Prologue

Growing up in the shadow of Alec Tolin wasn’t easy, he was six foot three and about two hundred and twenty pounds, he was a reserved boy that kept that trait well into him becoming a man and it was that feature I think equipped with his data programming skills that landed him a great candidate in becoming my best friend. I always looked up to Alec as I was a year younger than him and being a height of only five foot ten it was more actually than a metaphor, my demeanour was simple too. Being raised on a farm I held the unique ability to create things out of nothing, helping out my family as best as I could I tried to make the farm work easier for my dad until I could help fully myself. Alec was a city slicker having grown up in the city I lived just outside of…Dublin. We went to the same babysitters and from there on in became the best of friends, Alec had one flaw to his name but we shared many similarities that rolled off one another, he could see something being made in program for and the end result got him what he wanted but the shell was never what he imagined it would be. His parents were always there to help him and had the background to aid him in all that he was into; my farm father had none of the skills I possessed however but had the words to always back my play. My mother died at the hands of a failed dialysis machine when she was getting a transplant for donating part of her organ to save another life and that was the darkest day of my eleven-year-old life. From that point on Alec was even closer to me becoming the ever watchful older brother I never had and I became deep into my calling as a crafter holding the solemn vow to never let a machine fail again…and that brings me to my name, Rig Stevens…or at least it was until a near miss from the reaper himself forced a change.

The wind was cold; no matter the coat you wore it snap through you like an evil spell. I stood to the left covered by two rows of people in front looking directly to the casket as it was lowered to the cold depths of the dirt, my dear beloved friend lies to its midst. As the words of priest went on, I bowed my head on occasion, only to the parts I deemed worthy, looking up only to sight the beauty my friend left to the world and my new job. The next machine that to my eyes was now broken and I needed to fix.

Her chocolate brown hair coated in the veil she wore but appeared to her front as its length drew nearly to the middle of her coat. Her eyes wet from tears but as always were they green and full of a life passion only my friend could handle on occasion. She had a smile that only a temptress carried and that was a feature that even my brother wasn't immune from. He married her after all, and as far as I was from her, the sweet smell of vanilla curved its way to me like a calling of the wild. Alec was always as far as I could recall a man after Asian girls, he had lots of them as girlfriends over his young years, this one held the inner soul he so desperately wanted to match his own but I hardly think he would imagined it coming from the shell of a beauty half Italian and the other half Spanish.

Growing up as we did one spot in time stuck with me, we as kids were always playing spies, him the one to the computer that tell me where to go and how to get in things, being the reserve of the two of us as youth he loved doing that part and I loved the action hero who did the combat. I during the course of the games would get all the damsels in distress and Alec was fine with always pretending he got some new secret tech to figure out. Now as age has solidified our roles we couldn’t have been more reverse as our adolescent years took hold, he had a different girlfriend almost every two or three weeks and as his height sprang up and mine mostly stayed the same little did girls have an interest in me, it hurt a bit to be sure and drew into a resentful status but I gain where that slacked for my focus to my mechanical and tactical extrapolations.

I came on approach to her after the priest was finished his speech, it was nice, clean and organized. Something me and my best friend shared for a life's pursuit, coming up on her back the wind changed direction as if to tell her I was there, she turned having me sight those intense and raw hurting eyes. Every time my eyes focus to his stone I see images of our past we once had but as my eyes turned to her the only thing that came to mind was the vow of protection to the ones we loved we promised upon each other if the worse should ever come to pass. He was lucky and I guess I was too picky but when it came to the relations of girls for a companion, I never found what I was fully looking for, so he got away free of the vow I suppose.

“Maria” I simply said as she scanned me for approval. I wore my usual attire for such an occasion, leather coat that had a double tongue to the front, sunglasses made by Oakley, and to my wrist, she noticed my watch…the one my best friend gave to me as we parted from the country years ago and from each other. It wasn’t anything done by Alec that caused the split off but my choice to join the military and then an early exit at the peak of my performance, my team was slaughtered on the act of a fly by bombing and failing to kill me then did they take the life of my sister and father to make me again come to the surface, I never did find out the assailant that did the attack but rarely do you get any answers when you run a black operation mission. I now take all addresses under a new name Taven Cross.

