Of Wolves and Spies

Chapter 18

"Werewolves? This is insane, Lizzy. How... How is this even possible? If anyone else but you were to tell me that I'd be questioning their sanity, and mine for listening to them."
"I know, Mike, but what other explanation is there? Despite the ridiculousness of it all, what else could this mean? But how are we even going to explain this to the others, if they don't send us to a sanitorium I'll be surprised. Link might be open minded enough to listen once the facts are in front of him. But maybe we shouldn't be the ones to mention it, at least not yet. When we get there, we hand the file over to Link to analyse and let him draw his own conclusions. It would sound a lot better coming from him then from me."

Still clutching her tightly to his chest, he carefully nodded, his chin rubbing against the top of her head.
"Alright, we'll do it your way. But you need to know, my loyalty is to you. I don't foresee any issues, but if there are any, I stand with you."
She pulled back a little so as to be able to look him in the eye,
"Mike, no. I would never ask you to choose between your team and me."

"You don't need to ask, Liz. My loyalty is with you and Ava, always has been, always will be. You two are my first priority."

Unable to think of anything to say in response, Elizabeth just nodded her head and leant back against his chest.

After a few minutes of contemplative silence, Elizabeth said to Michael,
"We should get going." For a few seconds, she thought that he would refuse to let her go when he said,
"Yeah, we should." Then he slowly placed her back in her seat and waited until her seatbelt was done up before he started the car up and drove off.

Through the short drive to their head-quarters Elizabeth was contemplating the extraordinary truth that was printed in front of her in black and white.

How is this even possible? How can werewolves, if that's what they even are, exist? They are scientifically impossible! But what else could possibly explain this? But what does this mean for Ava? Were these people the ones that took Ava? But why, did they think that they could use Ava as leverage for their people?

But the questions just kept coming and with each one that went unanswered, her fear for her daughter compounded. She knew that questioning herself, her decisions, would do no good but she couldn't help but berate herself for the choices she made that led to Ava's kidnapping.

If she had just stayed with Mike that day, like he suggested.
If she had chosen a better hiding place.
If she had run faster, driven quicker, called Mike or Cade.
If she had just run away from the agents.
If she had said no to the program.
If she had just gone back to Mike.
If she had just gone to pick Ava up earlier.

If she had just done more, been more, done better.
If she had just made better choices.
If she had done something different, anything different, and everything would have been different.

If, if, if.

They don't do Ava any good. They can't change what happened, but Elizabeth allowed herself this one moment to think what she could have done differently that would have protected Ava, how she could have protected her, should have protected her, how she had sworn to protect her the moment her existence was known.

But she had failed.

"Lizzy, there was nothing that you could have done." Not certain that she had heard correctly, she asked,
"What?"
"There was nothing that you could have done."

"How can you say that?"
"Quite easily, because there was no way that you could have known. You could not have known what was going to happen. You are not all knowing, or all powerful. There is nothing that you could have done that would have been a better choice."

"But it's my fault."
"How is our daughter's kidnapping your fault, Lizzy? You had no idea who, or what, these people are, you didn't know about Elsen and Bail, and frankly there is no way that you could have known."

"But I should have known. I should have known."
"But there is no way that you could have known, Lizzy. You couldn't have known about what this was all about, Elsen had been too careful about that. You weren't to know what was going on. You protected Ava to the best that you could under the circumstances."
"I'm her mother, I should have protected her better."

"How? How could you have done any better? Tell me that, Lizzy. You tell me what you could have done that would have protected her any better. And you tell me how on earth this helps Ava? You are saying you should have done this, you should have done that, but should haves and what ifs only waste the breath of the person saying it. Could you have done better? Maybe, if you had had access to this level of information, who knows what you could have, or would have, done with it. Could you have known in advance that these people would try to get to us through Ava? No. There is no way that you could have known what they were planning. So, instead of wasting our time, yours, mine and Ava's, on focusing on what you could have done, why don't you use that brain of yours to figure out how we are going to get our daughter back."

