Evolution - The Oasis Project Book 3

Twenty-Two - Linkin

Sitting upstairs, alone, my eyes flickered between the screens. I knew that Fang was safely in his room, and that camera was my main focus. He was humming to himself, playing with his new toys, ignorant to the dangers in the dining room.

That was how I wanted to keep it. I tried my best not to watch what was happening downstairs as I heard another voice in my ear. "Linkin, you still with us?"

I nod, focusing back to those who are in the middle of taking down China. "Ya, I'm here."

"You're getting all this?" It was Nate, also on communication with me.

"I'm getting it." My eyes flickered once again to a different screen, files being downloaded from Anaba as she stood in front of the computer and took all the information she could as Mato stood guard. "Is this being scrambled?"

There was a pause from Nate's end and I could hear the wheels of his chair rolling across the floor. "Yes, this channel is secure."

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a sigh and took a second just to let my heavy eyelids close. "Alright, Nate, keep the feed recording, I'm going to step away from the computer but I still have my com. Alright?"

"Linkin," Four growled, her voice soft as she was trying to stealth down a corridor.

I rolled my eyes and stood. "I've got my own problems and I can watch the video after to see if you missed anything. If you need me, I'm there."

Four didn't protest again and instead sighed, her gun pointed forward for anyone who was trying to get the jump on her tactical team. I took her silence as her blessing and headed out of my office, glancing to make sure Fang was still distracted in his room before I went downstairs.

"You expect us to believe that?" I was shocked to hear Thierry actually yelling.

I shook my head, my headset still on, along with my reading glasses. "That's enough!" Six pairs of eyes all turned to me as I pulled my red glasses off, hanging them off of my shirt. "I will not have yelling in my house. Fang is upstairs and he doesn't need to know there is a dead body out in the front yard and two people tied up at the table which we eat on."

"Woah there, Mama Bear," Trevor said with a small laugh.

My glare made him choke on his laugh. "Alessia, Trevor, get your asses upstairs. Pronto."

"But why?" Alessia protested.

With my arms folded over my chest, I shook my head. "Because they're most probably Oasis and neither of you are completely yet and I don't want to deal with another Code Orange while I already have to deal with the others breaking into China."

"That's actually-" The restrained blonde attempted to speak.

I raised a hand to silence her. "Wait your turn." My focus shifted back to Alessia and Trevor who non-verbally begged Thierry and Ira for support.

"She's right," Ira said gently, glancing upstairs. "Check on Stuart for me?"

"And Fang," I was quick to add in. I was more worried about the ten year old than the thirty-one year old. "Now, you," my glare landed on Thierry. "Keep your voice down and that pretty little head of your on your shoulders. Alright?"

His head fell, along with his shoulders. "Sorry, Tina," he sighed, letting his body relax slightly.

I gave him a curt nod, glancing over Ira to the two strangers who sat in my chairs. "Now who the hell are these people?" The blonde once again tried to open her mouth, but quickly silenced herself when my eyes narrowed. "I wasn't asking you," my words were venomous.

"They're from Dell Island. This is Celestia, she was my roommate when I was there. This is her doctor, Nita. She is the one who brainwashed Celestia which allowed them to continue to do studies on her until the point where she grew gills and turned into a weaponized fish." It seemed like I wasn't the only one who was boiling over with bitterness.

I nodded; I had heard the names before. "And they're here, why?"

Ira shrugged, flicking the safety on and off of her gun. "They said they want help, something about the fact they're no longer idiots." Ira smirked at Thierry; I assumed she was paraphrasing.

"Does this mean it's my time to shine?" The three of us shared an expression. Celestia seemed confused and too busy gasping for air to even consider what I meant.

It was Doctor Nita's eyes who's went wide. "Wait, you? Who are you?"

"May I?"

"Be my guest." Ira motioned me forward.

I pulled the headset down from my eyes, stopping to place it on Thierry's head who awkwardly adjusted my poor positioning. I ran my hands together, my tattoos already beginning to quake. "Don't you remember me? I'm another pet from Dell Island."

There was a moment of silence, her eyes widening. "Y-You're Linkin?"

"I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I'm currently trying to teach my son it's not okay to lie." That was the first time I had ever called Fang that. "Yes, I'm the human lie detector, and yes, I'm very good at my job." I knelt down in front of Doctor Nita. "But lucky for you, I've grown since we were last on the same small island, I've gained control. So this can either be very painful or very easy... Because you ruined Valentine's Day, I'm leaning towards the former."

"No, please, I'm telling the truth!"

"Words, words, words. Let your mind do the talking." I reached out and clamped a hand over her mouth, my other hand resting on her arm as I closed my eyes and began to sift through her memories, trying to find the real reason they were here.