapping three times in quick succession on their earlobes. The device, which wasn't even a centimeter in length and width, had an incredibly long range of 50 kilometers. Since neither Logan nor Ava knew how far they were going, they would have to hide a transmission amplifier in a bush every 40 kilometers or so to amplify not only the communication device, but also the tiny locating device that sent their location every minute and was disguised as a thin strip of plastic under the insole of their shoes.

Logan filled his bag with the rest of his gear and heaved it on his back. Ava was already in the living room, eating breakfast. It was seven in the morning and Logan would've slept until lunch if it had been a normal saturday.

He yawned before shoving a piece of toast in his mouth.

"Nervous?" asked Logan.

"I have a feeling we're almost to the end of this mission," she said. Logan had the same feeling. "I have a feeling something's going to happen."

"Something like what?" asked Logan.

"Kendall isn't the person he seems to be," Ava said.

"Yeah, he's probably involved in over a hundred kidnappings, but we already suspect that," Logan said shrugging.

"No," Ava said. "He's hiding something. And the fact that all we know about his sect is that his followers want to go back to their animal state of mind by taking week-long trips and eating 'exotic' meats in the Outback doesn't seem very legitimate."

Logan shrugged. "Maybe they're just hiding the fact that they're eating some illegally imported animal without even cooking it. Who knows? At least we'll be there to find out." Ava nodded. Jane entered the dining room.

"You guys can go there alone, right?" she asked. They both nodded. "Okay, if anything goes wrong, you each have this device." She pulled out two small orange boxes out of her pocket. They each had a plastic cup covering a red button on the surface. "Press the button if anything goes wrong. You know, if you get seriously injured or they try to attack you. I'll be with a team of ten ASIS agents and we'll follow you wherever you go. We'll be at your camp in ten minutes."

She gave them both a device and excused herself. "I have to make a quick phone call." Both agents stood up and waited by the front door.

They stood across from each other, silent. "Logan," Ava said. This was the first time in the past week where they'd been completely alone. "About the other day. When you said that you weren't sure if it was still over."

"Do you still have feelings for me?" Logan cut off. Ava bit her lower lip and looked down at her feet. And then she approached Logan and kissed him. He was so surprised he pulled away. She was silent, looking slightly disappointed. And then he kissed her.

It lasted a long ten seconds. Logan felt as if he was finally letting the emotions that had been contained in his chest burst out. It felt so good. Ava pulled away, panting.

Jane finished her conversation and reappeared. She looked at the both of them, raising an eyebrow. Logan realized they were too close together to have just been talking. Ava quickly stepped back, biting her lower lip.

"Just make sure they don't see you doing that," Jane said, rolling her eyes. "It would be suspicious if they saw siblings kissing." Logan nodded approvingly and picked up his bag. Jane tested the com devices in their ears before she let them leave. They walked in silence down the street.

The agents arrived in front of the Harris household, where Kendall was already packing his gear into a white minibus.

"Ah." He smiled, seeing the two agents walk up his cracked driveway. "How are the Blakely kids?" Logan greeted him and placed his bag into the back of the minibus as instructed. Ava followed him.