Category Archives: Book Two ~ Oath

Let me retell
A story of old
About a man named Moses
Who lived long ago
He prophesied good
He prophesied bad
And now that prophecy’s
Coming to pass

~ Fleetwood Mac ~

* * * * *

Recorded history.

These are two words which should never be used in conjunction with one another.

Why make such an assertion?

For the simple reason that there is no such thing as history.

Before sending me down to earth for the first time, my Father had made certain that this was a concept which I clearly understood.  He had told me there is only that which was, that which is and that which must be.  No monikers did He place upon any of these references, declining to equate them to points in the human timeline.

And far be it from this humble servant of God to go against His Word.

Releasing a long, low breath I now cast my eyes to the ground.  I kept telling myself that since there was no such thing as history, then we could not possibly be doomed to repeat it.

In my heart of hearts, though, I harbored much doubt.

“I suppose it boils down to a matter of trust, Mr. Abruzzi” I posed to Antonio as I looked up, shrugging.  “We have a common objective, after all – that the Cup never again falls into the Hands of The Order” was my reminder – for the umpteenth time no less.

The sun was now beginning to dawn on the peaceful mountain vale and admittedly my patience was beginning to wane.  Holding the eyes of this leader of men, of the Blackguard, I had a sense that he held a desire to trust me.  However, there was too much at stake for him to lend confidence so quickly – even after all these years, it was apparent.

Patience in all things, I reminded myself of a tried-and-true Brotherhood litany.

“I’ve followed the life of Collin O’Reilly for many years” I now went on.  “He’s the one man who has within him the power to save our immortal souls” I skewed the truth for in no way was I permitted to imply more than my statement could suggest at face value.  After all, Collin was, in earnest, seeking the Cup, as was Antonio Abruzzi of the Blackguard – and disturbingly enough, as was every other gathering of men in the Americas.  “It’s that brother of his that will be his undoing” I tacked on for good measure.  Then as now, Aidan O’Reilly was a thorn in my paw – a burr I could not dislodge, and not for lack of trying, either.

“Tell me again, Mr. Gallagher – just how is it that you know so much about the brothers O’Reilly?” he now made inquiry, and quite directly at that.  “You say you are not Order, Legion or Way, but you are indeed Brotherhood – that much is plain as day.  This gives me considerable pause, as you may well imagine.”

Indeed it should – I wholeheartedly agreed with the man.

“It should give you pause, if I was asking of you, instead of the reverse” I calmly reasoned.  “I cannot find said object myself for on this earth I am only one man” I again skewed the truth, for in this earthbound form I was indeed just that – a man, a mortal.  Granted, I had my powers, but they did not extend to divining the location of sacred religious Relics! I thought in troubling dismay.  In this I didn’t hold advantage over any other man who was searching in desperation for the same.  Mine, however, was the intimate knowledge of things that went before, their provenance, so to speak.  This was my aid, my edge, but I still had to flatfoot it around just like everyone else.

Into this world I had been birthed as had every other member of the human race – as a helpless newborn.  I had had to endure and suffer through the same as any normal boy growing towards manhood, along that bumpy road on his way to one day becoming a man.

It was like old hat, I considered of an ancient phrase.  I had been through said ordeal time without count, coming into this world.  However, this go around would be my Great Task, or so my Heavenly Father had told me – and unfortunately as of late, He was none too thrilled with this servant of His.

Had He said as much?  No, but His continued silence loudly spoke His disapproval of my efforts.

“Mr. Gallagher” Antonio began his response but in haste I held up a hand to stem his words.

“Please – call me Aaron, if you would” was my simple request.  “We’ve been meeting like this for so long now that by this point I feel as if we are old friends” I said with a grin.  In this I had another more selfish purpose – I missed the company of others.  The use of the name my Heavenly Father had allowed me to choose for myself was, to me, a comfort.  A gift, He had told me, that of permitting me to choose my own name for this incarnation of myself in human form.  Never before had He bestowed upon me such privilege.  In what I supposed might have been a display of arid humor, He had said to me that a name of my choice would bring me luck.

Well, I was inclined to argue that point.  Thus far in my life upon His Earth I had done a piss poor job, good luck charm or no.

“Ok, then, Aaron – then give me something to boost my confidence” he put to me.  “You say I should put my trust in Collin O’Reilly, but for all your persuasive efforts you offer me nothing of substance.”

“Faith cannot be bought” was my take on things.  “Have my… leads… not panned out?  Granted, you have yet to find the Cup, but I am certain your search has been fruitful even so?”

“Collin doesn’t have a clue who you are” the leader of the Blackguard now floored me.  Holding my breath, I tried to gauge if he was testing me.  Had he discussed me with Commander O’Reilly?

Something told me that he had.

“This would be correct” I concurred.  “However, never have I claimed to personally know Collin, or even Aidan for that matter.  I have followed both – in the Time Before and the Time After alike; their lives, their careers.  They hold the key to our salvation, or damnation – depending upon which one recovers the Cup of Christ.

“Take my words for what they are worth, Mr. Abruzzi” I could not help but go on the defensive.  Admittedly, my patience had all but faded, having long ago tired of this dance.  “Unfortunately, we need Aidan and The Order – or rather Collin does.  The greater the number who search, the more quickly the Cup will be found.  If it falls into the Hands of The Order, then our battle will become all that more difficult – but not impossible to garner victory even so.

“Collin has demonstrated a unique creativity when it comes to crafting his strategies, to working out complex puzzles” I reminded him.  “He is tightly bound to his brother, and his brother to him.  This weakness may afford Collin opportunity should The Order recover the Cup.”

“Indeed” Antonio grunted and then turning on his heel he headed back towards his horse.  Standing there staring after him, I was uncertain how to interpret his reaction.

Upon reaching the horse he wasted no time in mounting it, deftly swinging himself up into the saddle.  Turing the beast round to face me, he now leaned forward in the saddle, considering me at great length.

“You are worried about Collin” was his dead-on assessment for indeed I was.  The brash AFA Commander-General was in deep – up to his neck and then some.  And the woman Collin had fallen in love with for a second time in his life was a major impediment in his efforts to acquire the Cup.

This was a natural conclusion, since the woman had been designed for distraction, then as now.  I knew this without a single doubt for I had in my possession the proof – or soon I would for DNA evidence did not lie.  Regardless, love had the ability to render a man deaf, dumb and blind.  For all the subtle leads and clues I had indirectly blown in Collin’s direction regarding his quest, the man still could not see the forest for the trees.

Conversely, however, I was of a mind that his brother Aidan saw things quite clearly when it came to the woman Sierra.

“Look, Mr. Abruzzi – I… it’s not possible for me to explain every and all things” I now made an attempt at salvaging what I could of this meeting.  “Even if I were allowed to do so, then this would not make it any easier to understand.  Mine is to Protect” I proclaimed, which was Truth.  To protect the souls of all mankind, to thwart them from becoming damned for all eternity.

“Protect?  Assuredly when it comes to the Cup, since I know a man of conscience when I see one” he conceded in a low voice.  “However, it’s the Serve and Obey parts that worry me.  Until our next meeting then, Aaron” the leader of the Blackguard now said in parting, nodding once, and then with that he reined his horse around and was gone.

Leaving me to stand there in his wake, rather feeling like an utter failure.

It was a valid point he had made, though.  To Serve, to Protect, to Obey – this was the mantra of every Member of The Brotherhood.

And I was every bit as much a devote Member as was Aidan – I just wasn’t Order, or Legion, and not even Way, for that matter.  The Arm of The Brotherhood to which I belonged, not a single Member had survived the Apocalypse.  Excepting myself, of course, but then again – I had had the benefit of a little divine intervention working in my favor.

Members of The Ascendancy had been systematically hunted down and assassinated prior to the Apocalypse.

By whom?

By the Hand of The Order, of course.

So therefore I had good reason to loath Collin’s fraternal twin brother, Aidan.

I now felt my horse nosing my shoulder and so I supposed I had been standing there far too long in deep thought.  Turning round to take hold of his bridle, I now stroked his nose.

“Bored, eh, Medallion?” I asked the stallion who now tossed his head.  “I’ll take that as a yes, then” I chuckled and then gathering the reins I now mounted, turning him towards the east and the rising sun.  It was a gorgeous fall morning – chilly but with the promise of warmth to come.

Clearing my mind as I rode along, I now recited several Brotherhood litanies, followed by a few hopeful prayers.  I couldn’t blame the leader of the Blackguard for not wholly trusting me – even if with each meeting the gap was slowly beginning to close.  However, mankind did not have the luxury of time – not if their souls were to be saved from  the frigid depths of Hell itself.

As I had previously asserted, I was but one man – and so I decided to focus my attention where it would be of most use.  Collin’s brother had to go – although I knew it could not be by my hand, the means of his removal.  However, this didn’t mean that I was powerless.  As Head of Assassins for The Order, Aidan O’Reilly had more than a few enemies, and in multiple camps.  A redirection of the efforts of others might just aid me, I considered – and do the job that my Heavenly Father had forbidden me, which was that of retiring Collin’s fraternal twin brother.

And so like Collin, I would just have to get creative.

After all, creativity was a strong O’Reilly family hallmark.

No, Ryan emphatically signed to me, refusing acceptance of my direct orders.  Speechless I found myself in his blatant disobedience, although this had nothing to do with the fact that the need for silence was paramount.

Sierra had taken sides with the doctor, no more willing to go on without me than was Ryan – much to my dismay.

Even though we were cloaked by the blackness of a new moon night, deep in the Sonoran desert, we were still essentially trapped like rabbits.  If it wasn’t for the penetrating wound in my abdomen, the result of a sniper’s incredibly good aim, then we would have long since made it back to our vehicle.

You must see the woman to safety! I brusquely signed in response to Ryan’s refusal to leave me behind.  This only served to expend energy of which I had precious little in reserve.

By order of the Grand Head, no Elite-Assassin is to abandon his partner, Ryan shot back, not unless that life has been extinguished.  Setting my jaw, out of frustration as well as pain, I knew it was a futile debate and so now reached for my own knife.  Weakened by blood loss, admittedly my reflexes, as well as my dexterity, were more than just a bit impaired.  Regardless, I was intent on ending my own life in an attempt to save my Brethren.  This way Ryan would at least have a viable chance of escaping with the woman who carried my Unborns.  However, in the bat of an eye Ryan had hold of my wrist.  Stopping my knife hand mid-stroke the doctor thwarted my efforts before the steel blade could slice open my throat.

“Aidan!” Sierra exclaimed in a hushed voice, sucking in her breath.  The woman had been unable to believe her eyes.  Hadn’t I told her that I would protect her?  Regardless the cost?  Apparently she had no idea that this encompassed every and all things – my drawing breath not to be excluded.

With minimal effort Ryan had me disarmed.  I could only level the doctor a glare of deep reproach, driving home the point of just how much a burden I was to them.

Altogether or not at all, Ryan now signed his assertion.  He then grasped my shoulder in camaraderie, as well as in comfort.  Although I was angered, I understood I had little choice.  Clearly I didn’t even possess strength enough to prevent my knife being wrested from my grasp.

With a nod, I reluctantly acquiesced.  Help was on its way this night, but for whom was the question looming large.

Odds are in our favor, Ryan now offered up in hope, apparently reading my mind.  As I further slumped down against the boulder I was inclined to agree.

At first, a light plane had touched down to the north on the old BLM road.  An hour later, a military helicopter could be heard droning in the eastern sky.  That either or both were AFA was the most likely conclusion, given that one of my Brethren in our company of four Brothers had sent a communique to my brother Collin, requesting aid.  However, that the air activity in the vicinity was a result of this request was not an absolute, of course.

Closing my eyes, I released a long, low breath to then begin the wait.  Our fellow Brothers, Quade and Bryan, were scouting in the immediate area.  Although the sniper seemed to have vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared, this in no way meant that we were out of danger.  My fellow Elite-Assassins would risk their lives to ward off any further incursions.

Now I felt Sierra gently tugging on my sleeve and so through eyes narrowed to slits I looked upon her.  It was still dark but by faint starlight I could see her face, one across which concern was visibly written.  At least one wan smile I was able to muster, solely for her benefit.  Covering the woman’s hand where it rested on my thigh with my own, I then gave a slight squeeze of reassurance.  Of what I was trying to reassure her I had no idea, or why.  Regardless the outcome of our current predicament, unless Sierra was taken into custody by the Unspoken, then she would find herself in good hands, cared for and revered.

