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After successfully executing their first mission as assassins for the Elders, Iceman stumbles upon a chance encounter with Katie O’Brien at an airport bar that sparked an unexpected relationship. Weeks later, during an assigned retreat to Ireland, Kelly Gerrity, Zeus’ love interest and Jack’s cousin, is introduced. Throughout the book the couples manage to have entertaining episodes in the face of the twins’ exceedingly demanding schedule. During the year, the twins are introduced to Dr, Grace Monroe who is a guiding force for the twins and their mental health.
Assigned to the analytics department, Iceman stumbles upon the Elders’ file on COVID-19. The file, later named the C-Files, is a source of intrigue that grows to obsession for Iceman. The newly formed C-Files team investigates the possibility that China manufactured the virus as a weapon of mass destruction. The team discovers the C-Files were in fact a result of an accident, however the C-Files document the creation and expected deployment of the virus was no accident.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
THE COLLINS TWINS SERIES
BOOK 2
Guardian Assassins
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2023
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Published by BooxAI
ISBN: 978-965-578-594-4
To Marty and the power of family.
Once the helicopter lifted off, Conjar immediately called Colonel Sullivan. ‘Mission accomplished. The twins are on their way to Austin via Boston.’
The Colonel responded. ‘How did they do on their first mission?’
Conjar simply responded. ‘Impressive.’
The Colonel asked. ‘Please elaborate and be specific. Why did you change the mission plan?’
Conjar paused. ‘Iceman has an uncanny ability to read into a mission, develop a plan and execute his plan. Zeus has a calming impact on Iceman and facilitates communication within our team.’
‘Continue and to reiterate, I want specifics.’
‘All right, but I will go into more detail in my report and during my debriefing. Iceman gathered a tremendous amount of intel to build the mission plan in a most unorthodox fashion. As I said, he blew through all the analytical data and quickly zeroed in on the essence of the target. He mentally stowed the files I gave him and just got up, leaving in the morning two days before the mission. I asked Zeus, what the hell is he doing? Zeus just shrugged and told me to let him be. Iceman returned eight hours later. He clearly had been drinking and returned with a case of beer and two bags of tacos.’
The Colonel interrupted. ‘He did what?’
‘I know, but let me finish. I went to question him about his antics, but Zeus just shook his head at me. I gave Zeus the benefit of the doubt and waited. After Iceman cracked a beer and began to dig into a taco, he started by asking if either of us wanted a beer or taco. Zeus took both. I was confused about their behavior, so of course, I declined at first. After Iceman made quick work of his first taco and started on his second, he relayed his report. As it turns out, he went to some dive bar at 1000 hours, outside the Long Island Gold Coast, to be in the environment of workers who provided service to the super-wealthy, like the target. After a couple of rounds, he identified the workers that were the crew for the target’s yacht. The workers had a couple of days off for the Fourth of July holiday and were to report on the fifth to ready the ship for departure. He got all the intel we needed by befriending these workers. I mean everything. He got these workers to take him to the Mexican restaurant where the landscapers frequented. They, too, had the day off for the Gatsby-like holiday party hosted by the target. The landscapers were set to return to work on the fifth of July to clean the grounds after the party. Together, the two sets of workers gave complete details about target’s itinerary and security. The workers gave Iceman all this intel without realizing it. They were just drunk on their day off, telling stories about their daily lives. Iceman steered the conversation and the flow of drinks, but remembered the entire day with perfect recall. His method was unorthodox but utterly amazing.’
‘I see. How did Iceman handle the computer extraction?’
Conjar took a cleansing breath and replied. ‘Very efficiently and with a powerful dark force. I was amazed by his poise while he tormented the target. He acted with extreme prejudice. I watched him through the drone, sniper scope and listened with my earpiece. He was just so calm while being relentlessly brutal. In my report, I will detail the utterly amazing.’
‘Which was?’
‘There were two secret computers, not one as the mission had targeted. The true targeted computer was in a safe room not identified in our intel. The computer we identified was a fake, a ruse. Iceman figured out the scheme on the fly, in the moment. He had studied the blueprints of the target’s yacht and discovered the room sizes did not match. A safe room was hidden, but incredibly, Iceman was able to destroy the target and unveil his secrets.’
‘Remarkable.’
‘Yes, wait until you read my report.’
‘And how was Zeus?’
Conjar responded. ‘Very professional. He has an amazing ability to manage the project. Very cerebral and calm. He did not hesitate to execute the termination aspect of his assignment, but he was a little disturbed by Iceman’s inner demon. He was glad Iceman made him stay away from the interrogation. Iceman tortured the target prior to termination to retrieve the necessary intel and package.’
The Colonel and Conjar spoke a little more about the mission’s details. The Colonel concluded the conversation. ‘I look forward to your full report and reading your debrief. When are you set to arrive in Austin?’
‘Jumping on our G450 now, call it three hours.’
‘Have a safe trip, well done.’
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, a group of nine men formed the Elders. The Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812 built the foundation for Great Britain and America to be powerful allies. The relationship has endured well-documented challenges. Nine of the greatest minds in business and academia from the United States and Great Britain came together at the end of Jefferson’s presidency in 1809 and the peaceful resolution of the War of 1812 to form the Elders. The Elders believed the future of the two countries was forged in the past. America was built on a British foundation, and while independent, the two countries needed to be aligned to support each other to prosper in the coming century. The nine elders were comprised of four great minds from America and four great minds from Great Britain. The ninth member was Chief Elder, a position that was elected every ten years and alternated between countries. The founding Elders established the simple mission statement: promote and protect British and American interests in the global theatre.
The Elders are above all radar and government agencies. Conspiracy theories persist as to a secret organization within the global power structure working behind the scenes, but the reality is the Elders are simply just a rumor and a whisper as far as the world is concerned. The total assets of the Elders’ Fund were $900 billion. The contributions of new members over two centuries, coupled with enormous investment returns, fuel an operation without a budget. The Elders’ largest expense is research and development. Apple spends $16 billion on research and development annually; the Elders invest $90 billion.
