Gabriel Coleman...
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Sean, Silas and Owen sat in front of the computer monitor, once again pouring over the photo shot of the mysterious benefactor they were reasonably certain was also Volto1. They'd decided as a team to agree to Vasily's deal and trade full completion of the assignment for this picture in the hopes that they'd be able to close in on Volto2 and remove the threat to Sang's life. They desperately wanted to prove their commitment to Sang and their children and had thought a solid lead on identifying both Voltos was a good risk.
But when they'd eagerly opened the JPEG file, and afterward the video footage, they were confused - they had no idea who this woman was. She was perhaps mid thirties or very slightly older. She had light eyes, very tall for a woman at around 6'1 and very attractive with sharp cheekbones and a patrician nose. She was a striking woman even in her casual attire and clearly very physically fit.
Victor had shaded the image in black and white as both her hair and eye colour might have been altered by dye, a wig and/or contact lenses. Eight of the team had absolutely no recollection of ever meeting or seeing the woman.
Silas, however, thought the image raised some vague recognition but he could not place where he'd seen her as it was no one he knew well or even at an associate level.
Victor had been running photo recognition in the hopes there were other photos of this woman on the world web so they could at least attach a name to her face.
The team were very demoralised that the risk had not paid off yet. It did not help that today was 2nd February, one year since they'd left Sang in South Carolina. The septs would be five months old on the 21st. But they had not given up hope. Victor was working on gaining access to data bases of information and people which were severely restricted by government agencies. Hacking into government files was not the usual modus operandi for the Blackbourne team, but they were desperate for results.
'I think it's time to fess up to the deal we made with Vasily to the girls,' Victor spoke from the doorway of his office tentatively. He'd brought the subject up twice before to the strategic tier of their team and had been shot down by all three. Silas sighed,
'The three of us have discussed this, Vic. It's only been five weeks. We still have several potential opportunities to figure out who the mystery lady behind Volto1's mask could be. Give us six months,' Victor opened his mouth to protest but Silas' eyes pleaded for Victor to hear them out,
'If we haven't got solid leads on both Voltos by the end of August, then we'll bring in Iris and hell, Skugga too. We are stuck here for another year at least, so let's not be too hasty in thinking we can't solve this puzzle within the Blackbourne team,' It was Victor's turn to sigh. They had a point and they'd agreed a deadline on when to bring in the Ghost team and the Valhalla MC to help unravel this riddle,
'Fine. For the record though, while I accept this is just my gut feeling, I think waiting to bring them in is a mistake. But I concede that it won't get us back any quicker if we wait to tell the girls about the deal,'
Silas stared at the face in the photograph intently. He'd seen that face before... he was certain. Perhaps in a photo while on assignment,
'Vic, do you keep all our past assignment photos?' Victor nodded his head affirmatively,
'Yes, all the surveillance photos and videos from our past assignments are in the secure storage under archive, assignments, by assignment name and date,' Silas stood,
'I need caffeine and then I'm going to go through all those images. I know I've seen her face before!'
Sean smiled at Silas as he left the office for supplies before starting his hunt through the team's archives. This was part of why he knew Silas was meant for strategy, he and Sang were exactly the same when faced with a puzzle. They'd work it over and over until they found the solution,
'Vic, you, Owen and I will take two of the laptops and start going over the new intel Skugga sent us on our current assignment. Making Sang safe is only half our mission. Taking down the viper behind our Estonia assignment is the other half,'
The three men followed Silas toward the kitchen for their own supplies. The rest of the team were on surveillance and reconnaissance.
It was going to be a long night for all of them.
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Amanda could not believe she was back in Estonia. This was the last place she'd thought she'd willingly return to ever. But she had no choice. Volto had made that abundantly clear.
She cursed her father soundly for ever doing a deal with Volto. His hatred for Sang Sorensen had him jumping at the chance when Volto had approached him to partner in both taking her out and damaging the Academy's reputation.
It had not been enough for him to take the Blackbournes and her career from Sang. No, he'd actually wanted her dead and Volto had been very clear that once finished with her, they would ensure that Sang would be killed - by Volto's own hands in a very unpleasant manner. Too bad Sang had managed to circumvent Volto's plans and remained untraceable as a ghost since October...