However, this didn’t mean that would set well with her, a change of fortune.  To be parted from myself or my brother Collin was something against which she would fight tooth and nail.

My brother – he was the one man that I did not want pervading my thoughts just then.  He was the sole reason why we, at present, had found ourselves in such a sorry state of affairs.  The overly confident AFA Commander-General that Collin was had backed himself into a corner this time – and the rest of us right along with him.

No matter – any much longer and it wouldn’t be a concern of mine, or so was my grim consideration.  Downed by a sniper wasn’t exactly how I had envisioned the end of my tenure with The Brotherhood, but as Collin would say?

It was what it was.

If my death was to come, though, then precious knowledge in my possession would pass from this world with me – but perhaps this was just as well.  However, if information contained within files retrieved from a dusty old DoD data repository, files that Bryan, The Order’s Head of Information Technology, was now attempting to decrypt mirrored my suspicions?  Then my passing would mean little.  The knowledge I possessed would soon be held by others and so therefore would continue to persist.

This would be one valid reason for me to keep myself alive – to make sure said information did not find its way into the wrong hands.  Besides, Ryan was not about to let my life expire on his watch.

Fazing in and out, mostly out I realized in dismay, I suddenly felt Ryan’s urgent touch and so opened my eyes.  Once having focused them, I now saw my other Brothers from The Order, Quade and Bryan – as well as another Brother.  An accusatory glance cast towards Ryan was all the reproach I could muster.

I sent for this Brother, Ryan now confessed as he now gave way for my cousin, to tend me.  He had arrived via the small plane we had earlier heard.  Finney wasn’t Order, but he was a Member of The Brotherhood none the less and one damned talented doctor.  That he was also an AFA officer under my brother’s command notwithstanding, of course – but naturally a Brother could not refuse when called upon to come to the aid of another Brother.

That was pretty much an edict written in stone, and thus spoke to the very core of who We, as Members of The Brotherhood, were.

Through blurred vision I observed an urgent exchange of hand sign between my Brothers.  Once concluded Quade and Bryan now took their leave and so did I since I was out like that proverbial light.

Little else did I recall of my rescue, or my journey, and so later would wonder if Finney and Ryan had contrived to sedate me.

When I again breached the barrier to consciousness, albeit briefly, I found myself aloft in a military chopper, which meant Collin had also answered the call for help from another Brother.  It was rare occasion indeed when my Collin would come to my rescue and not the other way around.

Needless to say I would likely never hear the end of it.

As I struggled to regain mastery over my eyes, in the dimness of the chopper I could see Sierra.  The woman was by my side, tightly holding my hand, head hung.  The poor creature! I thought but then an inward grin took me.  For all she had been through, this was in reality only just the beginning for her – especially if Amanda should happen upon our arrival back at Collin’s AFA base.

My niece, who believed me to be her father, would first scratch out Sierra’s eyes and then ask questions after the fact.  A hothead just like her true father Collin, unfortunately.  And when Amanda would tap into the rumor mill at my brother’s AFA IntelliCore base to overhear Collin’s men discussing whose Unborns Sierra was carrying?

Well, thankfully Collin’s forte was damage control – he’d have to field his daughter’s inquisition.

Casting a glance round the aircraft I now spotted Ryan and Finney, and an officer from AFA WardenOps.  I was forced to blink my eyes – not once, but several times.  I knew this man, although he did not know me – or at least, not personally.

I had known of him during the Time Before, but apparently by a different name.  The name by which I knew him was not among the list of AFA personnel in possession of The Order.

And a man such as this would not have gone unknown to Us in this Time After – unless he had assumed a new identity.

This man was Brotherhood.

Before I yet again succumbed to darkness, I at least gave Sierra’s hand a weak squeeze and so quick her eyes were to now flutter open.  The delight to be seen in them gave me strength enough to venture a faint smile, but that was it.

Darkness again won me over, and as always and ever, without intrusion of dreams.

When I once more awoke it was from being jostled about as I was transferred to the medical wing of the AFA base in Monument Valley.  Luckily there was a dedicated entrance with helipad for use by MedStaff personnel.  This meant it would take some time before word spread about one very unusual patient under the care of the base’s head physician.

Once inside the infirmary, with the two doctors in attendance, and with Sierra also in tow, my cousin Finney wasted no time in setting about his craft of putting me back together.  However, when one of his staff doctors came at me with a general anesthetic, I sharply shook my head in refusal.

“Local” I managed to at least voice my objection, but it was clear that Finney wasn’t about to take directives from me while in his own domain.  On the verge of countering, my cousin first looked to Ryan who, thankfully, backed me up, nodding.  Pain was nothing to me, never had been and wouldn’t be now.  It wasn’t as if I didn’t feel pain – to me it was just another sensation of being was all, one I had learned to master as if it were merely another task.

I was about to change my mind, though, when I saw that Sierra was wide-eyed with concern for me.  Ryan wisely decided it was time for Sierra to make an exit before the woman had the opportunity to become truly distressed.  However, when he attempted to escort her out of the operating room she would have no part of it.  In protest she dug in her heels.  Looking to me Ryan waited for my cue and so I nodded in return; let the woman stay if she had the stomach for it.

Ordering her over to a chair in the corner, one that was well out of the way, Finney then gave to me his full attention.  Worrying about Sierra was all the distraction I needed from my unfortunate circumstances.  The sniper who had loosed his arrow into me had a damned good aim – almost too good.  Given the darkness of the night and the difficulty of the shot he had been just shy of doing me in.  God must have been with me in that moment for the arrow took an incredulous path during which it did not penetrate any vital organ, for if it had I surely would have by now been dead.  Close, though, but this didn’t mean that the arrow hadn’t done any damage.

It had done plenty.

However, more damage was on its way, albeit of a very different nature.  Hearing commotion from the anteroom I immediately knew the source was my niece Amanda.  Naturally she would have heard that her husband Ryan had returned, and via a WardenOps chopper, no less.  This would have been a great cause in and of itself for the young woman to be concerned.  However, compound that with rumor of the patient in his care?  Well, my niece would have gone ballistic and so would be on the warpath to find those responsible.

In half a heartbeat Ryan now left the operating room to head off his wife, passing by Sierra who, humorously enough, bore resemblance to prey cornered by a wolf pack.

If she only knew, I thought with twisted amusement.

With this consideration, I now closed my eyes, once more drifting off towards unconsciousness.  I didn’t have strength enough to stay awake and watch the fireworks.  Instead I gave in to darkness as Finney began putting my body to rights – I knew I was in the good hands of a fellow Brother.  Even if he was, in essence, the enemy, being an officer of the AFA.

And not to mention being Legion.

“Lass, just sit there and calm yourself” Finney sternly called out to me, drawing my attention away from the door.

But not for long.

The raised voices I heard coming from the other room compelled me to once again look in that direction.  Ryan was having a heated discussion with a woman, and so I just knew this had to be Collin’s daughter, Amanda.  What a situation! I thought in complete dismay.  Great timing my assassin had, though – Aidan was out again, leaving me here to face the wrath of his niece.  A niece who thought that Aidan was her father when in reality he was just her uncle.

You’ve really stepped in it this time, I thought to myself, biting my lip.

“Sierra!” Aidan’s cousin again called out to me, more forcefully this time.  “If Mandy does barge in here, you just keep your mouth closed” was his harsh edict and so I reluctantly nodded, not knowing what else to do.  “She won’t make a scene – at least not in here, not with her Da so sick.”  Once said, and with emphasis, I was again reminded in a big way that the young woman thought Aidan was her father.

And I had better not forget that, either – not if I knew what was good for me.

The loud voices eventually subsided – still being somewhat adamant, though, on Amanda’s part, calm but assertive on Ryan’s.  Their discussion having come to an abrupt end, the door now cracked open.  As it did I withdrew into myself since there was no place to hide.  Apparently Aidan’s niece wasn’t taking no for an answer and wanted to see him – regardless.

Shrinking into my seat I tightly wrapped my arms about me, bracing myself for incoming.  When Amanda emerged through the door she first looked to where Aidan lay upon the operating table, but then was quick to zero in her attention on me.  Stopping in her tracks the young woman just gaped at me and I could now see that she had the most gorgeous green eyes – just like her father!  And a lot more she had inherited from Collin than just his eye color, I took note, for the young woman was truly a knockout – even more beautiful than in the pictures Collin had shown me.

“Aidan will be fine, Mandy,” Finney let her know but otherwise kept his attention on his patient, “but I’m sure Ryan has already told you as much.  Now that you’ve seen for yourself that Aidan is alive and in good hands, please leave us to our work and take Sierra with you” was his directive, casting a hard look in her direction.  “That was not a request, either, lass – go on, out.”

Understanding that he meant business she obeyed, and then curiously enough bowed to him.  Abruptly turning on her heel, she now beckoned to me.  “Come” was her one word prompt but that one word caused me to freeze solid.  Those were no friendly vibes I felt rolling off the young woman, and in crashing waves no less.

“C’mon, Sierra” Ryan now gently prodded, walking over to me with an outstretched hand.  “It’s ok, Mandy’s bark is worse than her bite” was his assurance, delivered with an open smile, but I could see his wife scowling in the wake of his assertion.

Knowing that I had no choice I accepted his offer.  With one last lingering look to Aidan where he lay, I now permitted Ryan to lead me away.  As we passed by Amanda I was actually concerned that she might lash out at me.  Aidan’s niece was like a volcano waiting to erupt.  It was clear as day who she got her temper from, I considered, trying to make sure that I stayed out of her strike zone.

Once out of the operating room, Ryan quickly escorted me away from the infirmary.  He led me along corridors carved into stone, much to my amazement.  The majority of this base, from what Kevin had told me, had been bored out of one huge rock formation.  I wasn’t so sure I was comfortable being beneath so much tonnage of stone, but it got me thinking about just how much man power would have been needed to pull off such a feat of engineering.  And here in no man’s land at that!  Monument Valley of all places, which had pretty much been desolate even back when the earth had been greatly populated.

One thing I noticed was that here the men actually paid attention to me – they weren’t ogling me, but they weren’t discreetly averting their eyes, either.  Not like at The Order where their Members never gave me a second look, or even a first one, come to think of it.  And like Members of The Order, Collin’s daughter wasn’t saying boo to me either, and so I wasn’t sure if this was good or bad.  However, if I was looking for bad then I was about to find it in the form Collin’s scary Colonel.  Glancing up I now spotted the man heading straight towards us, and what a different image he projected from the one I had remembered of him out in the field with Collin.  Eric was dressed in one rather sharp-looking gray uniform that just made him look all that much more scary.

“We’ve got company” Eric grumbled as he came to a stop before us.  Hands clasped behind his back, the Colonel’s steel-gray eyes bored holes into me.  Somehow, I had the impression that I wasn’t the company to which he was referring.  Dressed to the teeth, Colonel Jones was a truly frightening figure to behold and I was but helpless to shrink from him.  “Assign her guest quarters,” he now spoke directly to Amanda, “and make sure she stays put.”  With that, Eric motioned to Ryan to follow him and without another word the two men headed back towards the infirmary.

So instead of having to face Collin’s scary Colonel, I was instead forced to interface with Collin’s daughter who was equally as terrifying.

And had Ryan informed her of just who and what I was to her Da? I wondered as we held each other’s gaze.  Shuffling my feet, I now looked down.  Her tiger green eyes told me that, yeah – she sure hell knew now.

Feeling self-conscious, I tightly wrapped my arms about my torso.  I had to take a few deep, shuddering breaths before I dared to look up at the strikingly beautiful, and just as angry, young woman.

“This way” she finally spoke, impatience still ranging behind her gemstone-green eyes, though.  Turning on her heel she took hold of my arm and dragged me along, continuing on our original trajectory.  After several minutes of winding our way through corridors, Amanda now turned down a hallway which branched off the main tunnel.  We then walked through a door out into the open night and so instinctively I dug in my heels.  Naturally, this didn’t set well with Collin’s daughter since she then proceeded to jerk me along as if I was merely a ragdoll.  Easy for her to do – the woman was easily five-foot-nine, maybe even taller, and so by comparison I was pretty much just a midget.

Once my eyes had adjusted to the dark by some degree, I could now see that we were in a bowl-like area, rock walls towering above us.  In the walls were doors and windows, and so these must have been the guest quarters, I supposed.  Kind of a dangerous place should heavy rains dump on it – however, I had a hunch the engineers of this base had seen to such mundane details.