She gripped me tight in thankfulness that I came, and in wonderment does my mind cradle thoughts of why I did. The work I did for a living and choice couldn't be done here, but it is the type that could aid my friends further. She peeled from the grasp and looked to my face, smiled at its simplicity wiping away her tears.

“He talked a lot about you Taven, more that I care to admit and almost more than me. God, he loved you”

“I`m going to miss him too Maria” I replied and she buried herself again to my coat, squeezing tighter as if to hide from the entire world in it. A small cry brought the world she had built back to her reality releasing again from my hold, she moved to the women by her holding a small child…one I have only seen once, when I was pronounced her godfather. Their dear sweet daughter who will never see the face of her father again, who will only know how great of a man he was through the words and speech of our tongues…I only pray it will be enough.

My mind races with the news of what he had been looking into, he had notes and documents but nothing was concrete, but it was enough to get him killed for apparent fear of what he might fully know. For now, my gut was sick and hard, this wasn’t over in my eyes. The murder was too quick seeing the dates of the documents he had were only weeks ahead of his death. They found out somehow and fast on what he knew…but what if they weren’t done, what if they weren’t convinced.

One back from me was their lawyer, a friend to the firm Alec was with and the rich features on him anyone could smell out, accompanied by the always crooked intent.

“Maria” I spoke out seeing her tend to her little one, Nissa was her name. She sparked to me as I spoke “Can we talk somewhere alone”

“I have just need of one signature from her if I may” intruded the lawyer behind me, I turned to him with a hard look, Maria just looked at me with a go on gesture as she noticed me type on my phone, I then show here the screen.

Don’t speak, you are not safe in the house, go to a hotel. I’ll get some of your things; speak to no one about this not even the maid staff. Give me two hours and come alone to your favourite coffee shop, I know where it is.

She was baffled “oh come on, aren’t you being a little paranoid Taven” she muttered under her fall chilled breath

“No” I said back sternly, she rolled her eyes “Please do this for me”

“Why” she questions back to which I again reply on the phone (They may be listening right now for insurance the leak was finished) then I as I see her done with it say aloud

“They can’t know what we found out”, her look slow dripped away replaced by suspicion that lead to her signing nothing that day.

All went like clockwork for the next two hours; I packed things for both of them. Had her walk into the front of the house fully noticed just an hour after that and as the sun set on the day the plan went into play. Her child was safe already at the hotel with a fake look alike to her arms for the show. As the time stretched over to ten thirty and the cover of night was in full bloom, she took to a shaded escape. With an over the top performance she needed much convincing to be done she dressed full in black with a mask to her face, she at my side was smuggled a back unknown way out of her own home.

We rendezvoused at the hotel for her to again grasp hold of her dear child, crews at her home estate worked as they normally did and she announced her sleep retirement to the maids as she always did…then it happened.

At around two in the morning, emergency respondents get a call and launch into action as her once secure home filled with memories of love and life went up a fury scene of flames.

Chapter One

Three Months Later….

I awake from yet another sweated sleep, the humidity over the nights is at an all-time high, only two sounds do I hear; my heart rate and the air conditioner that so far recently has proven useless. To my feet I get, hitting the floor for a few limbs stretching push up reps, and then my feet take to the bathroom. Washing my face, I look to the image of my clean-cut scruff, my dark hair short and with a few drops of water at my fingers I spear it outward as I like. Twin scars on my right cheek always plain sight, my narrow eyes hazel in color always peering to see more, than what’s usually there. As I walk the hallway, my eyes shift to the door across from my own to see it open, and peering in as I knew it was again doing the bed hold no body…she was with Nissa again.

Her daughter’s door was closed which lied just feet down from hers and was a no stress note that Maria was again cuddled on the floor by the crib her daughter slept in. It has been some time since she has had a good sleep. Three months is not bad for this stage, I could only imagine if she found him dead. He was found at home with the daughter at the daycare attached to the building Maria worked at, both were away and thank god they were.