Taken aback by his vehement tone, Lizzy couldn't help but flinch at the bite of anger in his words and Lizzy couldn't help but feel angry at herself for allowing herself to go down that road.

How could she have allowed herself to do that? If, buts maybes and should haves have never helped anyone do anything except lose the time they had to regret of the choices they made. Rehashing the past wouldn't help her, and it certainly wouldn't help her get her daughter back.

Having given herself a pep talk, Lizzy nodded her head and told Mike,
"You're right. There was nothing that I could have done that would have made a difference and there was no way that I could have foreseen Ava's kidnapping. Wallowing in regret of choices made will not help us get our Ava back, so, what do you have planned in order to get her back?"

"We obviously cannot keep our discovery to ourselves, the team needs to know. However, I we will seem in need of a section 8 if we just walk into HQ spouting the existence of werewolves. What we will do is, we will hand over Elsen's file to Link as he is the science genius in the team. He will get through the file pretty quickly. If he reaches the same conclusion that we did, then the team will be told. How quickly we proceed from that revelation to the rescue plan will depend on the severity of everyone's reactions. You have to remember that this team is made up of special forces operatives. They make judgements based on the facts in front of them, on what they can hear, see, smell and touch. However, I don't foresee any issues with them believing."

Mike seemed to pause in thought,
"I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself. Werewolves exist. Supernatural beings exist. I'm not entirely certain that everyone will believe, at least not until they actually see one."

"What about you?"
"I think that you are the smartest, most logical person that I know. You read that file without bias and you came to a conclusion that, while seeming ludicrous, follows the facts of this whole mess. How else could you explain the reason behind O'Reilly's death? How else could you explain Elsen's secretive nature about your case? How else could you explain the reason behind this science project of his? While I do believe in 'seeing is believing', I also believe in you."

Humbled by his faith in her, Lizzy sat the rest of the drive in contemplative silence.

After only five or so minutes, Mike was pulling up at the gate that was already beginning to open. Lizzy found herself biting her lip, anxious to see her brother. To tell him of their discovery but she knew that it would have to wait. She knew that if she was the one to announce it to the team they would have her sent off to the sanitorium, however she knew that if she placed all of the information in front of Link that he would draw his own conclusions. Hopefully what he concludes will tell her if she is going completely crazy or not.

Oh, I really hope that I haven't gone crazy.

Despite her attempt at reasoning away the truth, at trying to find another explanation, a part of her seemed to accept it. Not just accept it, but revel in it, a part of her that was telling her that this was real, that this was her life now, that this had always been a part of her life. A part of her that almost seemed to be telling her to catch up already, a part of herself that she felt more and more inclined to adhere to.

Seeing Cade waiting by the front door caused Liz to unbuckle her seatbelt and leap out of the car before it had even come to a full stop.
"Lizzy!" barely lifting her hand to wave away his concern before she sped her way to Cade, picking up speed when she saw him racing towards her with a look of such worry and fear that she felt her heart stop in her chest.

She had done that. She had caused that look of terror to be inked onto his face, a look that will be forever tattooed on her heart. She had caused him to relive what happened eight years ago, but a hundred times worse. While she knew that, logically, she could not have foretold this chain of events, it did not stop her heart from breaking at the site of her brother's anguish.

"You're safe. Thank God, you're safe." Were the words murmured in her ear as her brother swept her into his arms in a tight embrace. And though his arms threatened to constrict to the point of suffocation, Lizzy said nothing. She knew that he had reassure himself that she was indeed, alive and well.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she rubbed his back, feeling as though she was back in her house with Ava after she had had a bad dream. The thought of Ava, her memories of her, caused her lips to tremble. The thought of her anywhere where she could be hurt caused her breath to hitch in her chest and turn into ice.