Stopping up short in front of a door on the far side, Amanda then opened it.  She reached inside to flick on the lights, beckoning me to enter.  Having no desire to be on the receiving end of her temper, I was quick to do as she directed.

“Stay” was her next curt command, as if I was nothing more than a dog, or maybe more like a cockroach.  Before I could voice a less than polite protest, the young woman had shut the door and was gone.  This left me standing there looking at the door with my jaw slack.

Ok, so much for a warm welcome, I thought in dismay as I then proceeded to sit my butt right down where I was.  Yanking my Palm out of my pocket, my intent was to contact Kevin and make sure he and the others were ok, but to my total consternation, I wasn’t able to connect to the network.  Oh, there sure the hell was wi-fi access in that room; it was instead that my logon and password didn’t work.

Blinking at my Palm like an owl, I figured that Kevin probably was probably filtering by MAC address for the base intranet and had just forgotten to add the one for my Palm’s network adapter.

Or else Collin hadn’t given him permission to make that so.  After all, this was a – what branch of the AFA did he say he was?  Oh, yeah – IntelliCore, military intelligence, or lack thereof, I grumbled to myself.  Well, I did have a program loaded which would run through permutations of MAC addresses and I supposed since I was stuck there with nothing to do.

But my friend and fellow hacker would probably get reamed over it, so I just turned off my Palm and resisted the temptation to hack.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and in strode Amanda.  I wasn’t inclined to get up until I saw that Collin’s Colonel was on her heels and so now I did scramble to my feet.  I didn’t feel like pissing off Eric.  It was my strong suspicion that he wouldn’t hesitate to take hand to me if I didn’t do exactly as I was told.

Eric had my pack, I saw, and Amanda had a garment bag draped over her arm.

“There is one simple rule” Eric said as he placed my pack on the chair near the bed.  “Severe reprisal for those who disobey.  Amanda will see to your needs and you are to obey her as you would any of my men” he explained and like – just whose base was this anyway? I almost thought to inquire, knowing darned well that Collin was Commander here.  However, it wasn’t a good idea to poke a stick at this slithery venomous viper.  “You are to get cleaned up and presentable, preferably yesterday” was his edict and so with a bow of respect, he then took his leave, closing the door behind us.

Amanda wasted no time walking over to the bed and laying out the garment bag.

“Having planned in advance for your arrival,” the young woman began as she unzipped the bag, “my Uncle had clothes procured for you.  There are more, but these will serve best for present.”  Edging closer to take a peek, they all looked rather demur, almost formal.

“What’s going on?” I decided to ask, being dogged by my curiosity.  “And what company is coming that you guys wanna play dress-up with me?” I pressed but she just stood there with her arms folded across her chest, staring me down.  So, not chatty like Collin, then, although something told me that Amanda had a whole lot she wanted to say but was instead wisely holding her tongue.

Getting the picture – and fast – I now pulled out the clothes and chose something appealing.  Spreading it out on the bed I then turned tail and headed for the bathroom, hoping she’d be gone by the time I was done getting presentable.  However, that wasn’t my luck because when I emerged some time later I found her sitting on the couch by the door.

“You know, some refreshments would be nice” I mumbled, standing there toweling my hair.  “Cat got your tongue?” I then taunted, not being able to keep my mouth shut since she sure wasn’t inclined to start any conversations with me.  “Is that because they told you who and what I am to your… to Aidan?” I corrected, not wanting to get into the habit of referring to Aidan as her father – since he wasn’t, even if she was too dense to get a clue about that.

“Are you jealous or something?” I now continued my hazing but there was no change in her demeanor, no betrayal one way or another and why should I expect any?  If Aidan had raised her, and she had lived at The Order for a long while before coming Collin’s base, then it was no wonder she was like Aidan’s tight-lipped Brethren.

Great role models, after all.

“You are the distraction that almost cost my Father his life” the young woman now finally spoke up.

“Correction – I’m the distraction that he was protecting” I shot back.  “Me and his Unborns,” I tacked on, “although I get the impression that everyone else would rather I just wander on back out into the desert to never return.  I’m thinking that might not be such a bad idea, actually” I grumbled as I then walked over to the bed to claim the clothing I had picked out to wear.

“Excuse me?” I heard her say in a low voice and when I turned to look at her?  Amanda was practically gaping at me.

It was then that I suddenly got a clue.  No one had told her about me and Aidan!  And clearly hadn’t bothered to tell her that the man had knocked me up.  Backing up a step, I sat down on the bed, wondering what to say now that my mouth had gotten me into trouble – again.

“I was under the impression that you are Collin’s woman?” she prompted since I had stopped getting all chatty.  Ok, so, what rumor mill had she tapped into? I wondered.

“Last I checked I belonged to the AFA” I mumbled, biting my lip.  “Just a scrap to fight over is all.  Never mind, forget I said anything.”  And with that I forced myself to get up and go get dressed, leaving the young woman there to sit, stewing.

Pressing my backup against the bathroom door after I had shut it, I knew I was going to burn in hell for being such a bitch.  Everyone seemed to think I was more trouble than I was worth and I was just plain getting tired of it.  I understood, though, that I had no say in anything so I better just shut up and do as I was told.  I was more concerned about Aidan and Collin than anything else right then so I decided it would be in my best interest to just drop the attitude.

Once I had gotten decent, looking somewhat less like something the cat dragged in, I crept out of the bathroom to find Amanda deep in thought.

“Acceptable?” I asked as politely as possible and then she was quick to look up.

“Yes” was her distracted, and almost demure, response as she now rose to her feet.

“I… look, I’m sorry I copped an attitude” I now decided to apologize.  “I’m just a little weary of getting dragged around and fought over like a bone between two dogs.  I’m worried about Aidan, and also about Collin and his men since we had to leave them behind – has anyone had word?” I wanted to know, hopeful she might lighten up.

Nope.  She wasn’t so inclined.

“Can I go see Aidan?” I tried a different tact since I was certain that she, too, wanted to look in on him.

“I think you’ve already done enough to him for one day” was her rather blunt take on things.  “Are you hungry?  We can have something to eat” she now offered, motioning towards the door.  With a sigh and a set jaw, I obeyed and left my quarters with her on my heels.

In silence she led me to the mess hall, which was less like a real military mess hall and more like some casual diner.  Even though it was late, there were plenty of men coming and going, and there were even cooks on duty.  I supposed intelligence gathering was a twenty-four-seven affair and so that there was food round the clock should come as no surprise.

Upon entering, the attention we attracted was noticeable.  No one was leering, but heads were certainly turning, and the cook who took our orders appeared downright rattled.

One thing for sure, Aidan had been right – this place was like a resort.

“Any eggs?” I asked somewhat hopefully, scrambled eggs having been a favorite of mine, and the man was only too happy to accommodate.

Once our orders were placed, Amanda led the way to a table in the back, out of the line of sight of the big open archway which gave way to the mess hall.

“If there is ever anything you’d like to eat that they don’t have – just ask” Amanda told me.  “They will jump through hoops to get the ingredients” she explained and I had a hunch that she had taken advantage of this on more than one occasion herself.

Once our food had been served, in silence we ate – or rather I glommed down mine while Amanda ate in a much more civilized manner.  I was famished and couldn’t remember when I had last eaten.  No sooner had I cleaned my plate the cook came over and asked if I wanted seconds.  With a shy nod I indicated yes and so snatching up my plate the man happily went off to cook me up some more.

“Eating for three” I mumbled as I noticed Amanda eying me with disapproval.  “Can I see Aidan after we’re done?” I inquired, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

“You mean after you are done” she corrected.  “You’re awfully concerned about my Father.”

“Yeah, that happens when you love someone” was my snippy response as my hormones got the better of me and so tears welled up in my eyes.  “I’m sorry everyone kept you in the dark” I now apologized for something over which I had no control.  I was shocked to think that Ryan had not filled her in, so now I was of the mind that Aidan had told her husband he would do this himself, and if not then probably Collin would.

Best laid plans, though, since Aidan got nailed by a sniper’s arrow before he had the chance and Collin was – where?  Another troubling question, that.

“I’m sorry you had to hear about it, from me” I added with a shrug.

“Aidan never said a word” the young woman now complained.

“Well, if I know the man at all, then he probably just circumvented it” I grumbled, grateful that the cook now approached so I could put more food in my mouth instead of my foot.  Thanking the man I then dug in, eating more slowly this time so I that I could relish every bite.

Once I was done and felt full, I slid down in my seat, looking at Amanda.

“What’s next?” I pried, feeling impatient and really just wanting to either see Aidan or go take a nap.  As I let out a big yawn, I suddenly saw, to my utter delight, Kevin entering the mess hall, on a mission to find me no less.  With a huge smile I waved to him and so he returned my smile with a big one of his own.

“Hey, girl” he said in greeting as he joined us and it was then I noticed he hadn’t even stopped to get cleaned up.  “You ok?” my friend asked to which I nodded in return.

“Nice of you to lock me out, dude” I complained with a frown but then got beyond the matter of my not having ‘net access.  “Is Collin ok?” I wanted to know and so he nodded – which took a lot off my mind right there.

“Yeah, yeah – he’s cool but girl you need to listen to me” my friend began and then cast a glance at Amanda who still had precious little to say.  “General Karloff is here and he wants to meet you, but you gotta keep your mouth shut” he cautioned me in a low voice.  “Don’t offer up anything and give basic simple answers – in short, play dumb.  So dumb he’ll think you are just an airhead, ok?”

“Um, if he knows I’m a hacker, then that’s not gonna come off as convincing,” I laughed, grinning, “my being an airhead.  Why does this guy want to meet me, though?  And who is he anyway?”

“He’s the head hancho in charge of the whole AFA so don’t give the man any lip, ok?” Kevin pleaded with me as he now pulled out his Palm and started tapping away.  “Collin’s in deep and doesn’t need your help digging himself any deeper, understand?  I know you mean well, girl, but just zip it this time.  Got it?” he pressed and so I nodded.

“Ok, then – well, I better go get presentable before the General sees me.  By the way, you look great, Sierra – you clean up really well, girlfriend” he complimented with a wink as he got to his feet and then addressed Amanda.  “Can you keep Sierra out of trouble for a bit?  When I know where Collin wants to conduct the introduction, then I’ll message you.”  With a decisive nod she accepted and before running off, Kevin looked to me.

“And keep your Palm out of site until the General leaves” was his caution to me as he finished tapping away on his own to then stow it in his pocket.  “I need to clear it with Collin, giving you ‘net access here, so try to be patient and not hack anything, alright?” he implored but I just looked at him in disbelief.  Didn’t he trust me?  “On second thought – give me your Palm, girlfriend.  I’ll hold onto it until Collin clears access and what level” my friend now ordered me and like what choice did I have?  Everyone out ranked me, it was clear.

“Here” I snipped, drawing out my Palm and handing it to him.  It was probably for the best, that way I could not be accused of anything.  “Are you sure Collin’s ok?” I now asked again and so Kevin grunted.

“He will be once the General leaves” he mumbled.  “By the way, Collin says thank you, Mandy, for getting Sierra settled in – I’ll catch up with you later.”  With a smile he then turned tail and hurried out of the mess hall.

“Mandy?” I parroted trying hard not to grin.

“Amanda to you” she corrected.  “Are you really pregnant?” Collin’s daughter finally came out and asked me something, and personal, no less.

“I guess they left out that detail, huh?” was my pouty return.

“All of them, actually – everyone is in fear of my Father” was her complaint.  “Ryan said Aidan would explain and so no one would dare otherwise, I suppose.  My Father didn’t figure on becoming incapacitated, it’s clear.”

“He’s like a one-man-army, I’ll have to admit – but the sniper that got him was better” I declared.

“No, the sniper just got lucky” was her counter, and she was probably right about that.  “And just where was my Da when all this happened?” the questions starting coming now.  “And why was the AFA involved in his rescue?  And if that’s not odd enough, then AFA Wardens being involved is even odder.  Any insight?” the young woman probed but I just shrugged.  I knew when to keep my mouth shut – I’d already done enough damage in telling her that I was pregnant by her Da and that I loved the man.

“Dunno – I just get lugged around the desert,” I tried to defer, “like a backpack.”

“Not likely” she returned in a low voice, implying that I knew far more than I was spilling and in this she was spot-on.

