Arkangel || A Winter / Karina / WinRina Adventure

Mission VII: Quasar

[Warning: graphic violence, and a villain uses racist language. Don't worry, Winter addresses the matter.]

"I like the new look!" Parker said.

"Thank you, now let's stop talking about it and get on with business, Parker." Karina had dyed the last six inches of Winter's long hair hot pink. She hadn't asked for the change, but it came from her wife, and that made it wonderful, even exotic. When Karina wasn't around, Winter would stand in front of the bathroom mirror and stare at it, a silly grin on her face.

"Understood!" Parker smiled.

"And one more thing. I don't want to talk about what happened outside the police station."

"You mean us hugging?"

Winter groaned. "I hate that word! Yes, that's what I mean. Let's just pack it away and write it off as something someone desperate did."

Parker laughed. "When you say 'someone desperate,' what I hear is 'Parker, thanks for helping me become more emotionally available and loving to the people around me.'"

At this point, even Winter laughed. "Ok, we'll leave it at that. But Parker, seriously, you... you were there for me when I was so lost. You were there for Karina, which is more important. I'll never forget it. Maybe someday your shadowy spymasters will allow us to become, well... friends."

"I'd like that. How are you doing now?"

"Better. It was a terrifying experience, but I think it's helped me, knowing there are people who -"

"Love you?" Parker said.

"Yes. There are people who love me. I'm working to learn to accept that."

"I have to ask since this is our job. Are you able to carry out your missions with the same... the same enthusiasm as before?"

"That hasn't changed. I think that something about that whole nightmare has made me more focused. Life is precious, and we kill the people who destroy that. So: what's the next mission? I'm itching to get back in the field."

"That's good to hear. We're sending you to the Colorado SuperMax Federal Prison, which is where the government sends the beasts to eat one another. But there's one beast in particular that's drawn our attention. His name is Jefferey Kant, and he is the shot-caller for a band of mercenaries who are terrifying countries around Africa. The things his army does are truly evil: massacres, human trafficking - including children - corrupting governments, drug transport, you name it."

"Two questions: how does he operate from prison, and why isn't a federal agency like the FBI handling this?"

"To your first question, it is possible to smuggle almost anything into prison. Kant has people outside who kidnap the families of the guards so they will bring him cell phones. He's even got the guards paying for his data plan. Secondly, we're not sure why other agencies are ignoring him. They either don't know, don't care, or he's also using the same threats and extortion on government officials. But, since he operates internationally, that puts him squarely in the sights of the CIA. And we have Arkangel, and you know how to live and breathe in his world."

"Capture or kill?"

"Kill," Parker said, "With unbridled malice."

. . . . .

Just outside the city was a carnival. It was hot, and Winter was uncomfortable with the clothes that Karina had picked out for her. The shorts were a little too short, and the lightweight sleeveless top was a little too small. Karina was dressed similarly, and Winter couldn't stop staring at her butt, so she didn't think it was fair for her to dress differently.