I re-watched the freeway security cameras Kendall had sent me. That night, I fought with the Order and Hugo; their bodies should've been desegregated, but I spot Hugo crawling for his life after the explosion as the footage was altered.
That fucker is still alive.
Also, Eva had spread her handmade virus on an island coast of Myanmar. She had poisoned their water stream with her virus, and now everyone is sick and turning against one another. Watching the footage from the drone makes me sick to my stomach. She not only tested on a few unknown subjects in her lab but also caused a pandemic of peaceful people who just became her test rats.
I squeeze my phone tight within the grasp of my hand and frustratingly brush my hair back. Two things frustrate me: Hugo is still alive and nowhere to be seen. All hospitals and clinics have no records of his admission. And two, I hear Poppy moving as I look over my shoulder. After an hour of calming and being by her side and a few hours of staying close, she cannot relapse into another nightmare.
After her petrified outburst broke my heart, being gone for a week took a toll on her. Poppy and I have been separated since the day she was born. I understand the fear of being abandoned again can overwhelm a person. I was like, too. When Odin took me in, I didn't want to interact with anyone, but he always pushed himself, trying to open up. He had done things no adult had ever done. He planned activities that involved getting to know each other, and when those therapeutic sessions failed, he tried a different method. Odin never gave up on me. At that time, I grew accustomed to him being around me because it showed that not all adults are evil. Odin never forces me to do things I don't like, and he's willing to wait until I can do things independently. Then, when he left for a business meeting and went for three days, I cried out for him. None of the maids or caretakers can calm me down besides Odin. He was the only one I didn't want to be abandoned—the feeling of protection from a parent I never once had.
Blowing a breath of relief and stress, I plop down on Seth's beanbag and lean back, closing my eyes for a few seconds before opening them. Seth had gone to work and, five minutes ago, had asked about Poppy. I'm glad he had asked. When I replied, he told me that everything would be fine with her and mentioned my week of MIA. He wanted to discuss that, and I had a lot of explaining to do.
I put my phone back into my pocket. I let out another sigh as I looked down at my leg. A while ago, I patched up with a clean gaze wrap, and it will take days for the open wound to heal up before I can find Eva. I had asked Kendall where she could be, but she's like a ghost so far—not on the radar.
Feeling the need to relieve myself, I went to use the bathroom. After I wash my hands, I look in the mirror for a glance. There were a few cuts, but nothing serious during that fight on the freeway.
I felt my phone vibrating in my back pocket. I leaned against the sink counter and pulled out my phone. It was an unknown number.
Not hesitating, I slide my finger and pull the phone into my ear.
"You outdid yourself, Mr. Sparrow. I'll give you credit. You killed three of my people, but you injured the fourth. You will never give up unless I'm taken down."
My whole body tense at the sound of her voice. "Eva," I roll her name as if it's venomous to say it. "How did you get this number?"
"You think Odin is the only man to have top-notch geniuses on his side?" she gasps, snickering. "I have my ways."
"What do you want?"
"Persephone." Eva went straight to the point.
I clench my fist. "What's so special about her that you will send your dogs after me? I heard Hugo is still alive and nowhere to be seen. I wonder where your precious toy has gone. You might as well check at the Lost and Found; maybe you can find him there," I taunt her.
"Oh, Mr. Sparrow. Hugo is a big boy. He can handle himself, but as for the child. Persephone is a fragile child who needs love and affection. I sheltered her to protect her from the cruel world and people like you who kidnapped my child."
This old hag is starting to make me lose my mind. "If you so much love the child, why was she held in a dirty shed with no bed and food? You kept that girl in the dark and called that parenting?"
I may not know much about being a parent since I didn't want to, and I've been away from Poppy. It's still new to me, but having her now in my life, I can experience it. Being a parent is a lot of work, but it's no hassle once you prioritize it.
"I had to keep her safe," Her voice changed to a sweet tone. It's making my body shiver, and my stomach churn. "I know we have not officially met, and I know you are a decent man, even if you stop killing my people and destroying my homes. Do you have children, Mr. Sparrow?"