I moved through the hall down by my front door, opening it quick only to grab my morning paper and close it again. Taking it to the kitchen I toss it to the table grabbing a cup and pouring a brew from the timed coffee pot set the night before, looking up to the clippings of newspapers articles I cut out from papers past. The cut-out with their burning beautiful estate home in the Czech Republic still haunts me to see it, and still brings fights to my home. Maria yelled at me constantly at the beginning after the fire as one of her own staff maids was badly burned during the blaze that went up so quickly; I still wonder if the charges they found in the wreckage had been there for some time.

“I just want to see her, send her flowers, I’ll make it anonymous I promise” Maria would bring up time and time again days after, but I knew her style and loving heart, some small note of a phrase she knew the maid would recognise to knew it was Maria and it was that fear that I still wage war. We fought about a lot of things and now looking back none of it was any great deal, she had lost everything since being pronounced dead but never recovered. We often spoke of her changing her name and identity but with no body to confirm death this rouse I pulled off will only stall the ones after her. She uses cash for everything and I hope I have kicked up enough dust to smoke her soul from them enough for her to now start anew.

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As I sit to my computer in my study I had built to my home a small room not really elaborate by no means but enough to double as a home office my eyes peer to my busy desk littered with articles I was following at the currant time. The progress of the project Alec was working on a fully automatic drill assignment that held the possibilities to change the world for the better or in the wrong hands drive it into a monarchy worldwide. The United Nations was tabling the use of the drill since it was currently being built in the arm of a private developer by the name of Alliance Drilling, a company that hired Alec and his handpicked group of fourteen brilliant minds to aid him in his quest. Alec was well gifted having a degree in the ways of law but that wasn’t his true calling, he was one of the best program developers we had to this blue ball we lived on and on the side of all that did he delve into the chemical arts as well. The Alliance company knew him from previous meeting and projects and could see any other mind at the helm in co-partnership, the CEO of Alliance was the first I checked into after hearing of his death as he had the most to gain from his elimination but doing a thorough background scavenger hunt Mark Levers came up clean as a whistle and never in the times I had met him did he seem crocked. The man had built various satellite systems many military and telecommunication global mongers around the globe use today and such a talent was the back brace to the Alliance Empire and good will. They as a company didn’t mind damn near giving the project to the direction of the United Nations in a continuing global effort to save the planet from using all of the dying fossil fuels. We were only decades from a global crisis and they knew it which is why the project began after an a amassing discovery only six years ago of a huge frozen concentrated frozen amount of oil in a heavy dense form located deep within the ice shelves of the Antarctic. But any type of continuous mining by humans would prove to be untimely to long to process, that is where Alec and his team came in. I showed up a few times as well and that information has not been told to Maria yet as I initially told her I hadn’t seen Alec in nearly six months before his death and I didn’t want the words clouded an unnecessary issue that held no suspicion. My objective was simple when I was there with him and that was to help him with the power system and the cooling convertors as my knack under my old name Rig Stevens came with my ability to work power mechanic very well, it was my use when I was in the military unit I was a part of until the accident occurred exiling me from that life. Alec again found me we again grew as best friends as we had been so long before.

I kept my word to Maria to not really involve her in the work I was doing and deep down she didn’t want to give up on finding who killed her husband but to the surface she hide it with the show of me not to pursue it….that it wouldn’t change what happened. That was true but I made a vow to my friend in the last days I had seen him, that if anything was to happen to him I would watch over his family and keep them from his life on this nightmare and indeed I will. I did a background check to all he worked with following them all with looks to their finances for big payouts or family issues and stamens of hidden partners to the United Nations all came up empty. Then as the next few week unfolded from the attack did I trail the new line headlines on some of the people Alec work with starting be found dead in bathtubs and ledged suicide showings which I never bought as legit, others were presumed missing and couldn’t be located and then only a few days ago was their another heading stating the Alliance company had been bought out by a massive rival called Vision-Tech which has their fingers in robotics on a global scale and for years had they always shadowed in the wake of Alliance success. The news made no one stitch of sense, why would a world hugging conglomerate suddenly give it all up to a privatised company only worried to benefit themselves.

