Isaias looked down at his sister and growled low. That pirate boy was snuggling up to her almost bare chest! He could guess what went on last night! He was just glad that Zen was unhurt. Marco had been called to deal with a traumatized girl last night and found Zen’s rape memory in the girl’s head. For some reason, he refused to delete it saying something along the lines of play with fire you’re going to get burned. He was here to get his sister and make sure she was ready to go to the Hormigueros hideout with him. It was true he needed the backup. The Hormigueros were a ruthless lot and they were sure to be swarming the base right now. They had an hour for things to calm down at the base. Isaias shook Zen awake.

Zen opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was dark eyes staring at her. Fear began to cloud her judgment no matter how she pushed it aside.

“It’s me, hermanita. Hurry and get dressed. We leave for the Hormigueros in an hour,” Isaias said, shadow warping out of the room as quickly and quietly as he came in.

Zen sighed and only now felt the early morning breeze on her shoulders. Crap! He saw me snuggled up to Stephan without a shirt! I guess he can guess what went on last night. Oh well, I don’t regret it.

She grinned and ran a hand through Stephan’s hair earning her a small moan. He’s really sensitive on his scalp. I wonder if I ran my nails down his scalp, how would he react? She made to do just that when a hand caught hers.

“Unless you want to end up on this bed for hours I suggest you not try that Zen,” Stephan said, wrapping his hand around hers and hauling her to him.

She smiled. “I have to get ready to go with Isaias.”

He grinned. “I heard,” and kissed her lightly before drawing back. “Now you can get ready.” A slight playful glint shone in his eyes and she grinned, kissing him again. This time she opened her mouth and invited his tongue to play. He swept in and groaned, fisting his hands in her hair to keep them still. She drew back grinning.

“Go, or you’ll be here all morning,” he whispered hoarsely, squeezing her hand, then letting it go. She smiled and climbed off the bed getting out her dimensional pocket and choosing an outfit for the day ahead. Stephan watched as she walked into the adjoining bathroom holding the urge to join her, and left for his room. He figured he still had an hour of rest.

Zen came out wearing black jeans with a black t-shirt and a black hoodie. She tied on black combat boots that Margarita had packed for her from her endless pile of shoes. Although why did she buy combat boots? She never wears anything remotely sporty.

Zen finished drying her hair and put it back into a ponytail. She walked out of the room just as a bed draggled Stephan stepped out from his. He was wearing a different pair of clothes but otherwise looked the same if a little sleepy. His hair was wet though.

“Come on, let's hurry to the dining room,” she said, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall. There was no Nita to stop them this time and they got to the hall at the same time Isaias arrived in a shadow warp, a disgruntled Marco beside him. They ate breakfast with little fanfare and soon Zen was back in her room strapping on weapons of all kinds onto her.

Stephan watched as his girlfriend got ready to kick some gangster ass. It was turning him on as nothing else had, and he fidgeted on the bed. Zen caught him fidgeting and grinned. “Am I bothering you, Stephan?” she asked, coming over to sit beside him. He turned to her and pulled her to him so she was almost straddling him.

“Keep pushing Zen, see where it gets you,” he muttered in her ear.

“I’m more interested in what it gets me,” she replied, sliding a hand to his thigh.

“You’ve got a bust to do,” he said, removing her hand and entwining it with his.

She smiled and got up. “Wish me luck, waterboy.”

“Good luck sweetheart.”

Zen stared at him. “Sweetheart?”

“Would you prefer honey or sweetie?”

“I prefer huntress or empress or something that’s not sweetheart.”

“I’ll think about it, go!”

Zen left her room and shadow warped to where Isaias was going to meet her

###

Zen and Isaias walked down the crowded streets of Puerto Nuevo’s downtown region in the shadows. They crept from shadow to shadow like wraiths, making sure to stay out of public eyes. They weren’t too sure if they were wanted in Puerto Nuevo or not. Isaias signaled out one of the big factory-like buildings and both headed toward it. It was bordered all around with an electric fence. Zen checked for electricity. Finding none, she almost brushed by it but Isaias stopped her.

“Careful hermanita. These gates might not be real electrical gates but they do sound an alarm. A real loud one, capable of being heard from all corners of the base.”

Zen made a silent O with her lips and followed Isaias as he shadow warped past the gates and into the base. It was a simple warehouse with various tables and chairs. Only a few men were around smoking and playing cards.

They snuck closer to the back where a large chemist lab was, and some wooden stairs that lead upstairs, were by the wall. They headed for the wall and up the stairs. Isaias and Zen waited for the doors to open. They did ten minutes later and a lady walked out dressed in a white coat.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

They snuck into the open door and swept down the hall filled with white doors till they came to the last one on the right. Isaias swept a black card through the door swipe, and with a small beep, the door opened.

He looked at Zen and grinned. “I kept my all passage card after I left the gang. I turned in a fake with Nathan’s help. I’m still keyed in for emergencies.”

