What Happens in Vienna {ManxMan}

EPILOGUE (Carter)

If it wasn't for that stupid radio, I probably never would have seen Tobias again, and for a while I was terrified the thing wouldn't even work, but eventually I managed to turn it on and use it. There was a tiny little bulb on it that would blink blue if I was getting a "call", and if I wanted to contact Tobias I just had to hit a small button on the back of it. We communicated like that for months before I was sent out another mission, this one in France. When I told Tobias, he said he'd meet me there, and we were able to be together again for the duration of my time in the country.

After every visit, I had to go back to the Con Rồng, but we were just happy to spend time together again. He would fight it when I was leaving, but he knew I couldn't stay, eventually letting me go with that same look of emptiness he had when I first took a chance and grabbed him by the arm. It broke him when I left, but at least he knew I was alive.

My missions varied from once a month to twice a year, and for the next eight years, whenever I was off on a mission, Tobias would meet me there, and we would indulge in each other until I had to leave. During that time, I would constantly feed him important information about Bay and the others, as much as I could to make sure Tobias was knowledgeable and safe from the Con Rồng.

And somehow Bay had no idea what I was doing. That was a weakness of his, the fact that he trusted me, but I couldn't bring myself to outright hate him, even if sometimes I wanted to. He was still my brother.

Bryn usually came with Tobias when we met up, and shocker, he still hated me. Although through the years his dislike had changed somewhat from resentment to this hollow lack of emotion whenever he saw me. It's like he went from hating me to not caring at all whether I lived or died. It didn't bother me much, unless I caught him staring at me with this weird look in his eyes, like he'd suddenly remembered who I was and was confused.

Nothing much changed for me in those years. I was still Demi's main handler, I still did nothing to stop it when Bay had Demi pinned against the table for some reason, either to assault or abuse him, but I did change in a way. I was more observant, and I'd basically turned into a spy, looking for any out I could to somehow get Demi away.

For the longest time, I couldn't, until I met up with Tobias in England. I was supposed to scope out the old MI6 building, but instead I headed south towards Wales where Tobias wanted to meet me. He thought it would be nice for me to go home, and he was right. Although my town had been levelled, there were still placed in Wales with livable houses.

Bryn came along as usual, this time with Klaus as an extra bodyguard. The two of them took post in one of the only living houses we found while Tobias locked us in the other. The only room that wasn't rotting was the living room, so that night Tobias started a fire in the fireplace and we decided to just lounge on the couch and talk.

I'd be lying if I said we didn't get naked, because we did, and we stayed that way before getting cozy on the couch. Tobias was lying on his back with me stretched out over him, a few heavy wool blankets we found draped over us. He had one arm tucked beneath his head, his other arm around my waist, and my head was pillowed on his chest so I could watch the flames dancing.

He was talking about a new group he'd run into a while back that he'd allied himself with. At the mention of an ally I was suspicious and worried for him, but the more he talked and explained, the better I felt, the more I decided I could trust them.

"I met two of them long before all this started," he explained, his thumb rubbing at my side, "They were trying to navigate Europe and get back to their families in America. Ex military, stuck in the Middle East for some pointless oil endeavor that their president had ordered. I helped them out, but I never expected them to contact me again. You'll like this part," he teased, "They're a rebellion against the Con Rồng."

I laughed a little, "Seems too good to be true."

"That's what I thought until I met them. Cassius was one of the two marines I'd met so long ago, contacting me and asking for a meeting. His leader was Indian, he said, and I suppose he knew how culturally hungry I was, because I may have jumped on a plane instantly when he told me that."

"I'm so surprised."

"I spent hours with a Hindi dictionary learning how to say hello correctly only to find out the man is American and can only speak English. Imagine my disappointment!"

"Mhm," my eyes were closed by then, being lulled into sleep by Tobias' heat and the comforting beat of his heart, but I still tried to listen with half an ear as he continued.

"He was a good man though, very polite, I was surprised that he was their leader. I always figured the leader of the rebellion that would take down your brother would be an angry psycho or something equal to one."

"Very funny," I said with a smile, and he chuckled.

"Yes, well, I decided to help them. They're a good group, and if I'm being honest, I believe that they can take down the Con Rồng."

It was a nice thought. Just imagining a group of strong, skilled ex-soldiers and gunmen storming the base and taking over, saving the world, had a smile on my face, "What are they like?"

"Polite," Tobias said, "Incredibly so. Their doctor is rather adorable- owe!"

I stopped pinching his arm and rubbed the area half-heartedly, "Sorry, thought I saw a bug."

"Well let me finish! He is adorable and married, and I am already taken by a fiery little fox who gets jealous easily!"

"You're one to talk," I muttered, and Tobias huffed, hugging me tighter.

"Their leader is easy to talk to as well. He may not speak Hindi like I was hoping, but at least he seems to embrace his ancestry. Even naming the rebellion in the language. Phoniks Vidroh."

I hummed, pulling the blanket a little higher over my shoulders and closing my eyes, "What's his name?"

"Kailas Patel."

My eyes reopened slowly, and I stared across the room into the fire as Tobias continued to talk, explaining who the other head military leaders of the rebellion were, the fact he provided guns and supplies to their cause, but I'd blocked him out. Maybe it was because I was tired, but I could see an image in the fire, a bird, and my memory finally caught up to me as I pushed myself up, staring down at Tobias, who stopped talking and frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his hands skimming down my sides.

I just shook my head, shocked, but simultaneously I could feel this immense hope and excitement. My loophole. After all these years, I finally had a loophole.

"I know him," I said, and Tobias quirked an eyebrow for me to continue, "Kailas Patel. I know him," his eyes grew wide and I hesitated, hands curling into loose fists, "Tobias.... I need your help with something...."

I'm getting you out, Demi....