The Elders utilize four divisions led by four group leaders to achieve their mission statement. Research and development (R&D), the first group: the primary function is the development of algorithms and codes to stay ahead of all government and clandestine intelligence agencies. The hacking and interpreting information through their software is paramount to the Elders' success. The Elders unite data through hacking. The NSA, Google, CIA and other international governments and private companies protect their information and rarely share the information. The Elders hack into their systems to create a complete global picture. Their software systems afford the Elders the ability to not only gather information deemed not accessible, but filter and interpret the overwhelming volume of data. America has agreed not to spy on their allies. The Elders have made no such promise. The relentless pursuit of information and the ability to interpret and respond to information is the driver for the Elders program. The second group, analytics and investments, interprets and acts on the information generated by R&D. Superior data access provides valuable insight for the investment team. Companies, institutions, technologies and commodities that clear the analytics department offer sound financial investments in the short and long term. The analytics team also gathers and interprets data for potential targets for the Black Ops team. The third team, Black Ops, operates in the field and is utilized when a threat is deemed too large, too sensitive, or too politically connected for national governments to address properly. The threat, after intense and exhaustive investigation, is voted on by the Elders to become a target. Once classified as a target, Black Ops is tasked with elimination. The fourth team, recruitment and training, is considered the most valuable department to the Elders. The ability to find the greatest minds of each generation is a challenge. Recruiting the identified candidates is a very delicate process. How does one lure a teenager or sell a young adult to join an organization that does not exist and ensures the Elders remain ghosts?
The four group leaders report to Bill Zera, the director of the Elders program. Prior to being named director, Zera was a successful Black Ops agent. After Black Ops, he was sent to Princeton, where he received his master's in finance. He returned as a senior agent in analytics and investments. He was then promoted to group leader of R&D. He served three years of his ten-year term as director. Seated in his conference room, he had called Dr. Grace Monroe, Senior Agent Conjar and Jasper Cooper. He called the meeting to discuss the Collins twins and their first mission.
Zera welcomed the group and asked Dr. Monroe to begin. ‘Grace, you know the history of the twins better than anyone in the room. Can you begin with a little background and your assessment?’
Dr. Grace Monroe was a Black Ops agent for ten years, and upon completion of her time as an agent, she was chosen to pursue academia. Prior to Black Ops, she graduated from Oxford, where she earned a master's in experimental psychology and took third in her class. After her tour as an agent, she attended Harvard University’s Chan Department of Social and Behavior Sciences for her doctorate. She is charged with the fourth group, recruitment and training. She also monitors the Black Ops agents’ mental health.
‘Thanks, Bill. I identified the twins at 15 years of age. Seamus Collins, Zeus, was a brilliant student and physical specimen who dominated his peers in Ennis, Ireland. The decision to bring him to West Point was triggered by the death of his father when Seamus was nine. I believed at that time, and continue to believe, that Colonel Thomas Sullivan was the perfect choice to be his recruiter and trainer. Seamus was desperate for a father figure and in need of being a part of something special. He graduated from West Point, having accomplished both.
‘From the moment I read Jack Collins’ initial reports, I was extremely committed and invested in his recruitment and training. In all areas of testing, he scored off the charts. Iceman is gifted athletically, mentally and has a fierce moral compass that matches our own. What has always separated Jack, Iceman, from other recruits is his extraordinary gift of perception. In several reports from his three years in Black Ops training and his time at West Point, he has been referred to as Sherlock or, in some cases, Hannibal. He is comfortable with violence when appropriate. As valuable as Sullivan was to Zeus, his role in Iceman’s development was more important and impactful. Iceman can be a handful, a talented Mustang that Sullivan, with much assistance from Conjar, cultivated into an exceptional Black Ops agent.
‘Both excelled at the highest level individually during their time with Sullivan at West Point. They continued to set new standards of excellence in their three years of Black Ops training with Senior Agent Conjar and Colonel Sullivan. What makes the twins so unique is the chemistry they share. They got the nickname twins on their first day at West Point as a joke. Roommates, both named Collins, one white, one black, but even early in their relationship, they acted like twins. They have complete trust in each other. Both are fiercely loyal to and protective of each other. As you know, the twins, like other Black Ops agents, were expected to train for four years at university before we read them in on the true purpose of their training. Iceman was too perceptive and began to question the true intent of the twins’ training at West Point. We were forced to accelerate their timetable, have the twins graduate, and be briefed in three years. The success of the first mission, while extraordinary, did not surprise me.’
Zera nodded his understanding and moved the meeting forward. ‘Conjar, I believe Grace has offered you a nice transition. Why don’t you pick it up?’
Conjar was the twins’ senior agent. The Black Ops teams operated with two agents and a senior agent to execute their missions. The agents trained with their senior agent for three years, then stayed with their senior agent for ten years to conduct assassinations. After ten years, if they survive, the agent is promoted to senior agent and assigned to a team. The senior agents graduate to statesmen after their tour with the team. Statesmen is a minimal-impact position that involves teaching, training and support to new and senior agents.
After clearing his throat, Conjar began. ‘At first, I was skeptical of the twins. I had read all their reports from West Point and their summer military training; I was certain they were not as advertised. They beat up other cadets in Airborne School, boxing, or what have you. Great. Iceman was some genius basketball star and Zeus was a computer wizard and rugby monster. Lovely. To me, they were just a couple of overhyped, cocky kids that would get their asses kicked just like every other recruit in Black Ops training. They changed my mind in the first 48 hours. I knew they were different. They are big, fast, and smart, I mean crazy smart. They pick up everything so quickly it’s alarming. The thing is, they are tough, and I don’t just mean physically, which they are extremely, but also mentally tough. That’s what surprised me, their toughness. I thought the superstars would be soft, but I was wrong. Grace touched on it. Individually they are exceptional, but together, holy shit is all I can say.’
Zera took in the reports and scanned the room. ‘Duke, you do not seem to be in sync with Grace and Conjar. Do you have any concerns about their reports?’
All Black Ops senior agents are responsible for executing the mission plan provided by the architect. The architect, Jasper Cooper, a statesman, worked with the Black Ops' senior agents, Conjar in this case, to design the assassination plan. Duke, his code name, was a play on his nickname Jazz, short for Jasper. Duke was a tribute to the famous jazz artist Duke Ellington. He was the bridge between analytics and operations, turning the theoretical from analytics to reality with input from senior agents. Physically not imposing, Duke was successful as an agent and senior agent due to his amazing tactical skills.
