Bevan hoisted Maitho’s arm around his shoulders and lifted him up to his feet. There was a small issue with balance, which the duo corrected after suffering a head bump. They chuckled. In the background, Epona was speaking over the phone to Brigid. She shared a look with Maitho before turning to face away from him.
Maitho assured Bevan that he was okay and made his way to his bed. He slammed down face-up on it. He lifted himself up and stretched down to remove his shoes. After a few failed attempts, he fell back.
“I guess even with your powers, you didn’t see this problem coming,” said Bevan.
Maitho blinked at the other man for a second. Then burst out laughing. “That was terrible and funny at the same time.”
Bevan made an exaggerated bow, going so far as to rotate his hand in the air several times. “I am a master of cringe. You can get to see more of me, but I’m afraid we have to wait until tomorrow.”
Epona appeared behind him. Her face was the definition of focus with her even biting her lower lip to add to the overall impression. She stood at the doorway without saying a word. Bevan had stepped aside and leaned against the wall. He was about to say something, but pushed his lips to the side in a pout.
“Brigid's comin back,” said Epona. “She says that thare wis na ane at Jennifer's place. No e'en at the house we visitit earlier. Both places haed police patrols nearby however.”
“Did she manage to figure out why the patrols were there?” said Maitho. “I mean, we did break into the property, so there is that.”
Epona shook her head. “She said that didnae want tae attract more attention.”
Maitho exhaled audibly. He understood that if the Celtic team’s leader was heading back, then it would be best for him to head to sleep. She might try to wake him up if she wanted to and if that were to happen, there was nothing he could do. Yet he felt that the more opportunities he took to avoid facing her, the more he might just be able to get some rest and speak to her when he was more attentive.
He thought about Bevan and the innocent, but genuine, affection the man had for his leader. He wondered what would happen to Epona if his actions took away the support system she had established with the team. He considered withdrawing his plans. Let things go back to how they were. He could slip away. He could create as much distance as possible between himself and the Celtic team. They might wonder what happened to him. But at least they will remain together.
What if he discovered something that could not be ignored? Should the truth be hidden from others, despite how agonizing it could be? Should the entire team be kept in the dark about the machinations of their leader, if such machinations existed?
Maitho had no answers at that moment. Then again, perhaps he didn’t have to. An idea materialized. Perhaps he didn’t have to involve everyone after all.
He could feel the lull of the bed calling to him. It was a sweet serenade. Besides, the earlier he headed to bed, the more rest he might get before putting his plan into action. “I guess I’ll call it a night. Have to be ready for tomorrow.”
The smile on Epona’s face was anything but a joyous expression. There was sorrow there. Maybe a hint of empathy. “Maybe ye might want tae wash aff the alcohol's effects. Bevan has some spare clothes.”
Bevan nodded eagerly. “I think we are built the same.” He somehow deemed it necessary to squeeze his biceps. He instantly realized his reaction and then scratched the back of his head. “Just to make sure my shirts are not too tight.” Epona rolled her eyes.
Maitho nodded. “That sounds like a great idea. Want me to help with the cleanup?”
Epona declined with a shake of her head. “We got it. Ye juist tak it easy.”
The shower helped. It allowed Maitho to simply pay attention to the beat of the water against his skin. He started with hot water and then shifted to cold. By the time he returned to his room, he felt like he had managed to have something go his way, even if it was simply related to the matter of his personal hygiene.
When he returned to his bed, he didn’t try to fight his sleep. He simply allowed gravity to drop his body into a supine position. His eyes were closed the moment his head hit the pillow. The little sleep that he managed to get was a listless one. Troubling dreams flashed behind his eyelids. When he awoke in the middle of the night, he couldn’t recollect the nightmares. But the rapid beating of his heart, the sweat drenching his shirt and the heavy breathing clued him into the kind of visions he had been having when he was in the land of unconsciousness.
Something had awoken him. The need to close his eyes once again was so strong that Maitho almost gave in to the temptation. Instead, he forced himself off the bed. This would be the second time within a short period that he had to sacrifice his sleep. He hoped this wasn’t going to be a recurring theme. Then again, he could sleep when he was dead. Which wasn't all that far into the future. He shook the thoughts of his doom from his mind.
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When he checked the time on his phone, it told him that only an hour and a half had passed.
He walked over to the door and pressed his ear against it. There were no sounds from the hallway. That didn’t mean there wasn’t anyone outside. He grabbed the doorknob. He wondered if he should open it slowly, but then realized that it would be a bad idea. If there was someone outside, he should catch them off-guard.