Amanda had wondered then, and was still pondering now, if there wasn't more than just the obvious bigotry involved in her father's intense, violent intentions toward Sang.
She promised herself to take advantage of his incarceration to go through all his personal files and computer records - including the ones at the hunting lodge he didn't know she was aware was one of his clandestine properties. She could work the time in if she could be sure that Volto wasn't tracking her every move. She was confident that she'd figure out how to achieve her goal with a little more intel.
There had to be more to this story.
And if that happened to include incriminating information or extenuating information that could be used as leverage against Volto, then searching through Richard Andrews' records would be time well spent.
Not for the first time, Amanda cursed herself for not pushing for more details harder at the time her father had walked her through his plan and Volto's role in it. Now, knowing who Volto was and that they were batshit crazy, she was even more annoyed with herself. One thing was certain, no one would ever guess who Volto2 was; she doubted there was anyone alive who would even know of their existence. Frankly, she didn't understand the full facts herself. One more thing to investigate.
Amanda sighed. At least she was still able to use her former team as a resource. None of them had been reassigned to an Academy team yet and had been extremely happy to help her in isolated research jobs. She was very careful to make sure none were given tasks that could endanger them though; in her own way she cared for those three girls and would see to their safety if she could.
Amanda also wanted to identify Volto1. Volto had used very colourful language in discussing their anger toward the efforts this person had gone to towards thwarting their plans. Between that and not being able to locate the Ghost team's second residence, there was little else, besides these unpleasant tasks Amanda had been given, that the crazy fanatic talked with her about. Except for hitting on her. Amanda shivered in revulsion.
Amanda emerged from her thoughts as she reached her destination. She hated speaking with these two fuckwits. Kayli Winchester was an obnoxious, mouthy bitch and Blake Coaltar was a misogynist of top assholery quality. Fortunately, today it would be mercifully brief.
Amanda grabbed the two packages off the seat beside her and slid them into her tote bag to disguise her action of delivery. Her head was tilted down as she did so, but a deliberate movement behind the car caught her attention as her eyes looked out the rear view mirror. A pair of pale green eyes in a stoic beautiful face gazed intently back at her. The female tapped her rolled up newspaper on the metal bench she was casually sitting on, before she intentionally lay the paper on the bench and stood, walking swiftly away.
Careful, in case she was being watched, Amanda unfolded herself from the driver's seat and walked into St Peter and Saint Paul's Cathedral as planned. She strolled sedately to the front of the nave and crossed herself before taking a seat in the third pew, behind and to the far side of the couple she'd been tasked with couriering the packages to with her message. She bowed her head as if in prayer while surreptitiously slipping the two packages out her tote bag and onto the the far back edge of the pew,
'Make sure the key product is not intercepted without these in place,' Coaltar nodded almost imperceptibly. Amanda waited ten minutes, head bowed throughout, before standing and leaving out the same entrance. She walked back to her rental car, but bypassed it to sit on the vacated bench.
Nonchalantly picking up the folded newspaper, she watched as Kayli and Blake left the cathedral ten minutes later. Neither aware of her presence as they walked further into Old Town, quietly but aggressively arguing. Blake snatched Kayli's arm, giving it a rough tug, before he whispered something into her ear which took the starchiness from Kayli's body. She deflated in defeat before they both were lost from Amanda's sight. She tucked the newspaper into her tote bag before she stood and returned to settle back into the driver's seat of her car.
Only then did she flick the newspaper to the page with the folded corner and read the message:
I'm the first. You seem to be having trouble with an unwanted partner. We should meet and talk. Eppingi Tower two pm tour tomorrow.
Ananda grinned. Well hello Volto1...