‘I have no reason to question the reports. Grace and Conjar know the twins better than I do and I trust their judgement. The twins came through training with exceptional marks. My concerns rest in the mission, not training.’
Zera paused as he examined Duke. ‘We have the mission briefing packets, but more information will be coming courtesy of the recovered computers. Initial reports are extremely encouraging; the recovered computers hold a wealth of Intel. As we agree for now, training was a success, so let us move on to Duke’s concerns and discuss the mission. Conjar, please briefly give us your feedback from your mission.’
‘Fredrick Byron IV was from an extensive line of bankers from an extraordinarily successful and influential family. His ancestors made their fortunes conspiring with the British to betray the colonies during the American Revolution. The family tradition continued through to his father, who made an obscene fortune due to the events of 9/11. IV, the target’s identity during the first mission plan, also profited on the victims of terrorism. However, IV took his inhumane investment strategy one step further. He directly funded the attacks and banked the organizations that execute terrorism. He knew an attack, which he helped fund and bank, was coming, but he was untouchable, because of generations of relations built with the most powerful and the tens of millions he had contributed to Washington. Needless to say, he had friends in the highest places. There was another reason, a reason Iceman did not take well, and that was the reason the target was identified as Pervert for the revised mission. He kidnapped students from colleges, got them addicted to drugs and offered them as gifts to the elite, who are the handlers of the terrorists. His hobby was human sex trafficking.’
Conjar paused and took a sip of water before he continued. ‘We ran a clean Op and the twins exceeded expectations. Duke and I built a good plan that had the twins undercover as waiters. They were expected to penetrate the target’s party, poison him to fake a heart attack, and secure his computer on their retreat. I sensed during the briefing that Iceman held in silence some reservations about the plan, but he did not offer comment. Iceman, after questionable technique, secured better intelligence and brought it to my attention. We studied the intel, built a better plan and executed the revised plan. We changed the takedown location from his home to his mega yacht. During his interrogation of the target, a very dark, violent interrogation, Iceman believed the target was withholding information. Information that was not made available to us, nor known by the analytics team and extracted from the unknown computer. The second computer, along with the targeted computer, is with the hackers and we should have more information in the coming days, weeks and, in all probability, months. As Bill identified, the initial results of the forensic dig are extremely encouraging. My team terminated a known terrorist banker whose hobby was human trafficking. We are ahead of their network, because of the mission and the hackers are in the process of unearthing an onion of data on global terrorist threats. The previously unknown computer exposes a tressure of international networks.’
Duke deliberately elected to bypass the success of the mission and attacked the team instead. ‘Questionable technique? He was drunk when he gathered intelligence and your team was fortunate his drunk plan worked. I have serious reservations about Iceman, and quite frankly, I have concerns about you too, Conjar. This was your first mission as a senior agent. Because of your inexperience, we spent extra time meticulously constructing the plan. You had no business or authority to deviate from the mission plan. Iceman shows up with a beer and taco party. Months of intel and planning are scrapped? Your team flew from the seat of your pants and got lucky. Iceman is a problem and not Superman. You have no control over him.’
Conjar was beyond insulted by Duke and desperately tried to control his rage. ‘Before I was interrupted, I was going to address the exit strategy, but allow me to reply to Duke’s comments first. You have no idea what you are talking about. Iceman used alcohol as a tool to gather new intel. Moving past that and addressing the mission, your conclusions are petty and insulting. The team built the plan. Iceman was the visionary, but the team built and executed the plan. To qualify the mission as a drunk taco party is an insult to Zeus. Zeus did an amazing job attacking the plan in search of weaknesses in our process. He directed the input from the team into a working model that built consensus. Any conclusions to the contrary are wrong. Returning to my point regarding exit strategy, Iceman’s vision was simply significantly better than the original plan. In the original plan, the target was to die of an apparent heart attack, and in the confusion, the twins were to secure the computer. The missing computer would have been noticed, and within hours, contingency plans made to protect the target’s operation would have been initiated. By attacking the yacht instead of the house, Iceman bought us time to maliciously interrogate the target and, through his unique abilities, secure the unknown second computer. Just as important, the team agreed to send the yacht out to international waters after killing the target and disposing of the bodies in the ocean. The yacht has still not been found. We disabled all tracking devices, yet here, the computers are being cracked by the hackers as we speak. Even when the yacht is found, the related parties to the target will assume he and his computers have made a run for it. They will wait for him to resurface to return to business as usual, buying us even more time to take additional action.’
Grace remained quiet. After reading the debriefing, she was stunned at the simple genius of the plan. Grace had studied years of field reports concerning the twins. She was not surprised at Zeus’ value, if understated, role in the mission. She knew Duke’s ego was wounded because his plan was scrapped. Duke took tremendous pride in being the architect of all missions, which meant to him being the smartest person in the room. The only attribute larger than Duke’s talent in strategic planning was his ego. As soon as she read that Iceman had changed the plan, she knew Duke was going to be a problem. What concerned her more was Conjar’s team working with Duke going forward. Duke was no longer the smartest guy in the room, that now belonged to Iceman.
Sensing Conjar’s need to continue his retaliation against Duke, Zera forcefully took control of the meeting. ‘Duke, you were out of line.’
Duke turned to Zera, ready for confrontation. He was well prepared to defend his position and his mission plan. He was furious that Iceman’s cavalier attitude was celebrated and no one in the room saw Conjar’s inability to control him as a fundamental problem. Duke stared at Zera for several seconds.
Zera remained calm, in control of himself and the meeting. A dynamic leader, exemplified by his undisputed ability to lead prideful warriors, he was always in command. He met Duke’s stare and continued. ‘Iceman is a force. Conjar, I read your report and I congratulate you on executing a better plan due to better intel. You operated with appropriate field, on-the-ground intel and authority. The results speak for themselves.’
Conjar, still furious, tried to accept Zera’s praise, but still subtly attacked Duke. ‘Thank you. The key component to the revised mission plan was training. The decision to move the arena from the mansion to the yacht was made, because we had trained for three years assaulting a similar yacht during Black Ops training. We were better prepared to assault the yacht rather than the mansion. It was most certainly not a whim; it was three years of training. Iceman may have challenged the plan, but he has never challenged an order. He has committed himself to all orders with fierce resolve. With Zeus, the twins have never failed in their execution of an order once agreed upon.’
