"Why aren't you sending me in?" I chose to avoid Asaph's question, focusing my thoughts on an entirely different matter that I knew was bound to become a problem in the near future. That was when I realized that the two were actually deeply related. So much for that.
Asaph loomed over me as I gathered the gear I would be needing tonight. "No need to worry Asaph, you'll have your hands full with a malnourished litter of kittens and a traumatized boy."
"You had this planned long before that kid showed, I know you wouldn't change the plan so easily. You always come to me anyway when it comes to that situation." He hinted at one of my major flaws. "Please just tell me the truth Ciro." He had caught me, I couldn't ignore him, obviously couldn't lie. I had to take this seriously. However, I dreaded his response to the truth.
"I don't know," I stuck with evasion once again, "It just felt right." Technically, I did not lie.
"Ciro," Asaph whined, "You know I could get the job done alone, why risk sending the girls in there?"
"There's hardly any risk involved in this mission." I grabbed my last piece of equipment and stood, keeping my attention on my gear still.
"C'mon Ciro, I've barely had any action the past month." He was desperate, especially since I knew he hated any real action.
I looked him in the eye, halting my meddling with the equipment. "Asaph," the lack of emotion in my voice caught his attention, "I don't want to send you on this mission. As long as this is in my control, you're not going on this mission. Please just watch over things here." I kept from saying what I really wanted to say, turning my head from his and heading out of the room before he could see it in my eyes.
"Glaw, is everything ready to go?" I received a thumbs-up and a click of the tongue as a response. Glaw was settled in his corner of technology where all his computers and other equipment was set up. My chair was ready to go next to him. I would watch all of our surveillance and radar screens to guide the team through our ear pieces. As I approached the console, Glaw handed me my ear piece, connected to the others and ready to use. "Have the girls left yet?" I asked as I put my ear piece into place, struggling a little even though I had done it many times. Sometimes Asaph would help me, I doubted he would today. He was going to be angry with me for leaving him out, especially after coming back late.
"Just out the door, too late to see them off." Glaw noted. I sighed and sat, handing a few things over to Glaw that he'd asked for earlier. I set my notebook down beside the interactive screen with a radar. I pulled on my gloves, which I wore to keep from getting blisters and sores, and combed my hair out of my face with my hand, the material of the glove calming me as it brushed across my skin. Glaw had set everything else up by now, leaving me with nothing else to keep me busy with.
Checking in with the girls every few minutes as they made their way over to the destination, I ran through my calculations again and again, working everything out in my head and altering my thoughts slightly every time I was exposed to new information. Once they were close enough to their first location to view the surrounding area, my hand was attacking my notebook furiously with my pencil. I pulled out a map of the area, making many small personal notes and key points for Glaw to input into the system later. I asked Kalypso about various details as they scouted out the area. Her and Cora worked together to set up surveillance while Zaila carefully watched and guarded their backs. I took notes on the range, guise, and quality of each device they planted. There were a few times where I had them switch with a more suitable device.
They had entered the facility successfully. Office hours were long over and there weren't any stragglers. Currently, Cora was attempting to gain access to the most well protected room in the building. I was getting anxious from the length of time it was taking her to get the door open. Glaw intervened every so often to help, as the lock was electronic. They were using terminology that my brain did not quite process. Eventually the door swung open, allowing me to relax my muscles a bit, although I remained tense. They didn't turn on the lights when they entered, Zaila standing guard just inside the room as Cora and Kalypso went to work. Kalypso noted just about every detail in the room, not slowing as they needed to get out of there as quickly. With the little stunt Glaw and Cora pulled with the alarm system, they had no more than a minute and a half to shut the door. As soon as it closed, there would be no slipping by again, whether they were outside the room or trapped inside. I watched the clock intently even as I wrote. It was half past ten by now, as according to plan.
