The Black Rose

Entry 37

Mo fired up his computer, churning out a message to Cassy in Seattle using his top-secret untraceable "owls" as he liked to call them. While Mo delivered the message, I had my own task. I withdrew the carbon fiber knife from my boot.

"What are you about to do?" Mia looked at me apprehensively.

"I need to extract something else." I looked at her inquisitively.

"In your body?" she hesitated. I nodded, lifting my shirt.

"Wait," she interrupted, grabbing my hand. I paused watching as she moved to her bag. She removed a small white bag.

"Come with me," she commanded.

We marched to Mo's bathroom and flicked on the light. "I took this from my house. I had a sneaking suspicion we may need it again."

Mia laid out the bag and pulled out its contents. There was a scalpel, needles, syringes, vials, a clamp, everything a triage doctor might need.

"You are something," I swooned.

"Now, where am I cutting?"

I raised my shirt, lifting it over my head. My pale skin and rippling muscles exposed. Mia's eyes widened slightly, but she forged on, grasping the scalpel. I pointed to the place near my fourth rib. "It's there, a small chip much like the one you pulled from my neck."

"How did the X-ray not see this one?" Mia exclaimed as she cut an inch-wide incision.

"Because this one is untraceable, black-market style," I grinned smugly.

Mia shook her head. I winced as she used the tweezers to pull out the tiny chip.

"Any more chips floating around in your body?" Mia's brows rose.

The door swung open, "Oh, sorry," Mo paused skittishly covering his eyes. "Um, when you guys finish doing whatever it is you're doing..."

"Just spit it out," I blurted.

He moved his hands away from his eyes. "Cassy will be on her way in a few hours. I didn't give her too many details in case, you know who was watching, but I told her it's urgent. She's flying."

"Good," I nodded. Mia prepared the needle to stitch me up.

"We won't be here when she arrives," I looked to Mo. "I need you to take this," I handed him the bloodied chip.

He scrunched his face, taking it in his hand. "This is the key to everything. This chip has all the missions, all the Intel I have managed to gather over the last three years, as well as possible locations for Shadow facilities."

"What do you want me to do?" Mo looked questioningly at me, then to the chip.

"I want you to think of it as a puzzle. Find where Shadow is, who they are, how many, and locations of all current assets." Mo's eyes bulged. "But Mo, no one can know, you have to be completely untraceable." He nodded gazing down at the chip as if I had just given him the golden ticket.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

"Mia and I will return to L.A. I have some unfinished business there to take care of. Once L.A. is secure, we will meet at the address in that chip. It will be in a file labeled paradise. Mo, I suggest you go there first. It will be safe, secure, and Wi-Fi is untappable. "

"What is that?" Mia piped up, just finishing the last stitch.

"I bought a piece of property two years ago. I used some of my money to add some improvements," I smirked. "No one knows it exists, not even Shadow. I was careful. So, I suggest you pack your bags and do something with Chuck," I smiled lightly.