Dr. Monroe was incredibly pleased with Conjar’s response. She had several more thoughts regarding Duke’s behavior after his silent, yet deafening, confrontation with Zera, but elected to share her concerns with Zera in private. She hoped Zera would bring the meeting to a halt. She knew any extension of the meeting would result in Conjar declaring Iceman’s plan was better. He was better. Grace knew she would defend Conjar if required. She was hoping for a less confrontational method.
Zera did just that. He extended an olive branch to Duke to soothe his massive ego so the leadership team could move on. ‘This meeting was very productive. Conjar, great Op, excellent job, but Duke does have a valid point. Iceman’s independent streak has been identified in reports since he was introduced to the Elders. We need to monitor that concern during the celebration. Grace, you are scheduled to meet with the twins this week, please spend additional time with Iceman and let’s meet again in the coming weeks.’
While Conjar was being debriefed in Austin, Iceman smirked as they walked toward Logan Airport security from the helicopter field. ‘How are you feeling? And no bullshit, because you are walking funny.’
Zeus had banged his knee and slipped on the wet deck of Pervert’s mega yacht during the assault. ‘A little sore. You?’
‘Same. I am not sure, but I hurt my shoulder somehow.’
Zeus evaluated his knee injury. ‘You know, I banged my left knee exiting the water and that is sore, but my right knee hurts more. I think I must have tweaked it when I planted it on the wet surface and almost went down.’
‘That’s probably it. I saw you stumble and almost go down out of the corner of my eye. Not that I cared; the mission came first.’ Iceman said half joking, but also profoundly serious.
Neither spoke of how they felt emotionally.
‘Dude, you smell and I mean smell.’ Iceman told Zeus.
‘Trust me, you are no bag of roses.’
‘I know.’ Iceman replied as they walked past the departure board. ‘When a horse can smell his own shit, you know you smell. Hang on, our flight is delayed two hours.’
Zeus smiled. ‘Cougar time?’
‘Fuck yes, but we are wearing dorky clothes and smell like ass. Give me a minute.’ With those words, he hatched a plan and Zeus just shook his head, waited and laughed.
‘So, here’s the plan. After security, we go to Brooks Brothers, grab a new set of clothes, go to the latrine and take a trucker’s shower. We will change and be ready for Cougar Town. Conjar said we had to blow some money to confirm our cover, so perfect.’
Zeus asked. ‘What’s a trucker shower?’
‘Really, I thought you weren’t from Mars.’ Iceman smiled as he continued to tease Zeus about his lack of knowledge of slang, given his Irish heritage. ‘Truck drivers use it on long hauls when the rest area doesn’t have showers. You get down to, in your case, panties, grab paper towels, soap and water. It’s like a dry shower we use in the field. The trucker shower is not perfect, but it is all we got.’
Zeus nodded and the twins cleared Logan's security and headed to Brooks Brothers. The twins bought proper clothes for travel, including a sports coat and carry-on bag. In the latrine, they trucked it up and Iceman used the time to examine the recovered bag from the mission. He opened the bag and counted $350,000. He removed $25,000 and put it in his carry-on bag. He exited the stall and handed Zeus $25,000.
‘What’s this?’
Iceman secured the mission bag with the remaining $300,000 and explained. ‘From the mission, the safe on Pervert’s yacht that housed the first computer had this cash in it. Conjar told us we could keep it. $25,000 is your travel money. I am going to find an airport locker and secure the other $300k.’
‘Fuck me. $350k?’
‘Roger that, courtesy of your and my favorite target, Pervert. I’ll keep it in the locker away from the Elder’s eyes. It will be our secret fund. You never know. When we travel back through Boston, I’ll find a better storage method. One with two keys, so we each have access. We need to have a second life away from the Elders; again, you never know.’
* * *
Exiting the latrine after a brief view of themselves in the bathroom mirror and a quick inspection of each other met with approval, the twins exited to find a locker, followed by the airport bar.
They found the locker and Iceman handed Zeus the key. ‘Here, you keep it. If anything happens, they’ll suspect me. I trust you.’
‘Thanks, Iceman. Let’s find Cougar Town.’
Unable to secure a proper target, the twins skipped the first bar they saw. As they approached the second bar, Iceman paused.
Zeus asked. ‘Got her?’
‘Yep, she'll be alone with three empty bar stools around her. A little young for a cougar, but she is definitely traveling on an expense account or has bank. Let’s go get those free drinks and snacks she so desperately wants to buy us.’ Iceman eyed the target and walked over. ‘Hello, are these seats taken?’
‘Why aren’t you lovely? One seat is taken, but please sit down.’
Iceman did not bother to ask who she was referring to as lovely, knowing it was Zeus. He just sat two seats down from the cougar and left the seat next to her open for her friend. Iceman eyed the empty beer in front of the empty bar stool and smiled. The friend’s empty drink had lipstick; the cougar was not waiting on a guy. Perfect. When he sat down, the bartender approached and he ordered a roast beef sandwich with provolone, spicy mustard and held the vegetables.
The cougar sat at the corner of the bar with Zeus next to her. He asked Iceman. ‘No turkey? You always get turkey.’
The mission took Iceman’s taste away for turkey. He just needed to reboot. ‘Seamus, I need a minute, a palate change.’
‘How about a beer then?’ Zeus asked. Zeus, after years together, knew Iceman well enough to know what I need a minute entailed. Iceman was in pain and a tremendous feeling of darkness lingered after the mission.
‘No, I don’t think so.’ His thoughts were lost until she approached the group. Iceman was looking at the back bar mirror and caught the reflection from a distance of one cool chick. She had to be 5'11" with a long, athletic build. She was wearing a t-shirt from some beach, leggings, and a Boston Red Sox hat. Her auburn hair was tied into a ponytail that ran through the hole created by the adjustable half-meshed trucker-style hat. Iceman laughed to himself as he thought of the trucker shower, which was kind of ironic. She wears a trucker hat and I smell like a trucker. To his mild surprise and delight, she sat down next to him. She was cougar’s friend.
She smiled at Iceman. ’Hello.’