Zen huffed. “We could have used that to get in here instead of waiting for that woman, Isaias!”

“No, we couldn’t. It was Amanda’s break time. If we had gone before, we could have been caught. Now no one is here to stop us. Trust me hermanita, I know this place’s pulse.”

Zen nodded and they entered a refrigerated room with all sorts of vials and tubes.

“Remember what the poison looked like? We are looking for an exact replica.”

Zen nodded and began to search the cabinets for the turquoise liquid.

“Found it,” said Isaias. He pulled some rubber gloves from his dimensional pocket and slipped them on before quickly snatching the vial of poison from the canister it was haphazardly laid in.

“Got it now we need to…”

“I’ve got to find it!”

Zen and Isaias hid in the shadows watching as the door banged open and a distraught Luis came, knocking vials to the floor searching for something.

“Where is it? I put it in this room! Amanda! Donde carajo estas! If Father catches me with the poison he’ll know! How the hell did he find out I poisoned the boat anyway?”

Zen grinned. Maybe because I told him? But keep incriminating yourself. I’ve got it all on tape.

Isaias looked over at his grinning sister and saw the slight red glow in her eyes.

She was recording Luis’s meltdown. That was worth far more than some forged fingerprints since the evidence came from the horse’s mouth!

“It was perfect! I gave a vial of poison to Gibson to reproduce into two gallons, then had my own gang load the stuff into the water supply thinking it was fluoride! I had to change the consistency of the poison for that trick but it worked and I got it into the boat’s water system. Father never suspected a thing! Who could have told him of my plans? The Amargaritas? But they’re enemy numero uno right now. Still, Isaias always got himself out of trouble faster than he got into them. Only he could figure out the truth. Dammit, why did he have to be on the boat!”

That’s how we survived! He changed the consistency and he sucks at chemistry! That’s why half the ship was fine while the other half was poisoned!

Does that mean that us being half elemental had nothing to do with our survival then?

It has a lot to do with our survival Ze...since when can you communicate like a Traveler Zen?

Since I grew their abilities overnight it seems. Ask Stephan who was teaching me stuff last night.

Isaias smirked. I bet he was.

Zen blushed. A small dust bunny came down from the shelves and entered Zen’s nose causing her to sneeze inside the metal cabinet. Isaias winced. The jig was up.

Luis turned to the first in a line of cabinets and threw the doors open finding nothing.

“Who’s there? I know someone is in there! Come on out coward!”

“The coward here is you, cousin,” Isaias said, coming out of his shadow and facing his cousin. Zen opened her cabinet and stood beside Isaias coming out of the shadows to scare Luis some more.

Luis gaped. “The shadows! You two! You came from them? How!”

“It’s Elemental my dear cousin,” Zen said, crossing her arms. She had turned off the recorder. No need to anger him more. He looked like a hot tamale straight out of the oven. She faced him and cringed as his dark eyes landed on her. She backed up unconsciously and Isaias grabbed her arm and held her still. She smiled up at him gratefully and changed her stance to resume looking nonchalant.

“The two of you are wanted by Dad,” Luis exclaimed. “And you have something of mine, don’t you? Give it! Amanda!”

The woman from earlier appeared at the door and took in the mess of the room.

“Those are some valuable poisons! Luis Enrique Arrio! What were you doing in here,” she screamed, holding onto her forehead.

“I was stopping these two from stealing a very valuable poison,” Luis said pointing to Isaias and Zen who were still visible. They had another mission now that they knew of Luis holding the Hormigueros as his lackey’s in his plans to eliminate his father. They could be incriminated if things weren’t set straight within the gang itself. They needed to find the dissent and eliminate it from the gang.

This is turning out to be one cluster fuck of a mess!

Isaias, who is Gibson and would he work for Luis for free?

Nope, not as long as I knew him. He hates dealing with Luis. That poison wouldn’t have come cheap. Why?

Where do you think he got the money, Isaias?

Isaias’s eyes widened. You’re talking about the ledger Zen? The one who runs those was me but after I quit it would fall to him again. You think?

That he’s been embezzling gang money under their noses? Definitely, and the way to prove it is in those books.

Isaias smirked. You may have found a way to sink the bastard further Zen.

Several Homigueros strode into the room fully armed and were surprised to see Isaias.

“Hermano, what are you doing in the poison room,” one asked confusedly. “Yeah I thought you weren’t part of the gang anymore,” said the other.

Luis puffed out his chest. “Gorrito, Tortuga, take them to the gang’s torture room and call a meeting. We’re going to teach these thieves what we do to trespassers.”

Gorrito looked unsure but Tortuga signaled with his gun. “This way Isaias. Looks like you did it now.”

“Don’t worry Tortuga after today you’ll have to get a new gang leader,” muttered Isaias as he and Zen followed Tortuga.