Perceive by K E Osborn

 

 

AXEL

ONE MONTH LATER

 

This all feels too fucking weird. I’m in the armory at The Agency packing up my sniper rifles, ready to check them out of storage to take them home with me. If they’re not government issue, no serial numbers imprinted on them, then Jack says I can take them seeing as they’re all kitted out for my sights anyway.

They’ll be of no use to the next sniper they recruit, and I want to be able to keep working on my aim. Being a sniper for the SO7 brought me fulfillment. It kept me grounded. I might not be able to maintain my average with the club, but I’ll keep up my practice.

Just in case I ever get a call from Kace.

After all, I’ve signed on with Jack as a contractor, but only when the ends justify the means. So when there’s absolutely no other option, I’ll come in, but it better be for a fucking good reason. I don’t want to risk myself, risk leaving Kenzi behind, if I don’t have to. I’m not about that life anymore, and the team knows it.

Even still, walking out these doors for possibly the final time in my life today is going to be so fucking difficult. Cleaning out my locker is hard enough, saying a final goodbye to my team is going to be downright painful.

Placing the last gun in its carrier, I walk with them all to the counter and sign them out. I stand back as the clerk checks them over for the serial number and gives them the all-clear. “Sad to see you leaving, Axel… I’ll miss hearing stories of the team’s missions and the crazy shots you’ve made.”

I weakly smile. “Me, too, Ziggy, me too. Thanks for everything, man.”

He bows his head. “Have a good life, sir.”

I grin wide. “I plan on it.” Grabbing my rifles, I head out into the hall and down to the command center for the final time, anxiety swirling through me as I make my way into the main room. As I walk in, my head is bowed as a round of cheering erupts, making me glance up. I chuckle seeing Kace, Luca, Noah, Tanner, and Blair leading the commotion, with the SO9 on the other side, and the rest of the office all standing to attention giving me a send-off.

I shake my head, laying the rifles down at the edge of Kace’s desk and pull him into a back-slapping man hug.

He chuckles. “I was hoping you’d change your mind.”

I shrug. “Sorry, man, got a pretty girl waiting for me back in Richmond.”

Kace nods. “I understand. This is going to be so fucking weird without you, brother.”

Luca scoffs. “Nah, there will be less brooding… God, you were sooo fucking broody,” he quips.

I roll my eyes. “I’ll even miss your smart mouth.”

He smirks. “Admit it, I’m the one you’re gonna miss the most, right?”

I laugh. “Definitely not.”

Everyone chuckles as Luca scowls. “You answered that way too fast for my lik—”

“SO7, get up here, now!” Jack calls out from his office.

The windows frost over.

Obviously, some shit is going down.

Guess my farewell has been cut short.

I sigh as their solemn eyes shoot to me. “Love you, guys,” I tell them and move to pick up my rifles.

“Not so fast, Cruise, I need you in here too.” Jack slams his door, and I jerk my head to Kace, who shrugs at me in response.

“C’mon, let’s go,” Kace orders me, one last time.

Swallowing a lump down my throat, I can’t help but wonder if on my way out, I’m being pulled back in for another job already.

Surely not?

Kace jerks Jack’s door open, and we file in one by one. As I step through the doors, I see my brother, Ruin, sitting in a chair, looking comfortable as fuck.

No colors.

I raise my brow, completely confused as I close the door behind me, my eyes meeting my brother’s. He rolls his shoulders, turning his head back toward Jack.

“SO7, you’ve worked as a team of seven for years. You function best that way. Now with Eli gone and Axel out, that leaves you at a severe disadvantage. Your dynamics are out, and it means the entire team is at jeopardy of not functioning at its best.”

Kace steps forward, clear stress written across his features.

Is Jack going to disband the team?

“What are you saying, Dad?”

“I’m saying, as it stands, the SO7 can’t work. You’re down, and you can’t work the way you used to. You don’t have the precision aim, you don’t have the bulk, you need reinforcements before you can go back out into the line of fire—”

“You’re benching us,” Luca pipes out, clearly annoyed.

Hell, I’m annoyed for them.

I’m annoyed at myself because I’m partly the cause of this.

“Jack, don’t punish them because I’m moving on,” I beg.

Jack snaps his head to me. “You’re only here because your brother told me I could fill you in, but under no circumstances does this information leave this room.”

Kace takes another step forward. “What information, Dad, you’re not giving us anything here?”

Jack turns to Ruin and signals for him to stand. He does, turning to face us all. “Ruin is almost as good as Axel at marksmanship. With some extra training, he can be just as good if not better. He understands the dilemma the team is in. If Axel stays out of The Agency, the SO7 is benched, and that’s not only a problem for The Agency but for national security.”

I scrub the hair at the base of my neck, feeling the pressure mounting.

Maybe I can’t leave.