I straightened my posture. "Yes, yes, I do. A teenage daughter."
"That's strange? I thought Dagger members didn't have any background. You guys are considered ghosts. It's almost destroyed our equipment."
She has done her homework. "Well, in my case. I'm special."
"Special indeed; Odin must've cherished you a lot," She giggles, making my stomach churn. "Then you understand that protecting your child from harm's way is the only reason to keep them safe. Persephone is my only child, and if you take her away and introduce the world early, she will not make it. She will die, Sparrow, and when she dies, it will make you feel guilty, and God won't forsake you."
Forsaken my ass.
"At least she wouldn't suffer," I tell her, and I could hear her grinding her teeth. "I may be guilty, but how you treated a child like that is sickening and cruel. At least with my daughter, she is safe and can live freely like a teenager. I may be overbearing sometimes because she is my only child, but I wanted her to explore and be independent. Children are growing, and they get to learn and gain experience with each passing time; as for you and what you are doing to Persephone and the other children. I don't call that guidance. I call that manipulative. You corrupt a child's brain more than you teach them to be human. So don't tell me that I will have a guilty conscience because, at least for me, my daughter is happy. Unlike Persephone, she suffers in a cage where monsters can get to her, and I don't mean those under the bed or in the closet. I mean the ones who will creep in her sleep and sullied her."
Eva stays quiet on the line. I can hear that gritting teeth and rugged pants. I smirk. Good, I've angered her and hit right on the spot.
I hate talking about Poppy like that, but I'm telling her the difference between the old and the new Poppy.
"You...you..." she clears her throat and returns in her sweet grandmother tone. "You are such a vindictive person, Mr. Sparrow. I can see why you are Odin's number-one man. But it sounds like you truly love your daughter so much that you are comparing her to mine?"
They are practically the same person, you bitch.
"Not comparing, just stating the obvious facts, Eva," I grin.
"Enough. Where is my daughter?" She growls.
"Safe and sound and away from you. And I will keep it that way until the monsters haunting her are gone."
"You give me back my daughter right now!"
I can feel a way of anger and sadness inside me. Eva never cared about me after I was born, but she acted like a parent to someone else's child. She is Poppy's maternal grandmother. Of course, she would care. But I'm not happy about that since her dark background of being a shitty mother.
I don't want to give Poppy to her. Never.
"If you want her back. I will give her to you, but on one condition," I know it sounds shitty to negotiate and use Poppy as bait, but I'm not intentionally giving her back physically.
"Is this about the cure of the virus?"
She seems to know that our team is spying on her activities. Of course, she's alert that most of her strongest people are dead and Hugo is missing. Eva will not hesitate to start whatever evil scheme she is planning.
"Do you have the cure?" I questioned, my voice got husky and stern. "What are you trying to accomplish with the virus you made? Why are you using innocent people for your experiment?"
I am trying to understand why she is creating such a virus. It is still undiscovered and hard to crack. Kendall and the science department are still working on a cure and figuring out what makes people act crazy.
She chuckles. "Still tense about your little friend."
"Myles isn't just a friend but family." I grit my teeth. "Something you don't completely understand."
"Family...yes...family." Her voice hardens. "I had a family once."
I know, but I'm just going to pretend I didn't. "Oh yeah, what happened to them? Left you because you are one psychotic bitch?"
She scoffs on the other end. "I'll send you the time and day where to meet. Bring me the child, or else..."
"Or else what?" I clench my grip on my phone as my heart skips a beat.
"You will see..." she chuckles menacingly. "See you soon, Mr. Sparrow."
The phone ended, but I was alert when a text from an unknown number appeared. I took one look at it on the screen. Eva had informed me of the time and date to be set tomorrow night at the pier, bringing Poppy and me to go alone. No reinforcements or backup, or else people will die. Then another set of pictures was sent to me, and they were images of the children in cages, even the young pregnant girls. It also shows C4s plastered on the wall, ready to be detonated.