And so falling to silence we sat there for a long while until I heard a Palm chirp.  Nice to know Collin let have her ‘net access, I considered in aggravation, biting my lip.  Pulling out the device, Amanda read the screen and then quickly turning it off, stowed it.

“You’re on” she said, and was that with a tinge of evilness?  Swallowing hard I then took a deep breath as I stood up.  Falling in beside Amanda, we made our exit from the mess-hall as she now ushered me to a meeting with what I was certain was another scary AFA officer.

One crisis at a time, kiddo, I told myself – one crisis at a time.

Act your heart out, Commander, I thought as I swallowed, and hard.

Having dropped to one knee in a standard Brotherhood repose, it was with bowed head that I waited.

And it was clear General Karloff didn’t have a clue how to respond.

Here I had found him, waiting in my office upon my return.  Nothing like out of the frying pan and into the fire, or rather raging inferno.

“Brotherhood” I now explained, for the man had told me that I certainly had a lot of explaining to do, and fast.  If they expected me to be the AFA’s backdoor to The Order, then my repose should come as no surprise to him, and even if it didn’t, Karloff had yet to release me.

“On your feet, Commander” he now ordered in a constrained voice and so I obeyed.  Standing there to face him, it was obvious he was waiting for me to begin.

“Aidan is a Brother” I began.  “I was obligated to come to his aid” I laid out for him since, technically, I was a Member of The Brotherhood.

“As was your cousin, Captain Seamus O’Reilly?” the man put to me, his discerning eyes reading my every tick and twitch in hope of ascertaining if I was on the up-and-up.  Supreme-General Aniston Raymond Karloff was one man who I had found it almost impossible to snow.  He had little interest in my wordy reposts, dealing rather in absolutes and the minimalistic.

The man could have been Brotherhood in that regard, or so was my consideration.

With this man of power, less was truly more.

“Yes, General – Captain O’Reilly was also obligated to come to the aid of his cousin” I confirmed.  “Seamus might not be Order, but he is Brotherhood.  If the General will pardon my temerity, I was under the impression that I was to foster a stronger relationship with my brother, he who is The Order’s Head of Assassins?” I posed and now I could hear the gears grinding in his mind.

“Perhaps your brother’s position within The Order is… uncertain?” was the General’s cool postulation.  “It eludes me as to why he was transported here, to your base, using AFA resources, and not back to The Order?  Where it is my understanding that they possess many first-rate doctors and surgeons?”  And how was I to answer that?  To reveal that Aidan had been on one very unsanctioned mission, and at the behest of what?  Well – that would end my career, as well as my life, in short order.

“Curious, your timing” the man now went on.  “If the Commander would refresh my memory, WardenOps started to be deployed at your discretion, without prior consent, just… when?” he wanted to know.

I was fucked, in more than one way and on more than one level.  There was no possibility of me getting off Scott-free this time.

“If I colored outside of the lines, sir, then let me assure you – it was in the best interest of the AFA” I made clear with perhaps too much bravado for the General’s demeanor changed – and for the worse.

“Hmm – indeed” he made comment, an icy return.  “And would the Commander care to explain how the woman became involved in this… whatever it is that you are calling your jaunt through parts unknown?  On the border of Blackguard territory, with The Order’s Head of Assassins?  The point of recovery was more than just a mere rock-throw from The Order, after all – which was the point of departure for you, your cousin and the woman, to make the journey to this base?”

“Scenic route?” was my glib, and perhaps unwise, offering as I even dared a grin – but the man was clearly not amused.

“A reporting in full before I leave here – this day, Commander O’Reilly” the General made abundantly clear and so I breathed a sigh of relief.  I’d be afforded some time, at least, to concoct my fable and get my officers to back it.  “Now, the woman?  I did not travel all this way for nothing.”  No shit, I thought in dismay.  I had no time to prepare the poor creature.

When WardenOps Colonel-Major Elijah Wasserman and I had made our way to the location where Aidan was holed up with his Brothers and Sierra, things happened – and quickly.  And as they say, timing is everything – Seamus had already found his way to Aidan and had stabilized my brother – he was a top-notch field surgeon, after all.  To my brother’s added fortune was my arrival by chopper, of which I then commanded to take Aidan back to my base, and pronto.

My cousin, Ryan and the WardenOps officer took to the air in the chopper with my brother, and also with Sierra in tow.  I had wanted to say no to her tagging along with them, but that would only have served to weaken my position where she was concerned.  Thus, I let her accompany Aidan and so literally had had no time to prepare her for what she would face upon her arrival.

The worst of which turned out to be my ultimate superior, General Karloff.  A man who was very much eager to make acquaintance of the comely female hacker.

Fortunately for me, however, the man had arrived only a short while before I had.  Greg, Kevin and I had flown back in the plane which had brought Seamus to the aid of my brother.  And upon our landing at my base, to then see the General’s plane?  Into high gear went my braincells – wheels still furiously turning as I wondered how to keep Sierra from spouting off things to the General that it was imperative the man not hear.

Hoping for the best, it was with a curt bow of acceptance and respect I was to grant the General’s request, or rather command, to see Sierra.  Pulling out my PDA I tapped away, notifying my Colonel to have the woman brought to me.

“This way, General, if you would please” I said with a wave of my hand, indicating the direction.  Slipping my PDA back into my pocket, I escorted the General to my ready room.  Once inside I prompted him to take a seat but he wasn’t interested, which meant he was impatient.

And so I stood also, hands clasped behind my back and painfully aware that I looked a sight.  Straight from the airfield I had come and so looked like hell.  Not that it mattered to the General; it would only make him look that much more powerful than me since Karloff was dressed to the nines.

Within moments, there came a knock at the door and with my one word grant of entrance, the door opened.  In came Eric, who was more than dressed to play that part of my Second.  At least he would put his good foot forward and lend a decent impression.  Delivering one very low and proper bow to the General, Eric then stepped aside, prompting Sierra to enter and thank you Gracious God Above but she was demurely dressed.  The woman cleans up very well, I laughed to myself as my heart pounded away in my chest.  She was casually attired in muted colors – very flattering even yet since her sultry beauty was impossible to hide.  Tone down, perhaps, but conceal?

Never.

“General Karloff,” Eric said in greeting, “this is Sierra.”  Taking Sierra by the shoulders he now presented her to the General who offered her a bow of respect for her gender.

“A pleasure” the General returned with a genuine smile.  The woman was a looker and would set any man’s heart to pounding, not just my own.

“Hi” Sierra responded in a meek voice, holding his eyes for a moment before she briefly glanced at me.  “Am I in trouble or something?” the beauty asked, which amused the General to no end.  Proffering a huge smile, he shook his head.

“Certainly not, dear girl, although your companions might be” was his couched threat and so now Sierra perked up, the pit bull in her ready to defend me and my men.  However, just as she was about to say something, the woman instead looked down, thinking.

“If they are it’s because of me… sir” the beautiful creature now spoke up as she raised her eyes to meet those of the General.  Gorgeous, big, soulful brown eyes no less.  “I… did some dumb stuff and made trouble for Collin.”

“You are anything but dumb, young lady” the General countered and so Sierra shrugged.

“Smart in some things, dumb in others.  Hormones, I guess?” she reasoned, hopefully, giving up a shy smile.  Work it, honey, work it, I silently cheered her on.  Karloff found humor in her words and so now actually laughed.

“No comment” the man returned with a grin and then looked to me.  “Commander, if you and your Second would excuse us?” was his command and so now my throat constricted.  It didn’t take an IQ like mine to figure out that he was going to question her, and then around and compare her account to my own.

Did I say that I was fucked?

“Yes, sir – certainly” I accepted, having no choice for to protest would have looked profoundly bad.  With a bow from me and Eric, we prepared to leave but promptly Sierra started to fret.

“Why?” Sierra asked the General, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention.  This gesture warmed him for again he smiled.  “I’m not going to get shuffled around again, am I?” she wanted to know, putting on a good show of being afraid.

Or maybe it was no act.

The woman now backed away from the General to then hide behind yours truly.  Granted, this made me feel like a million, but I doubted that it was going to win me any brownie points with Karloff.

Turing round, I dropped to one knee, facing Sierra.

“It’s ok, Sierra – you have no reason to fear the General” I tried to comfort her but it wasn’t working.  There were tears in her eyes and now the poor thing began to tremble.  Looking from me to Eric and then to the General, the woman then threw her arms around my neck in a desperate embrace as she then proceeded to cry her eyes out.

Glancing up at the General with a shrug, I was as confused as he was.  Now giving my attention back to frightened beauty, as I made attempt to soothe the woman she then abruptly gasped.  Swiftly now her hands covered her belly as she sunk to her knees, doubling over.

Alarmed beyond all reason, all three of us men, the General quickly bent to one knee before her.

“Get Captain O’Reilly!” I barked at Eric over my shoulder.  He then was quick to drag out his Palm and message Seamus before then exiting the room.

“I don’t want to lose them” the woman cried as I held her close.  Yeah, me either.  For if she miscarried?  Then Aidan would have my head – literally.

“I’m sorry, General – it’s all been too much for the woman, I’m afraid” I apologized, hoping he’d just forget about his interrogation.  “She’s not been faring so well, carrying these Unborns” I explained, using Brotherhood terminology.  With a nod, Karloff understood and so, much to my eternal relief, got to his feet.

“Understood” he accepted and as I looked up, I now saw my Captain-Major poking his head into my ready room.  Apparently he had been hovering close by in case I should need him.

“Is there anything I can do, Commander?” Greg asked, ignoring the General but in this instance it was permissible.

“No, Captain – unless it is to entertain the General?” I suggested, now looking to Karloff.  “If you haven’t eaten yet, sir, now might be a good time?” I prompted and thankfully the General accepted.

“Certainly” he agreed and so with a nod to me the man then made his exit with my Captain.

Once they were gone Sierra then abruptly pushed herself away from me.

“You owe me” she hissed in a low voice and I could only blink at her.

And blink, and blink again.

However, just as I was about to recover my words the woman raised a hand to her forehead, and one that was none too steady at that.

“Shit” she mumbled and ok, this time is wasn’t a performance for now she slumped over into my waiting arms.

Wasting no time, I gathered her up and sped off towards the infirmary.  One thing was for certain, if my men hadn’t known I was back on base, then they sure the hell would now.  Never a dull moment when their Commander was here, I considered.  My only saving grace was that it was nighttime and there was only a skeleton crew on duty.

Along the way I encountered Seamus and it was clear that he was no less concerned about Sierra.

“What happened, lad?” he asked, now falling in alongside me.

“The woman fainted” I snapped – wasn’t it obvious?  “Please tell me that Aidan is still out of it.  If he sees her like this then he’ll have an aneurysm.  On second thought, that might not be so undesirable given the circumstances” I grumbled since Aidan would be up and out of bed with his hands around my throat faster than you could say you’re dead meat.

“He should be out for a few more hours at least” was my cousin’s comforting news.  “I’ve seen to that, he needs the rest – the man hardly ever sleeps, that one” my cousin made comment which caused me to stop and think.  I’d never thought about it before, but his statement was Truth – however, how the heck would Seamus know that?  It was understandable that I did, since I was often out in the field with Aidan, but Seamus?  Well, right then was neither the time nor the place to query my cousin regarding his knowledge of my brother’s sleeping habits – or lack thereof in Aidan’s case.

Once having arrived at the infirmary, Finney led me to a bed, notably not near where Aidan was still asleep.  Laying Sierra down, I sat next to her, holding her hand as I stroked her hair.

“Cousin, pregnant women often faint, especially when under duress” Seamus tried to put my mind at ease but this only bought him a cross look from me.  He understood my concern was due to a bit more than just that.  “You know, it could just be the result of Sierra feeling fatigued as well as overwhelmed – too much change all at once” he continued his attempt at allaying my fears and he did have a point, I was forced to acknowledge.  That would be trying enough for any woman to handle, what Sierra had been put through during the past year.  However, top it off with being pregnant and carrying twins no less?  My cousin was probably right.

“I’m sure that’s it” I at least made attempt to accentuate the positive.  “Would you mind if I stayed?  I need a place to hide out while I edit the draft of Eric’s cover story” I explained as I now got up and parked my butt over a chair in one corner.  “Convenient all the way around” I mumbled as I pulled out my PDA.

“Eric said she had experienced pain?” was my cousin’s inquiry and looking up from the PDA I paused.