What a great smile. A smile that almost broke Iceman out of his dark mood. As she smiled, a Guinness and Jameson appeared in front of him. He turned to Zeus, who smiled and raised his pint in the air, cheers. Iceman immediately drank the shot, followed by a long gulp from his pint.
The new girl looked at Iceman and then at the bartender. ‘That looks yummy. I’ll have what he is having, but hold the whiskey.’ She then turned to the cougar and asked, ‘Who are your new friends?’
Katherine introduced herself to Iceman and Zeus. Colleen, the cougar, did the same.
Stunned, he witnessed Iceman quiet for the first time ever. Zeus quietly asked. ‘How do you two know each other? Right, sorry, I am Seamus and that is Jack.’
Colleen responded, ‘We are sisters and are taking a trip to London. I have a bit of business and my baby sister is my escort. The trip is my graduation gift to her. Seamus, I love your accent.’
Seamus responded. ‘That’s cool, you two taking a trip together. My accent is Irish.’ He watched his lad oddly distant.
Colleen asked. ‘Where are you off to?’
Seamus responded, ‘Austin.’
Colleen nodded. ‘What do you do?’
Jack was still silent, so Seamus responded. ‘We are forensic auditors.’
Katherine, not a fool, asked. ‘Doing what?’
Seamus answered. ‘This and that, we review the financial stability and integrity of government contractors, that sort of thing. We work for a company called OWL.’
OWL was a legitimate private equity firm that the Elders controlled. The Black Ops agents used the cover of forensic auditors for OWL to justify their travel. The twins were trained to be effective forensic auditors to enhance their cover story.
Jack ordered another pint for himself, but as he waved his hand to attract the bartender's attention, Katherine noticed the tremendous bruising on his hands and thought, forensic auditors, my ass, but kept her observation to herself.
Colleen asked Seamus. ‘Is your friend always this quiet?’
Seamus responded. ‘No and very much no. You’ll see.’ He then mouthed without speaking to Colleen. He likes her. Colleen nodded and smiled.
Jack stood up from the bar stool. ‘It was lovely to meet the two of you, but we better be off.’
Katherine looked surprised to see Jack’s pint empty. She shook her head with disapproval. ‘Don’t be silly. We just met and haven’t gotten the chance to get to know each other. Stay, you clearly have time for another pint; that one sure didn’t last long. Are you sure you do not want to stay? Of course, you do. Sir, can you get him another Guinness, please?’
Jack began to say no, but Seamus jumped in, still in shock that his boy remained distant. ‘Thank you.’ He accepted Katherine’s kind gesture and asked. ‘Iceman, you’re in, right?
Before he could answer, Katherine jumped in. ‘Iceman, why did he call you Iceman?’
Again, Seamus had to come to Jack’s rescue. ‘He got the nickname Iceman back at university from a guy on the basketball team, because he is one cool ass whiteboy. The name didn’t stick until we hung out with the football team after practice, and they agreed. We were hanging out after practice, waiting for the bus and Jack left to run back to our room when the bus arrived. A member of the football team confirmed to the group when Iceman left. You guys were right; there goes one cool ass whiteboy. We had a long last couple of days, but when he comes alive, you’ll see.’
With that, Seamus drank his beer, watched and waited. He knew his boy fancied this girl; it was just a matter of time. Zeus thought the mission had hurt them both and made them vulnerable, but Iceman was hurting more. He went beyond dark to get those computers. The high he carried from the mission had worn off. He was lost in a fog and refused to expose himself. Seamus gave him a minute, but he knew his man was coming.
Colleen asked. ‘So, you two went to college together and now work for OWL. Where did you go to college?’
While Seamus answered, ‘West Point.’ Colleen mouthed for only Seamus to see; she likes him too.
Seamus asked. ‘What do you two do?’
Colleen answered. ‘I am a consultant. Katie has a start date as a financial analyst in three months.’
Katie, the name her family called her, responded. ‘An analyst for an investment banking firm in Boston.’
Jack mumbled. ‘I like the name Katie; it fits you better.’ He then shut back down but was warming up.
Seamus continued to make chit-chat with the sisters for a couple of minutes. The beer Katie ordered for Jack began to bring him back to the living world. Zeus felt the change. Here he comes. The fog is lifting.
Jack started in. ‘I got a quick story.’
Seamus just smiled and drank from his pint. He thought, my man is waking up and waited for the show. Seamus knew he was Watson to Holmes, and the game was afoot. His boy was back and Jack was falling for the girl. He knew Jack’s eyes. His charming eyes, his violent eyes, his bored eyes, but he had never seen his vulnerable eyes. He knew his lad feared falling for her.
Jack continued. ‘So, my parents hosted a family party for no good reason and after dinner, they moved the living room furniture to the front yard to make room for dancing. I was maybe four at the time, sitting between my grandmother on my dad’s side and my great-grandmother on my mommy’s side. I was having a grand time watching all the fun. Singing, dancing, drinking, old stories being told too many times, you know, the usual family party. Suddenly, my sickly grandfather pops up and grabs my aunt to dance. Grandmother, shaking her head, said: Would you look at yourself out there dancing up a storm and to think at home he can’t fetch himself a glass of water. The two old ladies to my left and right just shook their heads and laughed like little girls they once were.’
Just as Seamus’ man was back in form, a man bumped into Katie. Iceman immediately jumped off his stool, and too aggressively, turned to the traveler and spoke. ‘Excuse me, you fuck. You owe her an apology. Trust me, if I have to say it a second time, you won’t hear it, because I will have already dropped you.’
Seamus knew the mission was not out of Iceman’s system just yet. He typically would have confronted the traveler, but not in such a violent fashion.
‘I am sorry.’ The rude business traveler responded. He was clearly surprised and frightened.
Iceman shook his head.
‘I am really sorry. Let me buy you a round.’ The traveler quickly offered.
Iceman calmly replied. ‘Apology accepted, but we don’t need your round. I only asked for the apology, but thank you for the offer.’ He then sat back down and finished his pint.
With that, the traveler was quickly off and had the good sense to find another bar.
Katie touched Jack’s knee and smiled. ‘Come back to us.’
Jack investigated her beautiful blue-green eyes and nodded.
Jack turned to Seamus. ‘I don’t know if you have heard this story before, but…’
Seamus interrupted. ‘I am quite sure I have.’