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Mak was surrounded by his uneasy MC brothers. They'd been reviewing the status of the Volto and Estonia Viper cases and the questions were getting more difficult to field without local intel,
'Sorry Pres, but I need to get my feet on the ground in Estonia,' Skug, Fenrir and Vidar had proposed the three of them do some reconnaissance work - tech and social before liaising with the Blackbournes and Ravensthal,
'I've got contacts in Eastern Europe that won't tell me shit unless it's face to face. We need to know what the fuck they know. Plus we need to touch base with the Romanov Bratva before they get fucked off with us,' Mak grimaced. He'd come to the same conclusion,
'After speaking with Axel Toma, I think the reason we're unable to get a handle on the drug ring head in Tallinn is because it's just a smoke screen to keep the Blackbournes distracted. Axel thinks the real action is Coaltar and the human trafficking ring they shut down last year in South Carolina. Move the base to Eastern Europe where they're sourcing the girls; plus there's more scope to cover the corruption there,' Mak scowled,
'How sure is he?'
'Pretty damn sure, Pres,' Fenrir growled,
'Well fuck. Go then. But I want reports three times a day, Skug and you all be back by Friday. We've got club business to see to this weekend...' Freyr looked pissed off at the tight turn around,
'Yea this deal is gonna cover all the non club activities as well as the extra club expenditure for the new business capital that will score well for the next ten years. We will not be fucking this up!'
'When are we expecting to see Iris and Sang in the Thing again?' Nj asked slyly. Mak was getting pretty fed up of the bastard stirring up trouble,
'We know getting a handle on septuplets is tough. But club rules are rules and if they aren't in attendance at the next gathering, they will lose Sif status,' there was a smug look around Nj's mouth and eyes,
'It won't matter a damn, Nj. They are both claimed so you have zero chance with either of my girls,' Mak's gravelly voice warned his brother's that he was working toward a full display of temper,
'Not according to club rules...' Nj pushed a little harder,
'If any one of you pushes unwanted attention on my girls, I'll have your fucking patches as well as your balls. Do I make myself clear?' Mak barked out, his eyes daring Nj to say one more word on the subject. Nj just grinned. When the rules were broken, Mak couldn't stop him. All the brothers knew this. Mak stood and stomped out of the Thing in irritation,
'Guess this gathering is fucking over then,' Fenrir muttered to Skug, giving Nj is vicious glare.
Skug fiddled with the gauge in his left ear unconsciously. Damn. He hoped Mak got the twins to next month's meeting... Nj was openly pushing this issue, but he knew Baldr and Hod were also gonna be a problem if the rules were broken. Things could get real messy for Mak... Maybe it was time to pay the twins a visit himself. He owed them both an apology anyway...
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Sang had been quiet all morning.
The Ghost team had been expecting today, the first anniversary of the Blackbournes leaving, to be tough for their little bird.
But she surprised them at lunch.
She finished her lunch before clearing her voice to get their attention,
'I've decided that every anniversary, we will have a celebration day where I will tell the septs the story of how I met their fathers when I was fifteen and about the wonderful three years we all spent together,' Brandon and Raven shifted a little uncomfortable but fully accepting of Sang's intentions,
'I will show them their fathers' pictures. Make sure they know who their biological fathers are and that all nine of them are their fathers. I also plan to be 100% truthful with them. We will not be lying to our children,' Sang looked into each Toma's eyes intensely,
'I will tell them about Volto and answer their questions when they come. I would like you all to be a part of this, an annual celebration. I want you to them stories of your adventures and games with the men amongst the Blackbournes you each called friends,' the room was silent as Sang looked at Iris,
'All I ask of you, sis is that you not bad mouth the Blackbournes in anyway to the children. I know you have strong feelings of animosity but the children and what they deserve are my priority,' Iris smiled in understanding, a promise to honour her twin's request given non verbally,
'Today though, all I want to do is spend the day with each of you. Let you all know how much your love and support has meant to me this last year. Remind you how much I love you all. So after dinner tonight, I want all of us to sleep in the bed together, talk, cuddle and maybe have each of you make me forget and remember at the same time.'
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It's 2am and I'm shattered. Apologies for any typos, misspellings or errors. I'll proofread again in the morning!
Congrats to all who guessed Amanda Andrews was the blackmailed female kidnapped. Well done you!
Volto1 is female and the boys don't know her face...
Sexy chapter up on Monday 😉
You guys are the best! 💋