Perceive by K E Osborn

 

 

AXEL

 

“You need to get some fucking sleep.”

I shake my head, squeezing past Blair as he holds open the door to Jack’s office. “I have the rest of my life to sleep,” I mutter, ignoring the roll of his eyes.

“Yeah,” he agrees, the sarcastic tone not going unnoticed. “You can sleep the rest of your life when you’re fucking dead because you’re going into a mission on nearly two days of no sleep. Your reaction time will be slow, your aim shit, and your decision-making capabilities are fucked.”

Several sets of eyes turn on us, the conversations in the room suddenly cut short.

Maybe it’s because Blair doesn’t often have much to say, always more than happy to let other people make their own life choices. Or maybe it’s because they’re waiting for me to explode and lose my shit once and for all.

They wouldn’t be wrong to assume it could happen. 

I feel it burning beneath my skin, a burn that I had learned to live with for so long but had eased since Kenzi came home.

Now, though, it is back with a vengeance. Like a damn itch and it’s taking every ounce of self-control I have not to drive myself out to this fancy fucking venue I know Hendrix will be at and scratch it.

So, while I could stand here and argue with Blair, challenge his critique of my capabilities and defend myself, honestly, there’s no fucking point.

I know just as well as they do, I’m hanging on by a thread, and every moment Kenzi is gone, it’s fraying.

If there’s a point when something happens to Kenzi and that thread breaks.

I will fall. 

And there will not be enough people around me to stop me from falling through into the pits of hell. Because if I have to go back to living without her, that’s exactly where I want to be.

“Come on,” Blair says quietly when I don’t reply, patting me on the back and directing me toward the sofa. “Let’s get this shit done.”

I nod, falling into the soft cushiony seat, trying not to glare back at the group of eyes still staring at me.

“Okay, we’re all here,” Jack announces a moment later. “Everly, the floor is yours.”

She nods, stepping into the center of the room with her tablet in hand. “I made another call to Andrew a few moments ago, just to check in again. Partly to make my presence seem legit and partly to see if I could squeeze any more information out of him.” My foot taps impatiently as she pulls up a map showing the venue and what looks like the edge of the city. “Andrew confirmed the times for the escort of the product to the venue. Hendrix requested it not be there until just before the demonstration.”

A large purple circle grows out from the venue on the map, indicating the area.

“They will be picking up the product at four forty, and it will be delivered by five on the dot,” Everly explains, placing her tablet on Jack’s desk, then moving toward the large screen. “So with distance calculated, that means they have the product in this area… somewhere.”

Luca starts to laugh. “So that should only take us… let’s see… the next month to search.”

Kace glares at his best friend before turning back to Everly. “This is great, Everly, but we need to narrow it down.”

She chews on her lip. “I’ve tried everything. There are too many hotels, too many homes, too many places for them to hide. I’m not sure what else—”

“Who else.” We all turn to Reid, waiting for him to continue. “You said you brought in some guy who knew Hendrix. Someone close enough he was given permission to use a safe house. It’s a reach, but I think he might be able to give you more than even he thinks he can.”

I’m already on my feet, pounding my palm on Reid’s back in thanks as I rush out the door after Everly with the rest of the team behind me.

None of us wait for the elevator, taking the three flights of stairs down to where The Agency has more long-term accommodation facilities. They are used for a variety of reasons. Sometimes to house important Agency council members when they come in for meetings and important decisions, and sometimes for special ops whose identities have been compromised and need to be moved on to another placement.

Currently, there’s one of the small studio-type apartments occupied by Carlos, Hendrix’s nephew, and Kenzi’s friend, who we found in El Paso.

The guard at the door snaps a salute when Everly flashes him her identification card and moves quickly to unlock the door and step away. I follow Everly straight in, Kace right behind me, closing the door and leaving the rest of the team outside. Probably so we don’t freak this guy out and have him clam up before he’s willing to work with us.

“Uh, hey…” Carlos says, getting to his feet. He closes the book in his hands, twisting it nervously. “What’s up?”

“We need your help,” Everly answers honestly. “Hendrix took Kenzi, and we’re scared this time he’s going to kill her.”

The nervous look on his face instantly falls to worry, and he shakes his head. “Honestly, how she’s survived this long, I’ll never fucking know. The beatings he used to give her and way she used to get back up and tell him to go fuck himself—”

“You knew her before she lost her memory?” I snap, taking a step closer to him.