Jack smiled and changed gears. ‘As I was saying, I could tell you blood curdling stories about him but, but my throat’s gone dry.’
Katie laughed before Jack could order another round. ‘The Quiet Man. Michaleen Flynn, I love it.’
Jack was impressed and incredibly surprised. ‘I can’t believe you got that.’
‘Please. What self-respecting girl from Irish heritage in Boston wouldn’t know it? We watched it every St. Patrick’s Day as a kid.’
‘Us too, best fight scene in movie history.’ Jack, tilting his head with a smile on his face, commented. ‘You have a great laugh.’
Katie smiled back. ‘You have great eyes, especially when you smile. And that big voice and laugh, you have a voice made for radio.’
‘I think you meant a face made for radio.’
‘Shut up, Jack. You know I didn’t mean it like that.’
Jack, uncomfortable with the intimate exchange, just dropped his head. ‘I was just joking.’
Watching their exchange in utter amazement, Seamus whispered to Colleen. ‘I have never seen him blush before.’
‘You know I am from Boston, and I know you went to West Point. Where are you from?’ Katie asked and again dropped her hand on Jack’s knee.
‘I am from Chicago and you went to Boston College.’ Jack smirked as he took an innocent drink from his pint. He had a unique ability to read people, a carnival-like profiling skill he used as a party favorite.
‘How did you know that?’
‘An upper middle class, Irish Catholic girl from Boston could not have gone to Boston University. You had to go to BC. What’s the matter? Couldn’t get into an Ivy League school?’ Jack offered a simplistic answer rather than scaring Katie with his intense observations that led to his conclusion.
Banging her pint on the bar, Katie stared Jack dead in the eye. ‘As a matter of fact, I could have, but who would want to go to an Ivy League school? So, West Point, couldn’t get into an Ivy League school?’
Upon hearing this, Seamus coughed up some of the beer he was drinking. While he was wiping his face, he said. ‘Excuse me, I am sorry.’
Jack smiled and let off a little laugh. ‘Same thing for me. No interest in being an Ivy League snob. I guess that’s redundant.’
Seamus shook Colleen’s right shoulder to get her to lean in. ‘I can’t believe your sister just said that. Jack could have gone anywhere if he hadn’t gone to West Point. He hates Ivy League schools. This is unbelievable. Where did you go to school?’
Colleen tilted her head. ‘Harvard.’
‘Shit.’
‘Just kidding, I went to BC also.’
The two laughed and not so subtly turned their attention back to the main attraction. Jack and Katie didn’t notice, nor would they have cared. They were very much engaged with each other.
Jack, absorbed in Katie’s eyes, asked. ‘Volleyball or crew?’
‘Crew, is it that obvious?’
‘Yep. You walk like an athlete.’
Taken aback, Katie asked. ‘You were checking me out?’
‘Yep, using the bar back’s mirror.’
She laughed. ‘Are you sure you just work for OWL and are not some sort of secret agent spy guy?’ Katie was also observant and harked back to Jack’s beaten hands. She had three hockey players for older brother and knew the signs of a warrior's hands.
Jack shook off her mesmerizing laugh and recovered. ‘Now that we have established you are into me, I can officially tell you my secrets, but then I would have to sleep with you.’
Laughing again, ‘I thought the rule was you would have to kill me.’
‘No, silly. That is only in the movies. Real spies, the super dark cover spies, must bed their confessors.’ Letting the words linger to build sexual tension, Jack got up to use the men’s room.
‘Where are you going?’
Jack dropped his wallet, bent down to pick it up with his ass facing Katie and executed a perfect drop and pop. Popping back up, he looked over his shoulder and flirted. ‘What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. You get to check me out.’
‘With that radio face, this is clearly your better side.’ Katie shouted, laughing and taking a drink from her pint.
As Jack used his Sean Connery walk, he waved in acknowledgement while he stalked to the latrine. He heard the three he left at the bar roaring with laughter.
When Colleen thought Jack was out of range, she began to talk about Katie’s new friend. She was quickly interrupted by Seamus.
‘Wait one second, his hearing is ridiculous and I am sure he is using some reflective device to watch us.’
Colleen waited for Seamus’ nod of approval, then started in. ‘So, when is the date?’
‘We haven’t made plans for a date.’ Katie smiled and quickly grabbed her pint and took another healthy swallow.
‘Not a date. The wedding date. Little girl, I do believe you are in love.’ Colleen declared, using a fake southern accent.
Seamus, feeling comfortable enough due to a little buzz and a connection with Colleen, jumped in and sang. ‘You like him; you want to kiss him.’
Colleen and Seamus broke out laughing while Katie just drank her beer and turned away. She did make sure to turn back to look at them so she could glance past them for Jack’s return trip. As she saw Jack walking back, she smirked and thought to herself, that is some walk.
As Jack jumped back on the bar stool and Katie gathered her composure, Jack asked. ‘What did I miss?’
Colleen and Seamus again broke out laughing; Katie cut them off with a stare.
‘Nothing. So, you played basketball, no football or baseball?’ Katie asked to redirect the conversation.
Before Jack could answer, Colleen jumped in over Katie’s stare and tried to hold back her laughter. ‘That is some walk you got there, Jack. Katie sure noticed.’
Pretending to take the joke seriously, Jack responded. ‘My James Bond walk? Here’s the thing: Katie thought Seamus and I were spies, so I thought I would walk like one. Little known fact: Sean Connery was an unknown actor before Bond. Ian Fleming's books were so successful, largely due to President Kennedy’s fondness for them, that the producer, Albert Broccoli, conducted open auditions. Taking a break from a long day of casting, the production team lit cigarettes and began complaining that no one was right for the part. Broccoli, while tuning them out, looked out his office window. He spotted this handsome man walking across the parking lot toward the audition, like a Panther stalking his prey. He declared without Connery reading, I just found 007. If the walk was good enough for 007, it is good enough for me. All three sports in high school, but just basketball in college.’
Seamus reintroduced himself to their conversation. ‘Just basketball, please. Iceman was a star.’
Colleen rode Seamus’ comment. ‘Did you hear that, Katie? You are flirting with a star, and Seamus and I are but humble observers of this grand moment. I feel humble. How about you, Seamus?’
