Black Winter Prequel: The Tempest

IV - Renascence

They brought Lazuli into a substantial twenty-story building. It was all-curved glass and steel, with Quantum Pharmaceuticals Inc. written discreetly in steel over the glass front doors. It looked like a typical billion-dollar company that made her seriously impressed.

She could see the employees, wearing outrageously expensive-looking suits walking in and out from the modern, intimidating, white-sandstones lobby. They were talking normally, like the usual office workers anywhere in the world.

The place was screaming mundanity, and the thought that maybe she was already dead and she was just dreaming crossed her mind.

She then followed Frost to his office on the seventeenth floor. His office was the definition of cleanliness and order. The room was spacious, and there was a black industrial steel desk in the middle of the room, next to a huge glass window. There were only two chairs inside the room, one eam chair in front of his desk and his office chair.

There was also framed painting on the wall. It was a blue minimalist watercolor painting. The scent of the room was also the same as its feel. It was clean, and all Lazuli could smell was probably Frost himself—sinfully good.

"What place is this?" Lazuli asked as she sat on the available chair.

"This is Citadel. It's the Ares' headquarters."

"But Quantum Pharmaceuticals was written outside..." Lazuli trailed off.

"Yes. Quantum Pharmaceutical Incorporation is the Ares' façade. It is a pharmaceutical company. This place is our main HQ, but there are also several safe houses around the world."

Lazuli frowned at him.

"Safehouse means hideouts. They are like our mini HQs. For example, we have one in London and Moscow," Frost explained further.

"So...you mean, we will also work for Quantum? I don't get it. Those employees earlier...are they all agents or...are we blending in on Quantum workers?"

Frost smiled at her as he walked to the vast glassed-window, a majestic view of the skyline of the Emerald City appeared with startling beauty. It was one of those baby-blue skies, not the psychedelic candy-blue nor the washed-out grey so characteristic of wintry mornings.

The day was postcard-perfect, there wasn't any traffic down below as well. The skyscrapers towering him shone silver in the morning sun, and the sky was an unbroken backdrop of blue. Spring had arrived in Seattle, and for once, it wasn't with a deluge of rain.

"They are all agents, and yes, we will also work for Quantum, since it's a legit company as well. Just think of having two jobs at the same time."

Lazuli nodded as she watched his broad back. She was trying to read him, but he never gave anything away. From his gestures, though, Lazuli could see his confidence—standing tall on his 6'2 height, his movements were always firm and precise. He was young, fit, and he carried himself with poise.

"Can I ask how old are you?" she blurted out. Curiosity overtook her.

"Why?" Frost frowned as he went back to his desk. His voice was refined and smooth with a rasp. Girls might be falling for him but not Lazuli. She was just curious about him. She was trained to read men like books, but with Frost, he was a total enigma she couldn't decipher—and for a record, he didn't look like he was enticed with her as well.

"Well, you look so young, and you said you're a doctor, and you're on class A, that's impossible, it doesn't make sense for me," she asked as she flipped through pages of one of the folders in front of her.