The drill was operational but not in use yet as the mission of the drill brought must arguing to the world table from many countries, the votes were all over the place and unstable to be sure. Making something useful from a privatised company was harder than simply giving over the key and debates and discussions needed to be done. Many countries suffering were all on board with its use as it would benefit them the most but for some of the bigger worlds powers, their votes were not yet placed and every meeting wet with much stalemate. The rule was set if a decision wasn’t met by a year and a half the drill and all its availability would belong to the current owner which after the buyout became Vision-Tech industries. As much as I would like to be involved with all of the issues over there the one I was vowed to keep safe was just down the hall from me.

My Friend had done well for himself with the home and life and family he carved out, and just grateful was I to be named godfather to their bundle of joy. Today is a new day however as Maria has finally got the courage to apply for a position in this country, she went for a spot in the coastguard and with her exceptional credentials as a highly respected rescue officer I can’t see her not getting the job . I finish my coffee and hit hard to my work out routine to wake me up and two thirds the way through I hear steps to the kitchen followed by the gentle pour of yet another morning coffee.

“Good morning” I say to her seeing her hands to the paper I brought in, dressed in a navy blue blouse and dress pants she was ready for the day. She looks to me finishing the last of my buttons that was the last of my sport suit to put on,

“I’m really nervous”

“You’ll do fine Maria” I boast with confidence, “Little one still asleep” I question to which is met with an agreeing nod, “I trust Claire Maria, Nissa is in good hands for care, a doctor plus she has a gun”

Maria just looks to me with worry that could fill the whole world; I come to her side taking one hand into mine

“No one knows you’re here”

“We should keep it like that, what if they find us”

“Eventually they will Maria, however don’t let fear run your life. Finding you and trying to end you is two different things and they have a million rocks to turn over to find you…it’s time for you to have addition to your life”

She smiles a simple grin as it seems her touch to her child for calming is one I have grown to help with her, “Will you drive me there” she asks to which I laugh a short shot,

“Let me make a call to work, of course” I replied

Chapter Two

Just as I thought it took some convincing to get her from the vehicle but after the first couple of steps and first to give up her baby for a day and then to move on to her interview Maria was in full move.

I arrive at work, by passing the coffee room an area used as the get going juice that for me resembles two hour melted sludge to my boots in a cup; I’m not a fan of it at all. I take the stairs mostly in routine down two hallways and then to the main area of the precinct down to the left corner where my desk was at, ringed around three others…my team.

She moves into the room stationed with a two-way mirror, all know of the interrogation rooms and what they hold but few, very few know of the skill invoked in getting confessions. She looked across as the door close behind her to a rugged man in a high tailored suit, perfect feathered blonde hair neatly tucked for a good image, his face is calm, almost over confidence lingered in his eyes…a bank manager she had to her cage. She leaned over staring at him he only peered back with profiling of his own, she was late-twenties and slim built. Her hair was formed to a bob style pixy-cut, patterned with stripped layers of green and purple, her top was a one sleeve form fitted shirt speckled with a radicle form of blue and red colors. She wore capris to her legs and strapped to each thigh was twin harness knives and no sign of a gun, one holder was empty. The blade to her hand and as she took a seat she folded one leg over the other showing her style of foot wear, steel toe boots cardboard brown. The blade went to the table top with the hilt of it spun towards the suspect , but the thing he noticed most was the lack of paperwork she had…there is always a file folder brought in.

“Nice knife” the man said looking quick at it then bringing his eyes back to her, she said nothing at first as she chewed her gum blowing a loud popping bubble.