‘Very humble indeed.’
Katie turned to her sister, but before she could speak, Jack responded. ‘Zeus, knock it off.’
Katie jumped all over Jack’s lead. ‘Zeus? Really, Zeus? Colleen, you have been in the presence of a god. Jack, is Zeus treated differently, being a god and all?
‘Most certainly. Regal treatment is below the aura which he commands. He is treated with pure divinity.’
Colleen smiled and stared right at Jack, then turned and looked Seamus up and down. ‘I certainly can see why they call you Zeus. You earned it, baby.’
Jack turned to Katie. ‘She sucks.’
‘I know, right?! People don’t like her very much. I have to hang out with her, because we are family.’
After a brief pause and a stare-down between team Katie and Jack against Colleen and Seamus, Colleen announced. ‘From the powers of Mt. Olympus, I summon another round.’
Katie responded. ‘Let it be said, let it be done.’
Colleen turned to Seamus as another round was served and asked. ‘Football?’
Seamus shook his head. ‘No, rugby.’
Colleen knocked her hand against her head. ‘Right, Ireland.’
Colleen and Seamus began to talk about rugby and Ireland while Katie turned her attention back to Jack.
‘So, what’s in Austin?’ Katie asked Jack.
‘Work, some meetings and training. Nothing big.’
‘Jack, guessing Irish Catholic from Chicago. What is your last name?’
‘Collins.’
‘An Irish spy named Collins? What are you related to Michael Collins or something? Are you working secretly with the IRA?’
Jack understood the Michael Collins reference to the Irish leader. ‘Again, your intentions of bedding me are obvious as you continue to bring up espionage. Yes, I am related to Michael Collins, but I’m not a spy. We are going to a computer conference for training.’ Jack responded using the cover assigned to them by Conjar, his handler.
‘I see. You sure find any reason to bring sexual attraction into our conversation.’
‘You just...’
Katie leaned over and gave Jack a long, slow, moist kiss right at the bar.
Taking a sip of her beer, she asked. ‘You were saying?’
Jack took stock of what had just happened and asked. ‘So, you like the Red Sox?’
'Yep, you just got to first base.’
The trance Jack and Katie shared was broken by Colleen, who began to clap. ‘That’s what I’m talking about; enough talk, more action.’
Jack nodded. ‘Well, we really should be going. I mean, we need to catch that flight.’
Katie put on a fake pouty face. ‘Kiss and run?’
‘No, no. Nothing like that.’
Again, Seamus came to Jack’s rescue. ‘We have time for last call, but then we do have to catch that flight.’
As Seamus ordered the last round, Jack mumbled. ‘One for the ditch.’
Katie asked. ‘Did you say one for the ditch? Like you are going to ditch me?’
‘No, no, no. Sorry. In my family, the last round was never the last round. So, when the last round came and went, and another round was ordered, it was called one for the ditch. The ditch being, in most cases, the last round.’
Smiling, Katie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Sweet boy.’
Jack smiled back and gently rubbed his cheek where she had kissed him. ‘It’s my secret; don’t tell anyone.’
Moments of further laughter continued as they finished one for the ditch. Jack shocked Seamus when he asked for the check, not just their check, but the entire check. Iceman violated rule number one of Cougar Town. He paid for everyone in full. Jack left Cougar Town with what one had to assume was one great kiss.
With the bill settled, the four said their goodbyes. They all hugged and Jack started to walk off. Katie grabbed a stunned Jack and gave him the biggest, most beautiful kiss. The kiss lasted several seconds, but felt like hours to Jack.
Pulling away, Katie walked away with a hair flip and said, ‘See you soon.’
Confused, Jack, with the vision of Katie’s dancing ponytail, asked. ‘Zeus, what the fuck is she talking about? We don’t even know and…’
Zeus stopped him. ‘I slipped her my and your number on a cocktail napkin.’
‘Dude…’ Iceman started and again was cut off by Zeus.
‘You like her. It’s all good, just let it go.’
Iceman dropped his head, nodded, then added. ‘You are a good man, Charles Brown.’
They both laughed and pushed each other, laughed again, but their pain kicked in. The shove was not the best idea.
‘You think she likes me?’ Iceman asked.
‘You know, you are a cool ass whiteboy, but you are a joke one has to get. If you get the joke, that is you. It is funny and awesome. If you don’t get the joke, you are horribly offensive and arrogant. I get the joke and she gets the joke. Ice, I am sorry to inform you, she likes Jack and not Iceman.’
Iceman just nodded and used all his emotional strength to get on that plane. He wanted to turn back. Who was that girl? What just happened? What the hell was Zeus thinking giving her information? Checking himself, just get on the plane. He looked down at his boarding pass and noticed.
‘Hey Zeus, we’re in first class. Did you know that? Because I didn’t know that!’
‘I did.' He said simply.
Iceman wondered. ‘You always fly first class?’
‘I am sorry, what was the question?’
‘Shit, rich kid be flying first class all the time while us lonely folk are just excited for the free pretzels.’ Iceman entertained himself as he tried to use shit talk to fuel the walk to the plane and away from Katie.
‘Nice try, but we flew first class to Key West on holiday. I looked you up, remember, computer genius. Your whole shanty Irish thing from the South Side of Chicago is bullocks. Your father is a very successful attorney. In fact, everyone in your family is financially successful. So, let’s cut the rich kid shit out. I am tired, drunk and just want to get on the plane.’
‘Roger that. Sorry, Zeus, won’t happen again.’
The twins boarded the plane. Zeus found his seat and Iceman went to grab a pillow from the overhead. The flight attendant approached him. ‘Can I help you?’
‘No, just grabbing a pillow.’ Iceman answered.
‘Sir, those are for first-class passengers. Can I see your boarding pass so I can help you find your seat?’
Iceman, laughing, responded. ‘Pretty sure I can find 3A and sit down next to my friend right here.’
‘I am so sorry. What would you like for dinner and would you like something to drink before takeoff?’
Iceman held the joke he wanted to tell Zeus. Zeus looked like first class and he looked like Greyhound, but refrained out of respect to his promise.
‘Can we get a beer and, if possible, I don’t know the rules, but could I ask you to wait on the meal for an hour? We are tired, had a long business trip and want to grab a quick nap. Seamus, are you cool with that?’