“Um, well – that” I began.  “She was crying wolf to save my tail, but then fainted once the General had taken his leave” I explained with a shrug and now my cousin grinned in return, shaking his head.

“Your power over women, lad – I dunno about that sometimes” he made comment and I would have liked to have said me either, but I had more on my mind beside Sierra’s play-acting.

Pouring over the proposed rouse that my Colonel had concocted, and the edits already contributed by my officers, I added my two cents and sent it off for another round of edits.

My cousin had made Sierra comfortable, which was really the extent of what could be done just then.  The woman looked relaxed and none the worse for the wear, thankfully.

“Thanks, Seamus” I said as I got to my feet, preparing to get on with the business of, well, business.  “You’ll let me know when she comes around?” I asked to which he nodded.  “Good, good – check your email first chance and see what you can add to Eric’s proposed accounting to the General.”

“Aye – will do, lad, now that things have calmed down to a dull roar” he grunted and so patting him on the back it was with a wink and a grin that I took my leave.

Once out of the infirmary, first things first.  It was necessary for me to look the part of a Commander-General regardless what else needed my tending.  I wasted no time in getting a shower, shave and a haircut, and then once clean and presentable I made my way to Kevin’s office.  Checking my PDA, I saw that Eric and Greg were keeping the General occupied with a tour of the base.  Thank God for small favors, I thought – they could keep him happy for quite a while in the mess hall alone.  I well knew the General’s penchant for good food.

Upon entering the domain of my Master Geek, I saw Kevin had also gotten presentable – just like every other man on base.  They had prior warning of the General’s impending arrival and so I was confident that they had all quickly become the picture of military perfection.  Normally, we were rather lax there at my base – AFA High Command it was not.  Half the time we were out of uniform – except for me and my senior officers.  We at least were reminders that this base was not wholly a resort.

After shutting the door behind me, Kevin glanced up but then returned his attention to his screen.

“Read the draft now,” he said and then decided to add, “sir,” almost as an afterthought.  “I think we’ve covered all our bases and most of what Eric proposed can’t be verified anyway.”  Grinning at him, I sat down on the couch along the wall.

“Per usual” I grunted as I pulled up the document to review the recent edits.  My Colonel was a master when it came to concocting unverifiable accounts.  “We need Sierra to get a copy of the final draft” I decided as I read but since there was no response I looked up.

“Uh, yeah – about Sierra” he began, sounding thoroughly uncomfortable.  “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t even let her use her Palm here, period.  She’s dangerous, Commander.”  I was certain that my jaw must have swung wide open in light of his frank opinion.

“Do tell, Captain” was my flatly delivered remark as I leaned forward.

“Well, duty before friendship I guess” the man reasoned as he leaned back, putting his feet up on his desk.  “She’s kind of twisted about it.”

“You talked to her already?” I asked, a bit miffed that he had made this his first priority upon our return.

“Yeah, I had to tell her to keep her mouth shut after all” he explained and now a lot made sense.  “First words out of Sierra’s mouth were about how I shut her out of access.  Told her I’d have to clear that through you first.”

“Good call there, Captain – thank you” I said but then sighed.  “Can you lock things down even more that you already have?” I wanted to know.  Thinking about it for a moment, he then gave his answer.

“Let me see what I can put into place.  If Sierra really is Klaatu, then she’s got creative ways to get around things” my Captain told me.  “That’s pretty much been documented in Pre-Time – at least, from what I was able to recover in addition to what I already knew.”

“Well, you know your job, Captain Wong” I told him.  “I trust your judgment and have faith that you will not allow the private to influence the public.”  The truth was, I wasn’t so certain that I would be able to do the same when it came to Sierra.

Stuffing my PDA back in my pocket I now got to my feet.

“Are you sure I can’t switch you over to a Palm?” the geek just had to go a prod me.  “Sierra already hacked that thing once” was his cutting reminder.  “That Windows CE is so full of holes it’s almost impossible to adequately secure it.”

“Please review the subsequent draft of Colonel Jones’ document” I ordered him, skating right over the PDA remark.  “Seamus will shortly be adding his own.  Thank you for your efforts, Captain” was my conclusion to our discussion.  Without another word I then turned on my heel, exiting his office.  What would conference between us be without him trying to get me to ditch my Pocket PC? I darkly mused as I made my way back to my office.

Along the way, I changed my mind.  I needed some fresh air, to clear my mind – and if I avoided the General in the process, so much the better.  I first needed to speak with Colonel-Major Wasserman, who was with my head pilot, Captain Brentwood, down at the airstrip.  The Colonel had been included, at my instruction, on the document in process, the one which would ensure that we all got our collective stories straight.  The wonders of collaboration, I thought as I pulled out my PDA, requesting a Jeep to pick me up.

Waiting outside the main entrance, I considered how in this post-apocalyptic era we were still so dependent on technology.  Well, I could take it or leave it, personally.  In this Aidan and I thought alike – technology had been the downfall of the world as we had known it.  Here we had a chance to start again, fresh and new – but what’s the first thing we do as humans?

Reclaim our technology.

Looking around the cold desert night, I suddenly felt rather sad.  Now that I had won my battle, to have Sierra under my control at this IntelliCore base under my command?  I found myself wishing that I could again be out in the vastness of the desert, alone with the woman – away from all the trappings of command.

If wishes were fishes, Commander, I laughed to myself.  There was a problem with that equation – I loved power equally as much as sex, if not more and so who was I trying to kid?

Technology made us powerful, it was inescapable, and the intelligence captured by said technology had gotten me where I now was.  I held the rank of Commander-General but would I be able to further this?

Not on your life.

My immediate CO, Elite-General Terrence Cornelius Hastings, squarely stood in my way of any promotion, and after this latest escapade of mine?  I doubted that Supreme-General Karloff would be looking upon me with any favor either.

I just had to work with what I had and that was that.  There were other equally important matters on my plate that would distract my mind from things over which I held no sway.

After a short while of not so patient waiting, I now heard the jeep approaching.  As I watched vehicle come into view, my PDA chirped.  Damned thing, I thought, I should have just turned it off like I normally would leave it – however, with the General on base that wasn’t wise.  Looking at the screen it was from Eric – it seemed the General fancied to visit my head pilot and look in on the antique planes that Don had in the process of restoration.

Lucky Don, I thought.  Captain Brentwood actually enjoyed talking to the General about old aircraft, the General having once been a US Air Force test pilot in Pre-Time.

I wasn’t about to have the jeep wait for the General, though – and so I would rather conveniently ignore that message.

What a plague, I grumbled to myself as the jeep came to a stop.  Getting in I bid the driver to make haste and so he did.  Thanks to the General’s sight-seeing tour, I now wouldn’t be afforded much time to speak with Colonel Wasserman.

Once dropped off at the main hanger, it didn’t take me long to find Don and Eli.  They were in another hanger, the one with a World War II aircraft that Don had been lovingly restoring.  Eli had been in SAC back in Pre-Time and also had a love affair with things that had wings.

“Commander” Don said in greeting and so in return I curtly nodded but then waved him off.

“If you would, Captain – I need to borrow your fellow enthusiast” I requested of Don, after which he then bowed to me.

“Certainly, sir” he returned and then made himself scarce, leaving me to stand there with Eli.

“We don’t have much time” I said, prompting him to follow me outside into the night.  “The General will be down here soon, part of his grand tour, I suppose” I grumbled to which my friend grunted in return.

“I hate to ask more of you, old friend,” I began once we were outside, under the cover of night and its blanket of stars, “but I need another favor.”  To this Eli raised an eyebrow.  “Can you select some of your best Wardens to be transferred here?  Ones you trust, implicitly.”

“You’re worried about the new kids in town, even all the way up here, eh?” he put to me and so I nodded.  After all, it was unwise to get too comfy.

“It should be easy to get Karloff to agree to the transfer, since there is now a woman present” I reasoned with a shrug.  “He needn’t be made aware the true impetus, naturally.  Have there been any other… incidents… which smack of Brotherhood style?  The Order could not lay claim to snuffing out your Wardens, even though they would have liked nothing better.”

“It’s hard to say, Collin – if the perpetrators are Legion, as you have inferred, then we wouldn’t know the difference, they being Brotherhood as well.  In general, incidents are on the upswing and regardless the impetus, that does not bode well.”

“Ok, so then Karloff won’t have grounds to object reassignment of some of your men” I decided and then moved on.  “And thank you, Eli, for partaking in my cover story – much appreciated.  I am in your debt all the way around.”

“That you are my friend – so just keep it in mind” Eli laughed under his breath.  Scowling at him, I then let it go.  “The woman is quite the looker – you’ll have your hands full, and in more ways than one, hmm?” he alluded and so I could not help but grin.  “Life would be good if it wasn’t for that brother of yours.  Trouble by and large, Collin – mark my words.”

“I know, Eli – for a man who makes every effort to project an image of himself as that of a mere killing machine, there sure is a lot going on in that head of his,” I proffered, “although I can’t discern if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“The jury is still out on that one” he mumbled and I understood all too well.  However, Aidan was a man of his word and so I would just have to go with that for present.  “In all seriousness though – despite the perks you receive from stroking your brother for benefit of AFA High Command, in the end you’ll only dig yourself in deep.  On both fronts – mark my words, Collin.”

“I know, you’re right,” I was painfully forced to agree, “but the trick in playing the game is in knowing when to fold.”

“I’d say it’s getting pretty close to that” Eli muttered and like, no kidding.  However, I was a master of manipulation – my latest adventure had proved this if nothing else.  “Your fence-sitting days will have to end; it’s a habit that’s not buying you any friends as of late.”

“Well, at least not friends in the right places, that’s what you really mean” I grumbled, running a hand over my face there to let it linger.  Now dropping my hand I looked up at the night sky.  If I was on the right track, I had always hoped that God would give me a sign.  A firedrake, anything – just some hint to let me know that I hadn’t strayed too far away from my task.  Did believing in signs from the heavens make me superstitious?  Probably – but God did work in mysterious ways and I’d personally been witness to his handiwork on several occasions.

“God Judges” I now stated as I gave my attention back to Eli.

“That he does, my friend” was his solemn agreement as he patted me on the back.  We now talked about other pressing issues until the General arrived at the airstrip.  Drawing in a deep breath I now played the part I had been born to play – that of statesmen, essentially a public relations man, a politician.  I could schmooze with the best of them.  Damage control had always been my forte and so putting my best foot forward I now engaged the General, giving the man my undivided attention.

The General was truly interested in the architecture of my base, a compliment by all accounts.  We had a lively exchange, on many topics – and I was of the mind that neither of us was trying to snow the other.  Sometimes the most effective outcomes in life are those that come naturally.

Once I had finished taking him around the base myself, I then took my leave for a half hour to finish my report.  All my officers, and Eli as well, had contributed to the compilation and I had to admit, it was a work of art.  Concise and to the point, and most of it not able to be verified to any real degree – but yet enough gray areas to convincingly connect the facts like a string of pearls.

Satisfied that this accounting would save our collective butts, I encrypted it onto a thumb drive and then hand delivered it to the General – as promised.  With a bow of deep respect I bid him farewell and a safe flight, but it was a bow that was decidedly Brotherhood in its fashion.  After considering me for a moment, the General then reciprocated my bow.  He then sharply turned on his heel to get into the Jeep which was waiting to take him back to the airstrip.

Watching the vehicle as it disappeared around the corner, I stood there for a long time to come before getting under cover.

Like in kind, I thought as I turned round to head back inside.

The General had curiously returned my Brotherhood-style bow with one of the same.

“I might actually need your help” I announced as I slipped in through the door to my brother’s office.  Glancing up, Collin held my gaze for half a heartbeat before giving his attention back to his laptop screen.

“Isn’t that what my whole mission of mercy was – aid?  The purpose of which was to save your butt?  Perhaps I’m mistaken, Aidan” the holier-than-thou AFA Commander-General returned, and with an uncharacteristic desert-dry humor.

Easing myself down into a chair in front of his desk, I smirked.

“That one bailout hardly evens the score between us” was my determination, given the innumerable times I had come to his rescue.  So now Collin was quick to whip up his head, glaring at me.  Such a hair-trigger, I considered with an inward grin.

“Which score?” he now demanded clarification.