“You know this interrogation thing isn’t my style, this isn’t even my case but the boys on your ass I owe a favour for so here I am…and that’s not a knife by the way” spoke her French worded vocals “It’s a tool used in a form of pain mastery on pressure points, this one is used for the genitals. Did you know that the brain will actually shut off blood pressure to your penis if it’s involved in a deep laceration? So that you can feel the maximum amount of pain without going into shock and passing out” she laced from her tongue, her eyes moved up slow to the right corner of the room. His follow leading like a white rabbit to the sight of the room camera that’s light of power just went out, his head snapped back striking her dead to his vision his face paling over with fear. “Most of them don’t even like this next part” she marked her hand spinning the hilt back to her grip.

As I reach my computer I notice a fresh set of paper on my desk, application form followed by a background profile to one young Scott Lindsey fresh out of college and about to be the neCross member to my team, yelling breaks up my thoughts as the interrogation door is laid siege to by the inside pounding of rapid fists. I take sight of officers opening the door to the banker rushing to the nearest desk hasting to grip hold of a pen, writing down on the first piece paper he can find he turns pulling a uniform in front of himself reaching over handing the paper to her.

“Here that’s the address, names and accounts all of it is there I swear” he snaps from his lips

She takes it from him like a flytrap snap “thank you for your-

“Am I free to go now” he sparks back; she smirks with a nod watching him take his leave. She hands the paper to the suits on the case and bare her move toward me pulling her chair out from the table across from mine.

“Good morning Frankie, busy I see…new record maybe” I inquire to see her flip her wrist at her watch,

“Short by four seconds”

“What was it for?”

“Don’t know didn’t ask” she said already half ignoring me staring at her computer screen, then she stopped shifting her head robot like toward me,

“They did it again today, initiation tests to a new recruit”, as she said the words I closed my eyes gritting my teeth, always was it the running new fade, getting the newcomers to approach our dear Frankie about her arsenal strapped to her legs. And every time where they always met with a strut cornering couple of French sentences that turn all of the six foot solid metal busters into a molten state of two foot tall putty. Frankie hated guns and hated the ones thinking it was the only solution for solving things even more…but the most disturbing thing about our deep connected beauty was she actually liked that god awful coffee.

As the elevator door opened I looked to the clock, 9:15 as always and always did he come through then. This time a disturbing gaze was upon him,

“Something wrong Connor?” I said to him, the man built with ginger hair and an army built form I knew well from being partners in a previous time and place, dressed in a brown blazer covering a glossy black dress shirt only half done up as his natural state it holds in place from the blue jeans he wore ending with jogging shoes.

“The guy I past getting on the elevator, he just stank, bean counting look to him”

“No bean counter, he was a banker” Frankie with tunnel vision to her screen “And he shit his pants in the interrogation room trying to leave”

A choking chuckle came from Connor and I added to the scene snap clapping my hands joining in with a laugh “Oh that’s a bonus, your lunch is on me today” I said, Connor takes to his chair starting his computer and his day, Connor he goes by but full name is Gensen Connor. We knew each other well from a military unit before here, the unit worked as a clean over cause from the initial black ops mission…seeing and trying to catch anything missed or puzzling. Eventually none of our programs were needed just like an oil ridge we were laid off and relocated, allowed to post here in the city as a unit to again help any in need. Murder, kidnapping, drug bust whatever the spot need filling we were there, Frankie was an add on to our group for about a year and a half now, the rest of the original five just tossed in the towel when we got tossed ourselves.

Gensen has one issue that needs attention, he suffers in secret but not in silence from PTSD disorder, a mind illness from intense scene exposure to hard situations and it filters into normal everyday routine sometimes. The last time was during a bus stand about a month ago, getting visions of enemies long dead and drawn up as nightmares during a similar layout…it took me about 12 minutes to calm him down to get him to take his pills. His sister Claire was an awesome soul, being what she was in the hospital she became his full support and medical aid for the pills…and forging the documents so he didn’t lose his badge for such a sickness is prohibited. Frankie had known about this stage for just under a year and has so far been good with it and she has her own hang ups, we all do; she even became really good friends with Claire who doubles for us as a dead body inspector as I like to call her.