I let out a feral growl, all in my mind, how evil this woman was. Is this the threat Eva is talking about?
If I don't return Poppy to her, hundreds of children will be killed.
I dropped my phone on the counter and stared at it for a minute, thinking about what she had meant.
It's not like she knows I'm her daughter. She only knows me as my male counterpart, even with her hackers, who can access my background records because there are none. Once you are joined in the Dagger program, you are listed as "nonexistent." We are only given our code name.
I closed my eyes and thought of a way to handle the situation before tomorrow night.
Opening my eyes, I grab my phone and speed-dial the number.
"Hello?" Greeting in a chorus tone.
"Pete, it's-"
"Terry!!" I pull my phone away from my ear as he screams. "Oh my gosh, I know that sexy tone anywhere. How long has it been since we talked? Five years? Three? Hmmm..."
I shake my head. "It's only been two years."
"Ah yes, a two...years..." he stays quiet for a second, then causes an outburst. "TWO YEARS! I didn't get your call after that. That day when you asked me to join you on a mission. Do you know how long I've waited for you?! Hmm...you can't just leave a person hanging like that."
"When did I ever-"
"During the charity event for that billionaire drug cartel leader, Marco Juarez," Pete explains, "I was your date because Myles was on his mission. When Marco wanted you to give me to him, you, the big-shot hitman, told him that I'm yours. Do you know how hard I was that night? My heart was racing, and...and...you even gave me your first kiss. How can you forget that special moment?"
Pete starts to sob over the call.
I rub my face. I should have remembered something like that because it didn't involve the Order. But he wasn't my first kiss.
Some missions outside the main are considered unimportant. But I remembered what I did that year. Two years ago, I was hired by a woman who was the wife of billionaire tycoon Marco Juarez, a wealthy man managing a transportation company.
Marco is a gang leader who ships billions of dollars worth of cocaine and illegally uses weapons to transport it, making him one of the richest in Cuba. Hela hired me to take down her husband and illegal business to protect her children and family. It seems she found out that Marco killed her father to take over the family business, and because Hela is an heiress, having her dead would make Marco take control of the company.
I was invited to the charity gala to discuss her behavior and take anything as evidence against Marco. I didn't have a date, and Myles was away. Kendall and Gunnar are into fancy parties, so I could only think of Pete.
Pete Santiago is an outside operative informant working under Odin. He's the same age as Myles, but the difference is that he loves to dress in women's clothing. Pete owns a big-shot salon and fashion icon in Los Angeles, and spends time with celebrities. He had a thing for Myles and tended to tease him, but his attention changed.
"You've been ignoring me for two years," he whines. "I ask Odin about you, but he always tells me you've been busy. I miss you, Terry Berry."
I cringe at that nickname and get that guilt building up.
Only a few people know I'm a woman. The closest people in my group knew about it except Pete.
I sigh. "Pete, I'm sorry. But I was busy dealing with the Order."
"That's your defense?" he scoffs. "You have to come up with a better one, or I'm hanging up."
"Wait!" I snarl and rub my neck. I forgot how stubborn he is. "I'll go see you and explain everything, but you better be prepared for what I'm going to say."
"Whatever," he says casually. "Come to my place tonight, and we'll talk. Bye."
Pete ends the call harshly, and I exhale again.
"He sure is mad. Better call Kendall," I dial another number as I exit the bathroom and sit on the edge of the bed, watching Poppy sleep. "Kendall?"
"Hey, Cap, what's up?"
"Eva called me."
"What?!" She gasped. "H-how?"
"Don't know how she got my number, but she wants Poppy." I brush Poppy's hair back off her face.
"You're not going to give that woman what she wants? Poppy is your daughter, not hers."
"I know, but she sent me pictures. Here, I'll forward them to you." Once I did a little recap on the situation, she flipped.
"That evil bitch! Suck a fucking evil bitch!"
"What's wrong, babe?" I hear Gunnar's voice in the line.