“Any and all” I put to him, taking a deep, controlled breath.  The last thing I wanted to do was get into a battle of words with Collin while in his own domain.  “Although I’m not obligated to say thank you, since you were required to come to the aid of another Brother, I’ll say it anyway – thank you.”  There.  That didn’t hurt – at least, not half as much my injuries.  It would take a long time before I was again functioning at peak performance.

Pausing mid key stroke, Collin peered up at me.

“You are welcome” was all he said, and rather tersely at that, but instead of returning to his work, he just continued to hold my eyes.  “How are you feeling?” my brother finally thought to ask – a swift lane change, per usual.  Hot and cold he was – always had been, always would be.

“Like hell” I grunted and then Collin did not disappoint.

“You look it, brother” was his assessment, delivered with a straight face but then a grin overtook his lips – one which blossomed into a huge smile.  My brother, the consummate prick.  “Have you had your talk with Amanda?” Collin just had to ask and why he should care was beyond me.  Oh, that’s right – Amanda was biologically his daughter.  One small detail I could never forget.

“Not sure if that’s necessary” I countered.  “I’m sure she’s gotten an earful from being tapped into the base rumor mill” was my take on it for Amanda was notably holding her silence.  Not one word had she uttered about Sierra, or, more importantly, my relationship with Sierra and the Unborns of mine which the woman carried.

My suspicion was that Sierra wasn’t able to keep her mouth closed anymore than could my brother.

“Translation – you are going to let my daughter stew for a while in order to teach her a lesson regarding the pitfalls of jumping to conclusions?” he posed with one raised eyebrow.  “Let me know if I am hot or cold here” Collin prompted but I just let it slide.

“Adultery is a sensitive topic, then as now” I made note, hoping that Collin got my drift and so therefore would back off.  Injured or no, I was going to pound his ass into desert dust should he dare continue on his present trajectory.

“You have not been forthcoming with me about certain things” my brother now wisely diverted towards calmer seas.  “You could have told me about Harlan” he bluntly laid out on the table for dissection.

One heartbeat, two – and how could he have possibly come by way of this knowledge? I wondered.

Well, military intelligence was his forte, after all, as well as his lifelong career, and so I was forced to concede that he was well connected to all our worlds.  Not to also mention that his mind worked in ways which were, well, mind boggling, I considered with an inward laugh.  Collin just did not think like the rest of us.

Neither confirmation nor denial of the existence of this Brother from the past would lend me aid here, for to say anything or nothing implied foreknowledge.  Although troubling it was that this brilliant geneticist should so suddenly appear on the scene.

“That’s not the path that you and I need travel” was my cautious reminder, delivered in a low voice.  “One has nothing to do with the other” I solemnly reminded.

“And you can be so certain, how?” my brother now snapped.  The how of it was dangerous ground, turf upon which I had no intent of treading.  The Cup of Christ had never been part of The Plan, whereas by the day I was more certain than ever that this Brother from the past was.  Or rather he was now part of The Furtherance.  Only after it had come to light that The Plan had unexpected results was the Quest for the Cup renewed, and in earnest.  However, this did not mean that the Furtherance would have been shelved – it would have instead merely been delayed.

“Too many coincidences have occurred as of late” Collin made note as he now leaned back in his chair – elbows to armrests as he pressed together the tips of his fingers.  “And throw in the presence of The Legion… well, need I say more?  They were the ones who sent the Cup here, to the Americas, just prior to the Apocalypse.  How many coinky-dinks does it take, dear brother, to open your mind to collusion?”

Not many, but to discuss this with my brother wasn’t an option.  For the sole reason that he had no idea about The Plan, much less it’s Furtherance.  The Cup traveling here from Ireland just before the Apocalypse spoke to me one thing and only one thing.  There were others who had known what was about to go down, and in a fashion other than planned – and so had made preparations to precipitate the salvation of our species.

And I was of a mind that the hand behind this was not Legion, nor was it the Unspoken.  I was of the mind it was a scourge which I thought to have been eradicated, and prior to the Apocalypse.  However, this was just another mystery the details of which I had been relentlessly ferreting.

“Regardless rumor and innuendo, we must continue our search” was my reminder.  “You better than anyone should understand that much of what has lately surfaced may well be nothing more than contrived distractions” I laid out – but didn’t offer up my belief that these distractions were designed for Collin and Collin alone.  We of The Order, who, unlike Collin, were true Members, had a singleness of mind.  Collin, however?  That superior intellect of his would send him down any number of side paths, luring him away from his original objective.  Mysteries were to my brother like irresistible sweet treats were to a child.

That my brother ever accomplished anything was a sheer wonder, I mused.  He was all over the place at once, so main trains of thought running on different tracks and in opposite directions that very few could keep up with his pace – if any at all, that was.

Admittedly, my brother left me in the dust at times in a race of thoughts.

“Even if they are just distractions designed to throw us off the scent, this could also perhaps mean that we are getting too close for comfort, eh?  And might be impetus for certain characters which have begun to leap up out of the dust of a long dead past” was his postulate and I couldn’t argue that, either.

“Here, check this out” Collin said as he turned his laptop round so I could see it.  On the screen was a map with GPS coordinates.  “Memorize those – that’s where you are going.”  I knew where this was, the location he had pinpointed, but what he had hoped to find there was a curiosity to me.  Surely not the Cup.  “A… hunch” he added, as if reading my mind – which I could swear he often did.

His hunches were frequently fact, though, and not to be lightly taken.

“I’m not certain what you will find, but I believe at the very least you will find some tidbit to aid in furthering our pursuit” my brother proclaimed as he turned the laptop back around.  No rest for the weary, I supposed – and some time alone in another covert location might not be so bad an assignment.

“And you propose that I get there, how?” I wanted to know since it was a long way off and in the opposite direction from where I was supposed to be going.  Why Collin thought I was his own personal slave in this was beyond me.  “Well, then – this brings us full circle” I stated since now we had come to the reason I was sitting there in his office.  “Quade can cover for me just so long, and I would venture to guess word has reached the Grand Head that I am not where I am supposed to be” I needed to point out the obvious to my thickheaded brother who could at times be dense as a plank of well-seasoned wood.  I had a Master to obey and it sure as hell wasn’t him.

“You’re thinking that Karloff would rat you out to Dmitri?” was his valid inquiry, although I wasn’t sure either way.  “That wouldn’t be very… productive.”

“And what ever is in this game?” I wanted to know.  “Things have become so convoluted that I’d be surprised if even you can keep it all straight” I grunted within a laugh, but then was quick to grit my teeth.  I was in sorry shape thanks to that sniper’s arrow, this much was certain.  It even hurt to laugh.

“That bad, huh?” my brother now inquired, voice full of compassion.  The man was a leaf in the wind, be there no doubt.  “You needn’t rush off until you are up to it” he offered, the magnanimity of which made me want to hurl.  I could tell he wanted me gone asap, though, so he could go to work on Sierra.

“If the Grand Head calls me out on the carpet about my disobedience,” I began, “then I better have a damned good reason why I have done so.”  Collin just looked at me.

“Tell Dmitri that you were waiting for me to deliver to you those coordinates – in person” was his suggestion, which actually wasn’t a half bad idea.  “Too valuable to trust to any medium other than gray matter.  How’s that?  And you will find something there – but like I said, I’m just not sure what.  So, you won’t be lying to your Master, instead you’ll just be… obfuscating, eh?”

Again, I could not argue the point.

“Should I ask the impetus for those coordinates?” I inquired of my brother, the scholar – he took after out Father more than did I.  Our Father had been a Rhodes Scholar and held his doctorate from Oxford in religious history.  Unlike our Father, however, Collin had instead joined the military, but had made the history of Christianity, including its religious antiquities, one of his favorite pastimes.  When we were but small boys our Da had taken us to visit Yale University, where, at the time, he had been a professor.  Collin had been in awe of this ivy-league school.  The dusty corners of book repositories had intrigued him to no end and so a curiosity born in childhood had blossomed into a private passion of adulthood.

One would have thought this to be the career of choice for Collin but no.  When our Father had abandoned us and we were put into the care of his brother, our Uncle Sean, this was when we then both got packed off to military school.  This suited me fine since I was certainly the more athletic of us two and more interested in all aspects of war – brains and brawn alike.  My brother, on the other hand, balked every inch along the way but in the end it had paid off, turning into a rewarding career in military intelligence.

“I put together some ill fitting pieces in a different fashion,” Collin now decided to answer my question about the inspiration for the coordinates, “and when I did that, then what before did not make sense now does.  I’ll be the first to admit, this is one damned annoying scavenger hunt.  The clues leave little to be desired and how convenient it is that those who ordered the Cup delivered to these shores, or who knew of its sojourn, are probably all deader than door nails.”

Yet once more, I couldn’t argue this point either – although, there was one rather sticky point I could not dislodge.  This was that of our cousin Finney, who was Legion, and the role he had played in the Journey of the Cup.  Brotherhood all the way and then some – but to which group of men does he gravitate in our post-apocalyptic world?

The AFA.

Often I had to wonder, was this in an effort to preserve himself, and thus sensitive Brotherhood knowledge that he himself possessed?  Or rather so that he could protect Collin?  The implications of each were equally unsettling, especially since the Legion had recently come rolling into town from across the North Atlantic.

“Regardless, in knowing this we are no closer to our goal” was my reminder as I now got to my feet, and painfully at that.  “Thanks for the suggestion on what to tell Dmitri” I said, offering Collin a bow of gratitude.

“Well, we can’t have you lying to your Master, now can we?” was his dry commentary – he knew damned well Members didn’t lie.  “Although, why you should ask your brother for help in this eludes me.  You are the master of omission, after all.”  And that I was, but creativity wasn’t my strong suit, as it was Collin’s.  I just preferred to keep my mouth shut when I’d find myself on uneven footing.

“I’ll leave by week’s end” I now decided, not wanting to put off the inevitable, which was relinquishing Sierra to the sole care of my brother.  Collin could barely see to his own affairs, let alone take care of a woman.  She would be as a toy to a cat, my brother batting her around when it interested him and then tossing her aside when his AADD kicked in.

“Please make sure Seamus gives you a clean bill of health before you go skulking off” was his request, but I knew my brother – it was actually a command.  While under his care and in his domain he would bend me to his will – even to the point of not allowing me to leave until he was damned good and ready.

Such was the story of our whole life together – one big power play between the two of us.

With a final bow, I then took my leave of him and went to go find Amanda so I could have a heart-to-heart with my niece.  The young woman had stewed long enough, I deemed.

The first place I looked was her favorite get away, a retreat tucked back into the rocks.  There to be found was an artificial spring which tumbled over into a small waterfall that ended in a wading pool.  Crafted by Collin’s tradesmen, no one would have ever thought it anything but born of nature itself.  They had done a first rate job, I had to admit.  This place was off limits to Collin’s men, so my niece could be assured her privacy for the duration of her captivity at this base.

Making my way down the long, steep path I did indeed find a woman, but not the one which I sought.  Instead, to my delight, I found Sierra at the water’s edge, but the woman appeared thoroughly distracted.  She was sitting cross-legged, elbow to one knee with chin in palm.  When I came upon her, she glanced up at me, looking somewhat miffed.

“Why didn’t you try to sneak up on me?” she asked with a pout as I sat down next to her.  Masking my pain, I drew one knee up under my chin, considering her for a brief moment before giving my answer.

“I didn’t want to startle you” was my honest reply, hoping that was the only reminder that Sierra would need that she was carrying my Unborns.  She had faced much trauma as of late that it was a wonder she hadn’t yet miscarried.

“Uh, oh… yeah… uh-huh… the Unborns” was her response as she then released a heavy sigh.  Brushing her hair back out of her eyes, I smiled at her.

“You don’t have to sound so excited” was my dry return and so now she narrowed her eyes at me but otherwise didn’t rise to the bait.

“You feeling better?” the beauty now decided to inquire as she reached out to touch my cheek.  Bowing my head I held my breath – the warmth of her touch I would greatly miss.

“Better than yesterday” I told her, again this was Truth.  Raising up my head so that my eyes could hold hers, I considered how much I would miss those as well.  “Are you and Amanda getting along any better?” I asked, hopefully, but since Sierra just stared at me, I understood that meant no.  “Patience you’ll need when interacting with Mandy, but – I will have a talk with her.”

“You haven’t done that yet?!” she snipped.  “Thanks a lot, Aidan.”  I’d let her impoliteness slide.  After all, she had a lot of adjustments to make now that she was back in the civilized world.  Disrespect was not to be tolerated.