Maybe it’s not as easy as I wanted it to be.

“So I stay until you find me a replacement?”

“You’re not hearing me, Axel. We’ve found your replacement… you can have your life. The life you were meant to have. Ruin has offered up his services to The Agency in your place.”

My eyes widen as I take a step forward. “What? No!”

Ruin relaxes his stance and looks at me. “Riot, this is a family tradition, remember? Dad, you… both of you served in The Agency, and I want the chance to do the same. I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing this for me. I want to be here. I want to carry the torch. Let me help you. Let me help the SO7, if they’ll have me?”

My stomach flips. Ruin is capable. More than capable. But knowing my brother is off doing the shit I used to do, with my team, risking his life day in and day out, eats at me. It shouldn’t. If he wants to do this, I know I should let him. It’s that I’ve only just got my entire family back together, and now, another one of us is going to be gone.

“It would be an honor to have Axel’s brother beside me,” Kace offers.

I clench my eyes shut. I need to do this. For Kace and the guys to keep working, to keep fighting the good fight, I must let my brother go. Opening my eyes, I nod. “Okay, but I need update reports daily on how you are. I need to know you’re okay. I know what these missions entail, so I know the dangers, and Ruin… if something happened to you out there—”

“We’ll take care of him, Axel,” Tanner interrupts.

I glance over at her, and Blair and Noah both nod in reply. “He lives in my old house in the cul-de- sac, so I know where he is.”

“I thought I was the one who gave the orders around here. If I remember correctly, Axel, you don’t even work here anymore,” Jack grumbles.

I huff. “Jack, c’mon, what if this were Everly going into missions for the first time, wouldn’t you want to know she’s safe?”

He tenses, and I see Luca tense too. “Everly will never go into a mission,” Jack states.

Luca nods. “Damn straight. It’s bad enough she can hear everything on comms.”

“So, now you know how it feels, the idea of a loved one going in without you.”

Jack nods. “Ruin can have your house. He can check in with you but no details about the missions. You’ve been read out, Axel, technically you shouldn’t even know about this. It’s only because of your contracting role that I’m allowing it.”

“Well, I appreciate you telling me, Jack, but honestly, when Ruin stopped being at the clubhouse, I would have guessed something was up.”

“Okay, well, now all that is out of the way, I have one other thing I need to discuss with you all before you leave, Axel.”

I raise my brow. What now?

Jack walks to a cabinet and opens it, pulling out a small red velvet box. My eyes widen, generally these boxes carry medals. Jack stalks over and stops in front of me, opening the box to reveal a blue ribbon with a star pendant held on with an eagle and around the star is a green wreath. My eyes flick to him in shock as he takes in a deep breath.

“Axel Cruise, I hereby give you this Medal of Honor. This is the United States’ most prestigious military honor. It is generally presented to the recipient by the President of the United States, but due to you not technically being in the system, he is allowing me to present it to you. Axel, your tenacity, your never-say-quit attitude in finding Kenzi, helped The Agency bring down and find some of America, nay, the world’s, most hardened criminals. For that, the United States thanks you for your service.” Jack hands me the velvet box as my chest squeezes in undeniable appreciation.

All this time, all this effort, all the blood, sweat, and tears has come down to this.

Finding Kenzi was the prize, but this is the icing on the cake.

“Thank you, sir. But I couldn’t have done any of this without my team beside me. Those here and those…” I point to the sky, “… those up there.”

Jack grips my shoulder tightly. “The SO7 was an amazing team. I don’t think we will ever see another team like the seven of you were. But with Eli and your departure, it means there’s room for something new, time for change, time for development and adjusting. With every end, there is a beginning.”

I reach forward, fuck the formalities, and pull Jack into a tight embrace. He’s stiff for a moment, then he succumbs to the hug and slaps my back a couple times.

“I’ll miss you yelling at me, Jack.”

He chuckles. “Call me any time you like, and I’ll yell at you down the line.”

I pull back, smiling at him. My head turns to Ruin. “I sure hope you know what you’re getting yourself in for.”

He grins wide. “I do. I’m ready.”

I shrug. “Well, then, I officially pass the baton.”

Luca chuckles. “Just promise me you won’t be as mopey as this guy, will you, Ruin?” Luca quips.

I shoot him a death glare while Ruin laughs. “Oh, hell no, I’m gonna be the life of the party.”

“Sounds like you’re my type of guy.”

“Oh, Jesus, this is gonna be awful. I can feel it coming a mile away,” Tanner mumbles.

“Group hug,” Luca calls out, yanking us together making us all laugh.

We might be trained operatives, we might know how to kill at the flick of a safety switch, we might all be brains and brawn, but underneath it all, there’s a bond that can’t be broken.

Not even by me leaving.

Because we’re family.

And that is stronger than anything.