He swallows hard, inching away from me and closer to Kace, like he thinks Kace will protect him. “I d-did. I hadn’t seen her for a few months and figured she was done and he’d moved on. Then one day he shows up and introduces her to me like we were strangers. Like I hadn’t helped her pack her nose when he broke it. Or snuck her water when he hadn’t fed her for three days.” His eyes become more narrowed, the apprehension melting away and forming something harder.

“Why didn’t you help her?” I roar, launching toward him.

Kace catches me halfway, his chest slamming into mine and forcing me back.

“Why didn’t you tell her!”

“Because she wasn’t in pain,” he spits, stumbling back to the sofa he’d vacated just a few moments before, his entire body slumping in defeat. “Because I’d watched her hurting for so damn long, it was a relief not to see her being tortured anymore.”

Every word feels like someone is reaching further and further into my chest, taking my heart, and tearing shreds off it, then dumping it on the floor. The pain is so intense, so fucking real, I press my hand against it, fighting for breath.

It’ll never get easier.

Never get any less sickening listening to the pain she endured.

When someone you love is hurting, the lengths you’ll go to, to keep them from that pain are long.

Carlos held his tongue so Kenzi could stay safe.

Can I hate him for that?

I hold my hands up and step back, Kace’s shoulders slumping before nodding to Everly. She hurries over to the small table and unfolds a map before pulling a marker from her pocket, drawing a large circle. “Carlos, I need you to look at this,” she insists, waving him over.

Carlos glances at me, and I take another step back, giving him the space he needs to get up and join Everly at the table. I can be intimidating, I fucking know that as well as anyone else, especially when I’m in a mood. So, I lean back against the wall, folding my arms so I can’t cause any more damage.

“Are there any safe houses in this zone,” Everly questions, circling the area again with the bright orange marker in her hand.

Carlos shakes his head, eyes narrowed on the paper. “No, I don’t know of any safe houses in DC. He doesn’t spend a lot of time here… says the city is too clean.”

Meaning there are too many people like us around who would catch on to a business like his, really fucking fast.

“Okay…” Everly sighs, her nose crinkling. “Any relatives maybe? Any close acquaintances you know of?”

He eyes the paper, squinting and leaning in close. “I don’t…” he murmurs. “I can’t…”

“Just breathe,” Kace urges, moving around the table. “Breathe and think. Any little clue could be huge. Just take your time.”

I hold my breath, watching him for fuck knows how long, scan over the paper, his finger moving meticulously back and forth, inch by inch, pausing occasionally—my stomach twisting painfully for that moment, only to move on.

“Ridgemont Manor.”

My shoulders straighten, and I inhale sharply.

“You know the place?” Everly asks, clearly trying to keep the question casual but her eyes are wide and excited.

Carlos nods. “It’s a high-class hotel chain. I’ve stayed there with him in other cities. They’re always really welcoming and over-accommodating.”

“Eager to please him?” Kace questions, his brow raised.

“Far too eager,” Carlos confirms, his brow knotted. “We’ve probably stayed at three or more different ones, and every single time, he’s upgraded and only deals with the manager. One time he even put a bullet in one of his goons, and the manager helped them smuggle the body out of the delivery bay.”

“That’s our place,” Everly announces, looking up at Kace with a bright smile. “He hates being questioned, and it sounds like he has some kind of investment in this place where they will literally allow him to get away with murder.”

“Then let’s get the fuck back upstairs and make a plan.” Kace is already at the door, a nod of thanks to Carlos before he disappears out into the hall.

Everly is quick to gather the papers off the table and offer a whisper of praise before following our fearless leader out.

Carlos sits back in his seat, his head hanging, and his fingers thrust through his hair. “You’re right, you know,” he mutters under his breath. “I could… should have done more. Warned her. Helped her escape. Something.”

I shove off the wall, shaking my head. “Saying anything would have pushed her further into his arms. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth. I appreciate you supporting her when she needed it.” 

He tosses his head back, looking up at me, his eyes glistening. “It was mutual. I think I needed her just as much as she needed me.”

There’s more to Carlos.

The kid has been through some shit.

And I know, when all this is said and fucking done, Kenzi will not let him go.

I get the feeling I’m about to add another member to my already fucking crazy family.