“Let me guess, you’re still grumpy because Collin has yet to approve ‘net access for you?” I supposed, getting to the crux of the matter, and so with a sigh of aggravation she nodded in affirmation.

“Yeah – he doesn’t trust me, I guess” was her assumption, which was dead on the money.  What she didn’t know was that it was her friend Kevin who had advised against allowing her access.

And this amused me to no end.

“Don’t read too much into it, Sierra” I offered since I knew she was going to fret over the uncertainty.  “It’s on my brother’s list – he’ll get to it.”  Mumbling something less than respectful under her breath, she bit her lip, briefly looking away.

“You’re leaving soon, huh?” was her discerning question, to which I slowly nodded in return.

“By the end of the week” I confirmed and damn if tears didn’t well up in her eyes.  Despite every and all, she still did not want to be parted from me!  This realization drove a well-aimed dagger straight into the depths of my heart.  One thing I knew for certain, if Sierra truly had been designed as a distraction for me, for my brother – then the genetic engineers had done a first-rate job.  Constantly she pervaded my thoughts, at times impeding my ability to make sound judgments.  This was evidenced by the tight spot that had led to my being downed by a sniper.  So completely I had been consumed by the need to protect Sierra that I had been blind to all else, even my own safety.

“How long will you be gone?” the beauty wanted to know.  It was obvious that she didn’t understand that I had a job, and that my presence at this AFA IntelliCore base was for me, in in a way, treading on enemy territory.  It was not often I came to the domain of my brother, and with the way the contention was beginning to heat up, it would be even more infrequent, my visits.

“I don’t know, my love” was my honest answer.  “I’m Brotherhood, if you have forgotten?” I felt a need to refresh her memory and now she glowered at me.

“You’re the father of my children, too” she voiced her own reminder, sounding as if this should transcend all boundaries.

“I’ll have a talk with Amanda, today” I diverted, not wanting to have this conversation with Sierra right then.  She would never understand that what it was on the surface and what it was below were two completely different creatures.  On the surface the AFA proclaimed truce, but below they practiced eradication.  “It should make it less stressful on you, once she understands what you are to me, hmm?” was my prediction, one that did little to ease her mind, however.

“Once a wolf, always a wolf” Sierra mumbled but then nodded, acquiescing.  “She’s young and wants to make sure she’s always her Da’s best girl, I guess.  Doesn’t wanna share you” was her take.

“No, Amanda is just protective of me because she’s uncertain of you, your intentions, given what she has heard about your relationship with my brother” I corrected as I stroked her cheek in comfort.  “Mandy has heard too much gossip here, I’m afraid – however, I’ll put that to rights, so don’t worry” was my assurance as I leaned in towards her, to see if she would be receptive to a kiss, and she was.  I stopped just short, though, making Sierra meet me the rest of the way, which she did.  We then shared a most welcome kiss, one which was quick to heat up.

“Can I see?” the temptress now playfully prodded, taking a peek down my shirt.

“See what?  Bandages?” I returned with a grin as she started to unbutton my shirt, but taking hold of her hands I arrested any further exploration.  If she kept that up I was uncertain I would be able to hold myself in check.  “I’ll be fine, Sierra – it’s just a wound.”

“Just a wound?  You got skewered!” was her bold reminder but then the woman started to cry.  Hormones, I knew – there was no other explanation for her swift shift in mood.

Drawing her into my embrace, I now cradled her head to my chest as she wept.  My brother was going to have his hands full trying to keep her happy.  The culture shock alone of living on this base under his dominion would take some getting used to, but my brother’s AFA face?  The public one of complete control and command which he would don when interfacing with his men?

Good luck.  Sierra was in for one very rude awakening the first time she would audition Collin’s public face.  My brother had the propensity to be the world’s largest prick – especially when he had a captive audience.

Once the woman had cried out all her tears, simmering down to mere sniffles, I pulled away from her.  Lifting her chin so I could look into her eyes, I smiled.

“All done?” I inquired and so she delivered a shy nod.  “Monsoon thunderstorms don’t even shed that much moisture” was my playful chide, hoping to get a smile out of her – and it worked.

“Sorry, hormones” she echoed my earlier postulate, shrugging her shoulders.  Now tightly wrapping her arms about herself, she just looked at me with sorrowful eyes.  The poor thing needed a distraction, this much I understood.  Without one, she was going to make even more trouble for Collin.

“Would you like me to ask Collin about ‘net access for you?” I offered and now she visibly brightened, just like a puppy, practically wagging her tail, if she had one that was.  Normally I would not interfere in my brother’s affairs, especially when it came to his AFA command.  However, Sierra without something to keep her mind and hands busy was an invitation to trouble.  And what was that Bryan had said about hackers?  Their minds were never at rest.

The Order’s Head of IT should know, Bryan being trained as one himself.

Eagerly Sierra nodded and so planting a kiss on her forehead, I then got to my feet.  I had a sensation that we were being watched, and by my niece no less.  That I had taught her to be so stealthy was a curse as well as a blessing.

“Amanda Miranda O’Reilly!” I now called out over my shoulder and after several heartbeats the young woman then showed herself.  Emerging from behind a boulder at the top of the path she looked abashed, having been caught red handed.

“How did you know?” Sierra asked, tugging on my sleeve.  Looking down at her, I just shrugged.

“I can’t explain, I just – knew” was the best I could do for I truly had no idea how I could know.  It was animal instinct, I supposed.  “Stay out of trouble, Sierra – please” I implored and then turning on my heel I headed towards the path.

In moments I had jogged up to where my niece waited, and she was clearly giving Sierra the evil eye.  Taking hold of her arm, I now proceeded to escort her off base, out into the desert.  Once we had journeyed some distance away, I then stopped, only then releasing her arm.

“I did not teach you how move with stealth just so you could spy on others” I made clear.  “Where did you pick that distasteful practice?” I demanded.

“I’m sorry Da, I was just… curious” was her apology and explanation wrapped up into one, and perhaps this had merit but it still didn’t make acceptable her voyeurism.

Looking away for a moment, I reigned in my anger.  No matter how hard I had tried to curb the wildness she inherited from her father, I had been less than successful.

“There’s an old saying about curiosity killing the cat” I remarked in a controlled voice as I again looked to her.  “Go ahead and say what you need to say, ask what you must” I gave her leave because after that I didn’t want to hear one single word of derision in regards to my relationship with Sierra.

Gathering her thoughts, she hung her head, at least using her brain this time.

“Da, she’s not much older than me” my niece challenged as she now held my eyes.  “And ok, she looks like Ma, so I guess that’s why you’re attracted to her, but she’s not Ma.”

“You think I am looking to replace Miranda?” I put to her and so she nodded.  The sad part was, she was probably right since Sierra called out to my heart just as had Amanda’s mother.  “No woman could replace your mother.  That being said, is there any reason why you should not want me to be happy?” I wanted to know, since that’s what it boiled down to in the end.  The look on her face now spoke of shock.

“I never said that!” was her hasty defense.

“Well, you don’t have to speak a word of disapproval for me to get that picture – and from the get go” I bluntly pointed out.

“There are many women of The Order you could have chosen” she now dared bring to mind, trying to keep her voice even for she knew that even my patience had its limits.

“Yes, but I fell in love with Sierra” I stated what should have been obvious.  This revelation, that I loved the woman, seemed to disturb her.

“Is it true, then?  That she carries your Unborns?” my niece got down to the meat of things.

“Yes – next question?” I prompted, just wanting to get this over with and fast.

“I’ve heard Collin’s men talking, they say he has relations with her too?” came the direct inquiry that I hadn’t wanted to answer but all the same refused to lie to her.

“First off, you should not be sneaking around listening to the gossip from Collin’s men” was my harsh reproach.  “However, the gossip in this instance is correct – my brother also loves her, as she loves me and him as well.  Now, if you are going to say something to the effect of history repeating, then go on.  It sure looks like it is.  Am I unhappy about that?  In a way, yes – but it is up to Sierra whom she wants, and the woman has made it quite clear that both me and my brother hold her heart.

“It is what it is, Mandy.  I won’t turn her away if she wants to be with me” I made clear and now she just narrowed her eyes in response but did not voice the thought behind her expression.

“You’re thinking this makes me an adulterer and a hypocrite” I spoke the words for her since otherwise I knew she would not.  “Sierra has not Bonded with me or with Collin.”  Now she just blinked at me.

“Why not?!” she wanted to know.  “You were the one who found her!”  Ok, so my cousin Finney must have been the source, in part, of her information.  He was Family, after all, and wasn’t about to lie to her in this any more than was I.

“There’s more at stake here, daughter” I told her, which should have said it all.  “Her fate was taken out of my hands; I had no say.”

“As The Order’s Head of Assassins, you hold a position of privilege!” was her swift counter.  “You are a Lord of The Brotherhood and have the right to take a Wife!  Why would Grand Head Sokolov refuse you?”

“Because my brother saw fit to stick his nose in where it didn’t belong” I could not stop myself from saying.  “Dear one, don’t get angry with my brother.  Collin had his reasons, one being that Sierra has hotly sought after skills as a hacker.  If Truth be known, it is perhaps for the best since Sierra is with child.  I have enemies at The Order, you understand this – and should Sierra bear me a son, then that innocent’s life could be put at risk.  So, in a way, Collin will have done me a favor by interfering” I was forced to concede, even though it didn’t make me feel any better about this reality.

“By making sure she is AFA property?  So you would not be able to Bond with her?” Amanda jumped to conclusions, although I couldn’t say she was wholly wrong there.  Who knew the warped logic employed by my brother’s mind these days?  Sierra had done a fair job of clouding his judgment as well.

“Amanda, I have always tried to be as open with you as possible” I began but then hesitated.  “Even if Sierra had become property of The Order, and I chose her as Wife – I cannot say she would have willingly Bonded with me if this would require her to forever be parted from my brother” I confessed.  “It is what it is, so please don’t further question me.  I will tell you that I love Sierra as I have loved none other since… your mother passed.  Sierra returns the favor in kind.  This should be all you need to know.

“When the children are born, I will need you to help her with the twins” I now moved on.  “It will prepare you for the day when God blesses you and Ryan with a child of your own.  Can you do this much for me without putting up a fight?” I asked of her.  Biting her lip, she had to think about it, apparently.

“I’ll try, Da – but she is so young it’s more like having a sister than a step-mother” she grumbled but then sighed, looking down for a moment.  “I’m sorry I raised such a fuss, but I don’t understand why Collin feels the need to take away from you everything that is important.”

And here was one extremely volatile topic and so I would altogether dismiss it.

“Tolerance” was all I said and left it at that.  “Ryan will be leaving with me, so wisely spend your time with him.  I’m not sure when we will return, ok?  Please don’t give my brother a hard time, or judge him too harshly, either.  There is a lot going on about which you don’t, and can’t, know.  Behave yourself and don’t spy on Collin when he spends times with Sierra, do I make myself understood?” I put to her, having covered all the bases with my admonishments.

“Yes, Da” she was now quick to respond, almost too quickly.  “As always, I’ll miss you.  How much longer is Collin going to keep me locked up here anyway?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, dearest” I was honest with her since I really had no clue.  Forever if Collin had his way, I knew.  “Now, let’s get back so you can begin practicing being civil to Sierra.  If for no other reason than I love the woman, you should be patient with Sierra and try to be her friend.  This is all I would ask of you, this and tolerance of the situation.  Ok?” I prodded and with a wan smile she nodded.

“Ok, for you, I’ll give it my best effort” was her conditional promise and I understood that was going to have to be good enough.  Now offering her my arm, she accepted it and so I kissed her cheek.  I proffered a smile as we then together started to walk back towards the base.  She would try alright – but being Collin’s daughter, she at times could be just like him, a prisoner of her moods.

And so it was not without reservations that I would leave both of my women behind.

Status quo ante – it was and it wasn’t.

Granted, it had taken some time for Commander O’Reilly to get back his stride, to pick up where he had left off well over a year ago.  His desert odyssey would have been a distant memory by now if not but for the woman who he brought back with him.

Sierra.

And in ways that confounded the mind she had turned our IntelliCore base on its ear.

And Collin just let her do it.

I was of a mind that it was to him, after a fashion, a source of amusement.  That was, until Sierra’s antics would shed ill light on Collin – and when it got to that point then I certainly didn’t want to be in the neighborhood.  Not that I would have time to notice – I had far too much work to be afforded the leisure of partaking in base gossip.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I pushed my chair back from my desk.  A meal might be a good idea, I thought – primarily because I could not recall the last time I had eaten.