"Nothing! Go get my things."
Whoa, something is railing her up.
"Anyways, she wants to meet me with Poppy tomorrow night at the Long Beach pier," I tell her.
"Should I inform Odin and-"
"No backups...or else those children will..."
"Fuck!"
"Don't worry, and I have a plan."
"Wow, already?"
"Yeah, I'm meeting up with Pete later and -"
"Wait!... Pete?!" She cuts me off halfway through my sentence and groans. "You seriously have to involve that sissy in your plan?"
"He's the only one who can do it and be nice."
"I'm sorry, but...it's Pete. Myles had to avoid him every time he was around. Then, after that mission, which you kindly invited him to, he changed his preferences."
"That means I'm more charming than Myles," I chuckle.
"It's not the time to joke around. I'm being serious," Kendall pleads. Pete has OCD for you."
"I don't think it's that bad. It's just a one-sided crush." I suggest shrugging the issue off.
"Watch, don't blame me for being right once you go to his place. Also, if he finds out you are in a relationship - I should give you a device before he does something stupid like locking you up, or he might hurt Seth." She huffs. "Anyways, did he agree to the plan?"
"I didn't tell him because he was crying," I hear Kendall groaning loudly on the other end. "Also, I will tell him the truth."
"You serious? Oh boy."
I furrow my brows and think how Kendall would react to that. "Is it that bad?" I question.
"Just go and see him, then you will know," she sighs on the other end.
"Ken, are you okay?" Asking with concerns. "Gunnar was there, and you just seemed a bit-"
"Nothing to worry about," her voice toned down a bit. I asked him to get my favorite snacks, that's all. Anyways, Cap, good luck. You are going to need it."
"Yeah, thanks. I'll contact you about the rest of the plan before another meeting."
"Alright, bye."
I can sense something is wrong with her since we infiltrated the lab, and how she yelled at Gunnar wasn't her typical tone. It sounds more aggressive and demanding. I still don't have a clue, but if I talk to her privately, I can figure out her behavior. Another thing I'm concerned about is going to Pete's place. I hope it isn't scary, as Kendall said it would be. I need him in my plan, and I must take the risk.
"Mom..."
I look over my shoulder and put my phone away. "Hey baby, how are you feeling?"
"Are you leaving again?"
I can hear the sadness in her voice. I brush her hair back and smile. "I am not going anywhere."
"But I heard you were talking to Aunt Kendall about meeting Pete," Poppy said, sitting up and hugging her legs. "Who is he?"
I can lie to her since she heard my conversation with Kendall. I sigh, then pull up a wry smile. "I'm meeting a friend who will help me solve something, so I must leave for a while."
Her face turns into a frown, and I can read her like a book. She didn't want me to leave. I reach and pull her in my embrace. "Poppy, I know you are scared I might leave you again, but I must leave this time. It's only to keep you safe."
Her arms wrap around my waist. "I'm worried that something bad will happen because of that dream, and I am still too weak to help and..."
"Poppy," I cup her face and have her look me in the eyes. I can see worries and terrified expressions about losing me here. "You are not weak. I don't think that. You are strong and, for that reason, gave me hope." I squeeze her tight but not so much to break her. "I promise that nothing will happen to me, and I will return to you in one piece. Remember that I love you, and you are my precious little girl. I want the monsters that had hurt you to go away for good, okay?"
"Okay, I love you too, Mom. Please be safe," as she said, I felt a warm tear touch my skin, and her body trembled.
Even if I gave her a heartwarming speech, she was still scared. I understand because I was in her shoes. I know the pain, the loneliness, and the false hope that anyone will come and rescue us. We share the same blood and are tortured by blood. I appreciate her for acting strongly in front of me when her mind and heart aren't free yet. Like me, although we are given freedom, we still feel locked in a cage by the Order. No matter how much we run away from them, Eva will always have her way of catching her in the dark webs.
I clench my hands into a fist.
Eva, I have played by your rules for a long time, but when it comes to my daughter, I will have no choice but to break them.