Cade pulled back and she watched as his eyes scanned her face. Apparently, he saw something to ease his state of mind as he released her and stepped back before he turned to Mike.
"You ok, bro?"
Before Mike had the chance to even nod his head, Jared burst out and growled,
"Enough with the touchy feely crap already. Get your sixes inside, on the double."

Everyone just turned and looked at each other before Jack said,
"Don't take him too seriously doll, we don't." Then a couple of the men guffawed and said,
"I dare you to say that to his face." At that, Jack paled, the blood draining from his face quicker then if he had been attacked by a ganon of leeches.
"Are you kidding? With the mode he's in now, he's likely to stick some of his dynamite in places where it never should go near."

At his about face attitude the whole group doubled over in a fit of laughter. As much as they tried to stop, they would make the mistake of looking at each other and they would lose it all over again. Just when the pain in her lungs was near to being unbearable, Lizzy lifted her head and saw Jared sneaking behind Jack. Deciding not to intervene, she instead subtly brushed her hand against Mike and when he turned to look at her, she moved her eyes in the direction of Jack and Jared.

One of the girls must have spotted Jared's approach as Abby began to call out to Jack but it was too late. Jared had already leapt into action, grabbing Jack in a headlock he couldn't break out off and then, having subdued him, proceeded to drag Jack into the house by his ear. As he yelped his way into the house, Jared could be heard questioning Jack saying,
"So, you don't take me seriously, do you?"

While Jack seemed determined that the best route would be one of silence, he couldn't have been more wrong, a lesson, Lizzy was certain, he would learn in all good time.

"So, if I told you that you now that you will be running the entire course for the dawn shift every night for the next week, you wouldn't take me seriously? Or if I told you that for the morning shift you will be in the archive room, sorting through the files from A to Z for the next fortnight, and, just so's you don't get bored, for the evening shift, you will be running patrol for the next week. But of course, you don't take me seriously, so it won't matter."

It seemed that poor Jack just realised his predicament and was about to step in when Maia beat her to it

"Jared, stop messing with the boy. He gets the point."

What surprised Lizzy was how quickly Jared actually released Jack, albeit a little roughly.

Hmm, what's going on there, I wonder...

From the limited amount of interactions that she had witnessed between the two, she would not have thought that they were in any way, romantically involved. However, it appeared that Maia's opinion meant a lot to Jared, so Lizzy resolved to wait, watch and observe to deduce what was actually going on between the two.

"Now that Jared has had his fun for the day, maybe we can get on to what went down at the perps house."

With everyone's attention back on the task at hand, Elizabeth calmly walked over to Link and then handed the impossible file over to Him and hoped that no one could see how badly that she was trembling inside.

Please don't let me be crazy
Please don't let me be crazy
Please don't Let me be crazy

Even though logic told her that either Elsen was high as a kite and the data was just the work of a mad man.

While Link read through the whole file, engrossed in its contents, the rest of the team sat around the large ovular table as Jared barked rapid fire questions at Michael and Elizabeth on what went down at Elsen's house.

"You infiltrated the perps residence with no issues?"
"That's correct. After Michael stopped the car in front of the residence, we got out and one of the valets parked the car at another location to the side of the house. We encountered no problems getting passed the front doors."
Nothing happened except for the need to claw out the eyes of every woman undressing Mike with their eyes...
However, Elizabeth felt that it would be prudent to keep that little bit of information to herself. After all, Jared didn't need to know everything that went on during the mission. And she definitely wasn't going to say anything with her brother in the room.

"What happened once you got past the front doors?"
"We had no issues getting past the doors. It was actually almost too easy getting in. The snobs barely gave us any notice." Unfortunately, Mike seemed to still be agitated about the cheesy charmer from the party as he scoffed under his breath,
"What was that, Mike?" questioned an agitated Jared
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that we roused barely any attention, boss."
"And why is that."
"Because one of those nobs took plenty of notice of Elizabeth. And he wasn't taking no for an answer."