He pulled open the door and stepped outside, the excuse of using the facilities forming in his mind so he could employ it if required. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. The hallway was devoid of life.
He looked over at Brigid’s room. He might not get another chance. If he waited until the morning, then there could be a flurry of activity. The risk of him being caught could rise exponentially, especially since everyone would be more alert. Besides, Maitho’s earlier conversation with Brigid had not resulted in a conclusion yet. He would still have to explain himself. That would mean she might be waiting for him to wake up.
No, this was his only opportunity.
He walked over to the hallway entrance. There were faint voices on the other side of the door. He could only hear Epona’s and Brigid’s, but that did not mean that the remaining Celtic Guardian wasn't also there.
After backing away a few paces on the balls of his feet, Maitho turned around and made his way to Brigid’s room. He strode confidently. If someone entered the hallway, he could redirect himself towards the bathroom.
When he reached his destination, he didn’t face the door. He still kept his eyes on the end of the hallway. He reached for the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened easily.
There was no turning back. With as much swiftness as he could muster, Maitho entered Brigid’s room. He half expected to bump into someone. His fear had risen and lodged itself in his throat. Rather than allow the panic to overwhelm him, he focused on what he knew at that moment. The location of the phone. He didn’t have to search long. After all, he already knew where it was. When he got down on his knees and pressed his face to the carpet to check underneath the bed, he spotted the black rectangular device easily.
There was no need to ponder about anything. Maitho retrieved the phone. He was already pocketing it while getting up and moving towards the door. He pulled the doorknob behind him as he exited into the hallway. At the last second, he remembered to twist the knob before closing the door. The breath he was holding escaped his lips only after he was certain he had done everything right. There were no witnesses.
After returning to his own room, he checked to see if it was possible to lock the door from the inside. It was. He depressed the button in the doorknob into the lock position. He took out Bevan’s phone and ended the call. In his own phone, he checked the app which was recording the incoming call. There was only one audio file. Rather than listen to the entire recording, he slid the audio wave below the play button. For the most part, the wave showed a single horizontal line with a few bumps that could indicate soft noises. Maybe the way the air moved through the carpet. It didn’t matter. After sliding for a while, Maitho eventually reached a point where the wave file began to show peaks and troughs using thin vertical bars arranged so closely to each other that they almost seemed to blend into one single shape.
He hit the play button. There were a few seconds of the thin line that still remained and Maitho heard nothing but static. When he reached the part where the sounds started, he heard the opening of the door. Someone’s steps were padded on the carpet as they entered the room. The door closed.
Two more padded steps. Rustling. Maitho couldn't identify what that sound meant and so, he chose to ignore it. More silence.
Then he heard Brigid’s voice say. “It’s me.”
From that point onwards, Maitho could only heard her side of the conversation. At first, he wondered at the folly of Brigid’s actions. Why would she even try to make a call from inside the base? Yet the more he listened in on her, the more he realized what was happening and the more he understood the urgency.
When the recording ended, he checked the remaining audio file. There were a few bits of audio sections, but they were not long enough to look like conversations. He pressed his back against the door and closed his eyes. He felt the exhaustion settle down on him like a heavy block of stone pressing down on his head. His eyelids felt like they were tied to weights that were pulling them down.
He allowed himself a few moments to swim in the quiet of the room. This might probably be the final moment of peace he would receive. Once he stepped outside, it was only because he was about to put his plan into motion.
When he was ready, he stepped out into the hallway.
He reached the door that led into the security room. It felt like he had been walking for minutes. The voices on the other side were absent. Maybe there wasn’t anyone in the room. Maybe they had stopped talking.
He hoped that things would go smoothly. But they rarely did.
His hand opened the door. Inside the security room were two people.
Epona looked up at him. She was surprised, but there was concern there as well. Her reaction alone strengthened his resolve and made him believe in his actions. “Ye okay Maitho?”
Maitho nodded and offered what he thought was a comforting smile. He turned his attention to the woman beside her. “Can I have a word with you in private, Brigid? Maybe we could finish the conversation we started.” He hoped that Epona would understand that he wasn’t trying to exclude her without any reason. This was something he had to do on his own. Whatever the end result was, he wanted its repercussions to remain between Brigid and himself.
Epona nodded. “Ah'll let ye twa talk things oot.” She quickly exited the room, heading into the hallway. Once the door closed, Maitho looked at the other woman.
Brigid stood with her arms crossed. “Ready to talk? Because I’m not wasting my time for idle chatter.”
Maitho took a deep breath. “I think you have some explaining to do.” He took out his phone, moved the audio clip to the start of the conversation and hit the play button.