‘Sure.’
The flight attendant smiled and returned with the beers. ‘We have a chicken with pasta or...’
Iceman cut her off. ‘We don’t care. Again, if you are kind enough to bring us food in an hour, that would be great. I am sorry if I am being rude.’
‘No problem at all. You most certainly are not being rude and aren’t you just lovely.’
With that, Iceman destroyed the beer and began to go to sleep in peace, because he had been called lovely rather than Zeus. As he continued to joke with himself, he was interrupted in thought. His mind drifted. Motherfucker, I am in pain. Man, my back is on fire, my shoulder and hands hurt and I am sore. I like her; that Katie is intriguing and mesmerizing. As he continued his thoughts on Katie, he fell asleep before takeoff.
The flight attendant presented horrible lasagnas that the twins ate greedily. Iceman opened the shade and wondered what the next mission would bring. Would he really see Katie again?
They took the escalator to baggage claim at Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Iceman asked. ‘What do we do now?’
‘No clue, but we have ourselves, boy band cash in our pocket, a credit card and serious bank. You’ll figure it out. I trust you.’ Zeus responded.
As the twins rode down the escalator, they saw a driver holding a sign, Conjar Consultant Group. Ice and Zeus smiled at each other. Zeus went to speak but was second in the draw.
‘You two must be Zeus and Iceman. I am Robert, and I will be your driver.’
Iceman responded. ‘Thank you, very nice to meet you.’
Zeus whispered. ‘Told you, always fine, my man.’
Robert had instructions to drive the twins directly to the Factory. Iceman had other ideas. ‘Did you receive our proper destination?’
‘Most certainly, I am to take you straight away to the Factory.’
‘Your orders are dated. New orders issued. The Factory, after a quick stop at Stiles Switch, we are craving BBQ and beer.’
‘I am sorry; my orders were explicit and they included no stops. They warned me of the serious trouble if I let you talk me into a pub visit. Iceman, they especially warned me about you. I am sorry, but no.’
‘I respect that, but here’s the thing: I am not talking you into anything, as there is nothing to discuss. Take us there, or we are leaving on our own.’
‘I really can’t.’
‘Thank you in advance and don’t worry, the powers that be will know it was my fault.’ Iceman did not give the notion of skipping Stiles the slightest thought.
With nervous regret, Robert agreed. ‘They did tell me you would do this, but I tried my best as ordered. They instructed me, when I failed to execute my first order, to make the stop on one condition: the visit is limited to two hours. The two-hour order is firm.’
Zeus answered before Iceman refused. ‘The two-hour order is fair, we agree.’
Robert then offered. ‘If you want BBQ, let me take you to La Barbeque. It’s better and closer to the Factory, so you will have time for an extra beer.’
Iceman smiled. ‘Robert, I like a man with a plan. I am nothing if not flexible.’
Zeus laughed. ‘Yeah, sure, Iceman, that’s exactly how I would describe you.’
Robert was right. The twins were instantly hooked on la Barbecue. They ate, enjoyed good company and conversation, and left promptly two hours later as ordered. The twins were on their way to the Factory to be debriefed, medically examined and introduced to advanced training.
Robert drove the twins to Govalle, TX, an east-side neighborhood in Austin. He crossed the automated chain-linked fence and the twins saw from their windows a large rundown commercial warehouse building. After clearing the chain-linked fence and the large shipping and receiving yard, the group approached the massive, old, dilapidated warehouse. Robert paused for one of the shipping and receiving doors to open and guided the twins into the darkened warehouse. The shipping doors opened and they entered. When the outer doors closed, the lights illuminated the old warehouse. Robert waited again for a second set of doors to open. The second set of doors were modern, as were the second set of exterior walls. Robert navigated the car into the indoor parking garage to find his assigned parking spot. Crossing the second set of doors transformed the dilapidated warehouse into a modern office building. The Factory was a state-of-the-art facility hidden within the shell of the warehouse. The twins exited the vehicle with Robert, who escorted them to the elevator. They entered the elevator and the car operating panel offered three upper levels. To the twins' surprise, they descended and exited several basement levels below the garage. When the elevator stopped, the doors opened and the twins followed Robert.
‘Hello and welcome. I’m Trinity, the facility manager for the Factory. I know who you are. Please follow me. Thank you, Robert. That will be all. Kindly take your post.’
Iceman looked to Zeus, who offered. ‘Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.’
‘Roger that. It’s kind of funny that we are being greeted by Trinity from the Matrix. She is a dead ringer, but we should have been greeted by Morpheus. A badass brother, like yourself, escorting me on a journey into Wonderland.’
Zeus did not care for the term brother. If Iceman were to use the term in reference to their twin-like relationship, he would have been fine. Having a black father from Atlanta and an Irish mother from Clare, Ireland, he was not pleased with the use of brother to describe him. Iceman knew it bothered him and used it on limited occasions to fuck with Zeus to relax his tension. If he was pissed at Iceman for calling him brother, Zeus would be distracted from his primary worry. Even though he knew what Iceman was doing after almost seven years together, it still worked, which pissed Zeus off even more. He sometimes wondered why they felt like twins.
‘Would that make you Neo, the one?’ Zeus asked Iceman, baiting him.
‘I like to think so, but now I feel like Alice.’
‘Now, you are Alice?’
‘Mars boy, have you seen the Matrix?’
‘Still Ireland and not Mars, yes, of course, your point?’
‘I may be Neo, the chosen one. But right now, I am Alice from Wonderland chasing the white rabbit.’
Zeus laughed and remembered to himself; brothers do talk shit. He got me again, fucker.
Just as Iceman released Zeus from his worries, Trinity began. ‘Take a seat.’
The twins followed her into an imposing conference room; they were offered no refreshments.
‘Background first. The Factory was established in 1825 in New York City due to the opening of the Erie Canal and that is where it stayed until the events of September 11. International attention pushed the Elders to relocate to a more secluded setting. Getting lost in the crowd was no longer feasible in NYC, hence the outskirts of Austin. We have a sister location on the outskirts of London.’
Iceman joked. ‘Are you sure it wasn’t NYC's aggressive gun laws that forced the move? Hello, Texas.’
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