And he's back to calling me Elizabeth...

"I trust that you were able to deal with it."
"Not the way that I would have liked too. The guy was too slick, even for a bureaucrat." At that, Jared's brow furrowed as he raised his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose as he growled out,
"Please tell me that I don't have to organise a clean up crew."
"Don't worry, boss. They won't find a body stuffed in a cabinet if that's what you're worried about. Whether or not he'll remember us..." Michael purposefully left the sentence hanging but the implication was clear. If he said anything to the wrong person, then they would almost definitely find themselves on the defensive. And in this situation, with a child's life hanging in the balance, being on the defensive would be catastrophic.

"Alright, we'll cross that bridge if it comes to that. Now, what about security?" This time, Elizabeth felt compelled to answer painfully honestly,
"Their security is as terrible as yours." At that she could feel nine pairs of eyes shifting to glare at her.
"Now, what in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, Jared, that I was able to walk in here with something that doesn't even qualify as a pat down. When I first walked in here, I was packing a 9mm Glock, Walther PPK, a Double tap Derringer pistol, a Fairbairn-Sykes, Karambit and a Ballistic knife. All of them made it past your security. While Mike, an operative that they know on sight, is subjected to every form of security test short of a DNA analysis, I was given a barely felt frisking. Elsen's guards didn't even do that. They just accepted our invitation and granted us access without even having us go through a metal detector. So, as I said, we had no problems getting in."

Elizabeth could see that she had given them all something to think about. They were going up against a man whose job title is second only to the Queen and has the command of every single British operative in the world. While the security at the gala was suspiciously lacking, that did not mean that none of the staff were the actual security. Anything that they touched or drank at that house was suspect, anything could have been placed on their person without notice if the individual was trained well enough, and if they had caught either Mike or Lizzy when they were distracted.

Damnit, now I'll have to do a sweep of the entire car, and their outfits and even run a blood screen just to make certain that no one managed to put a tracker on us. But first, we need to set up a faraday cage in every important room in this compound.

Just thinking about the precautions that she would have to undertake just to ensure that their privacy and protection was undisturbed caused blood to pump and heat right at her temples.

These guys may be good, but they've allowed their reputation to go to their heads. They've gotten lax in their security and defences, simply assuming that once someone finds out that they're going against Black Hand, they'll just back off. Somehow, I doubt that Elsen will be terribly put off when he comes across this lot.

"We'll address those issues at a later date. For now, let's stick to the matter at hand. Were you able to get to the study without any trouble?" Just thinking about how they were able to get past every person at that party without being questioned caused a blush to rise to her cheeks as she tried not to look at Mike.

Silly Lizzy, just because you can't see him doesn't mean the temptations not there.
Shut up!
Oh, you know I'm right. But you do have a point, why would you want to listen to yourself talk when you can remember just what he looks like.

Lizzy couldn't help but wonder what the heck was wrong with her. Here she was, giving a mission debrief when some little devil in her mind comes along and supplies her with images of her and Mike, from eight years ago and what could have happened barely an hour ago.

You know you want to
Shut it, you hussy! Oh, my goodness, that's it. I am insane.
Yeah, for a certain 6-foot hunk with chocolate coloured hair and piercing blue eyes...

"Oooh, do tell, it must have been good." With that comment, a solid thwack resonated through the room.
"What the hell, man?"
"Don't talk about my sister like that."

The light-hearted atmosphere was short lived, however, when Link finally looked up from the file, looks Elizabeth in the eye and says,

"This is impossible."

________________________

DA DA DUH DA!!!

So, werewolves...

And what's this about a thing between Jared and Maia? Who saw that coming?

Werewolves have Ava.
Lizzy is starting to lose it.
Mike's turning into a pretty dishy, possessive guy.
Jack's still an idiot
And Link has just figured something out.

What's going to happen next?
Why don't you stay tuned for the next chapter (hahaha did you actually think that I would spoil the surprise?)

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