However, as I was about to get up there came a knock at the door, immediately followed by an entrance.

“Greg” Eric said as he closed the door behind him.  That was one habit of his that was damned annoying – first knocking but then not bothering to wait for permission to enter.

But Lord knew he never pulled the same shit with Collin.

Taking a seat in front of my desk he held my eyes but otherwise didn’t utter a word.  This meant Collin did something of which had earned his disapproval and so was here to pass along the knowledge.

“And, sir?” I finally prompted, tiring of the wait because I was just plain tired and still had a long day ahead of me.  I often wondered if Collin even noticed that he was working me to death.  Correction – it was rather instead was he aware that Eric passed of half of his own work off on me as well?

Surely the Commander was, but he tipped-toed around his Colonel just like every other man on this base.  Me included, I considered.  It was just easier that way for when Eric got a bug up his ass, it stayed there a damned frigging eternity.  Which, in turn, meant a long, drawn out hell for the rest of us.

At times like that, surrender was the only option – at least, if you had any interest in preserving your own sanity.

“How many different ways does it take to advise Collin to not wander off alone?” Eric grumbled and so in return I raised an eyebrow.

“I thought he was taking Kevin with him?” I said, assuming he was referring to Collin’s upcoming research trip.  My comment only succeeded in winning me one rather sour look.  “You should know by now that Collin is going to do whatever he wants.  Kevin will at least be another set of eyes and ears” I reasoned.  Although I didn’t like the idea of Collin doing research in old book repositories without an armed escort, there was nothing to be done.  He was the Commander of this based and thus reigned supreme.

“Does that geek even have any hand-to-hand combat experience?” was his drier than dry inquiry but I just shrugged.

“Kevin goes out there alone – a lot” I reminded him.  “He’s pretty darn good at keeping out of harm’s way” was my humble opinion, but obviously this didn’t do a whole lot to assuage Eric’s concern.

The Colonel often reminded me of a mother hen when it came to Collin.  Granted, it was in our job description to see to the Commander’s safety – but there must have been some fine print that Eric had read which I must have missed.  He took it to extremes most days, Eric did – and even though he owed Collin one hell of a lot, as did we all, his persistence didn’t add up.

Collin had committed any number of selfless acts in order to keep his men safe.  This was a given.  The Commander, back in Pre-Time, had even sacrificed himself during the Middle East conflict, allowing himself to be taken prisoner so that Eric could escape.  You could not get much more selfless than that.

However, Collin never expected anything in return for these grandiose acts – unless it was loyalty.  The Colonel, though, had taken it too far, his loyalty, in my opinion.  Eric appeared to the other men as a major suck up.

This, more than anything else, had me wondering a lot during the past year.  If only for the reason that it wasn’t in Eric’s nature to wipe someone’s butt.  And I should know, since I had known Eric one very long time indeed – since Pre-time when I served with both him and Collin in the United States Army.

Just sitting there, watching me, Eric clearly had precious little to say on the matter of Collin’s choice of traveling companions.

“If Collin would just tell us where his head it at, that would make things a lot easier” Eric mumbled.  “Speaking of Kevin, has he made any progress in decrypting those files?” he now probed with an icy look.  That was a question on both our minds, apparently – if but for different reasons.

“Not that I know of” I told him.  “I have a meeting with him today; that’s on the agenda.  Is there anything you’d like me to add?  Or perhaps you’d like to sit in” I offered, just playing the gambit.  Eric knew if he wanted to garner any level of cooperation from our TechStaff Captain, then it would be unwise for him to personally put on the pressure.

Eric and Kevin flat out loathed each other.  Sure, Kevin would obey the Colonel’s commands, but he’d also dig in his heels – which meant he’d find priority in other things and shuffle Eric’s request to the bottom of the pile.  The Colonel really could not do much about that, since Kevin reported directly to Collin.  Only when Collin was unreachable did Kevin have to obey Eric, and even then he gave the guy grief.

When pressed for time, which was par for the course with Kevin, our TechStaff Captain would draw up a priority list and run it by the Commander.  Most of the tasks on Kevin’s to do list were those requested by none other than Collin himself.  The Commander would review but would seldom tweak, and thus the decryption of those files almost always ranked near the bottom.  Collin trusted Kevin to know his job and do it well – end of story.

Which was a major curiosity to me, that Collin would allow this task to rank so low on Kevin’s list of priorities.  After all – the Commander’s intent in securing certain data from the aging DoD data repository was to use it as currency.  What had so suddenly changed, and why, that it was no longer a must?  Therein lay a rather weighted mystery.

“I’ll pass” Eric declined the offer to sit in on my meeting with Kevin, now getting to his feet.  “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that Captain Wong is dragging his feet on that decryption,” he pondered, “just because I asked him to make it a priority.”

“Well, you know how Collin’s pets can be” I suggested in explanation, and was actually of like mind.  It never took Kevin this long to decrypt anything, and so something was rotten in Denmark, as that old Pre-Time adage went.

And I intended to get to the bottom of it – sooner or later, but hopefully sooner.

“I’ll see if I can encourage the Captain to find more time for this task” I told Eric in truth.  I wanted those files decrypted more than anyone would ever suspect and I was running up against the same resistance as he.  This meant to me, in my mind, that Kevin had already completed the job and the man was holding out on all of us.

I would have the answer to the question why when I had the decryption in hand.

“Well, good luck with that” the Colonel now grunted as he got to his feet.  “I’ll touch base with you later – I’ll be out running with Collin, if you need me” he said and so I just blinked at him.

“I thought you had a briefing at eleven hundred hours?” I queried in an even tone, suspecting what the next words out of his mouth would be.

“I was hoping you could see to that for me?” he prompted and there it was – pushing more of his work off on me.  Work that had already been pushed off on him by Collin, no less.

“Sure thing, sir” I accepted in an even tone – it was par for the course after all, and a daily occurrence.

“I’ll expect your report later, then” he then said in parting and then turning on his heel he was gone.

Just one more thing to juggle, I thought with discontent but there was no sense whining about it.  My own workout would have to get put aside – again.

Hurriedly shooting off a volley of emails, I now adjusted not only my schedule but those of everyone else with whom I had business this day.  Once that was accomplished I was on my way to field the briefing that Colonel Jones was supposed to be fielding himself.

During the course of that meeting my PDA chirped with the aggravating notification that Captain Wong was bowing out of our scheduled meeting for this afternoon.  Apparently a server was down.  However, he had plenty of techs who could tend to this task and normally did so, and yet here again, our TechStaff Captain was dodging me.

My thoughts strayed for the remainder of the briefing, debating whether I should confront Kevin about dragging his feet or just take up the matter with Collin.  After a fashion, Kevin and I were friends – but chain of command came first, as did duty, although I wouldn’t have gone as far as to accuse Captain Wong of shirking his.  However, he was pushing the envelope in regards to delivering the file decryption in what anyone could consider a timely manner.

Upon the conclusion of the long and tedious briefing, I set out for Kevin’s domain – no pun intended.  I would at least pop in on our TechStaff Captain before I troubled Collin with my concern about Kevin’s failure to deliver.  Kevin was indeed working on one of the servers in the datacenter and so had precious little to say, continuing to work while I questioned him.  Making assurances that he’d get back with me on days and times to reschedule, I left him to his work but did not have a warm and fuzzy about our encounter.

Hustling my tail to conclude scheduled business, it wasn’t until late in the day that I finally was freed up to seek out the Commander.  And when I did, he was, per usual, MIA – PDA turned off, naturally.  Asking all the usual suspects turned up nothing; he wasn’t even in the company of Sierra.  The woman appeared somewhat cross when I spoke with her, since she had the impression that Collin was avoiding her.  Well, I would have told her not to worry – Collin was ducking out on everyone these days, but that wouldn’t have been proper for me to inform her of this.

Eric was in a snit over it as well, complaining that one day Collin would regret wandering off alone without an escort.  Mark my words, Colonel Jones had growled just the previous day, clearly hacked off about Collin’s demand for privacy.

I was troubled by Eric’s fanatical devotion to Collin – having appointed himself as our Commander’s watchdog.  By the day Eric seemed to be getting more and more anal about keeping tabs on Collin.  Granted, we both watched Collin’s back, but the flavor of Eric’s devotion was decidedly different as of late.  Right around the time that Collin had finally come back from working in the field, to be exact.

Exiting the base, I now headed along one of several paths that led to places where Collin would go to pray.  It was only a hunch I had, that he’d meandered away to get online with God.  For a man who was so strikingly intelligent, with an IQ nearly off the scale, that he believed in God just didn’t make sense.  His was not just an average everyday belief, either – the Commander was hard core, demons and angels and the whole nine yards.

Needless to say I bit my tongue a lot when Collin would start babbling on and on about Christianity, its history and relics.  Mine was to instead look at the data he’d present, analyze it in different ways, and thus suggest different avenues of thought based on said data.  Did this make me an atheist?  No, I was one to begin with – although I did believe that there was some greater force out there that was responsible for our universe.  However, the God in which Collin believed, to me, was nothing more than the result of delusional speculation put to pen and parchment by those who went long before.

This didn’t make Collin’s Faith any less real, though.  It was what it was, as he would say and that was that.  And so I just went with it.  Granted, Collin did seem to have a host of those mythical angels perched on his shoulders.  His good luck was so uncanny it was practically unbelievable – and would have been had I not been witness on many occasion.  One could find himself believing that Collin was well connected to the divine – as our Commander himself believed.

My hunch, I could now see, paid off.

As I rounded the corner on one rather out of the way trail, there was Collin.  He was on his knees, palms to thighs with his head bowed – and if it had started off as prayer, it had long since transmuted into something else.

The man was shaking, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t because the day was waning with the temperature dropping as well.

“Commander?” I called out to him but he didn’t budge.  If anything, I thought I could discern him more tightly shutting his eyes.  Understanding Collin exceedingly well, I knelt down next to him, laying a hand on his back and thus I waited.  Eventually he’d speak – it was almost impossible for him not to.  Reserved and pensive weren’t words typically associated with Commander O’Reilly, after all.

Except, perhaps, when he was praying – but right then it was clear that his prayer had given way to something else, something troubling.

With a shuddering sigh Collin now drew a hand across his eyes.

“I think I need a drink” he mumbled, and now lowering his hand Collin turned his head to glance at me.  The last thing he needed was to tie one on for when he did?  It would last for days.  “I believe that I’m coming to a crossroads, Brains” Collin revealed, but it didn’t take divination to understand this.  AFA High Command was out for his blood and how much longer would they tolerate his lack of results?  Even if his mission was what amounted to a quixotic scavenger hunt – at least to those of us with our sanity still intact.

For more sinister reasons would his superiors have him track down the Cup of Christ, though.  And none of these reasons had to do with any flights of the fantastic, either – but this was just a theory at present.  One that might well turn into fact should Kevin decrypt those files, or rather, turn over the unencrypted data.

“Getting hammered won’t solve anything, Collin” I spoke to him, friend to friend.  This won me a black look.

“Who said I was looking to solve anything?” was his terse repost.  “Just looking to kill the pain is all” he told me and so I now knew, in part, what had the man so distraught.

It was the anniversary of Mira’s death.

So many years in the past now and Collin never forgot the day his life had all but stopped.  Almost, though, and would have had it not been for Eric and me – and surprisingly enough his brother, Aidan.  That Collin had not taken his own life back then was nothing short of a bloody miracle.

If one believed in miracles, that was.

“Spend some time with Sierra” was my simple remedy and now he only blinked.  “The woman is lonely and craves your company.  Sure – she reminds you of Mira, but I can guarantee five minutes with her and you will feel better.  Trust me on this, Commander.”

Not a word did he speak – at least, not right away.

“So, you are suggesting that I drown my sorrows in a woman instead of a bottle?” was his honest inquiry.  “Either way, it won’t solve anything” Collin now fed my words right back to me.  “Sierra… the effect she has on me… it’s… indescribable” he confessed, now hanging his head and closing his eyes.  “I can’t think straight when I’m around her, and I can’t think straight when I’m not around her, either” my friend explained as he again looked to me.  “I’d say it’s just that my cock is the one in charge of me lately, but it’s not that – at least, now wholly.  I actually get headaches when I avoid the woman!” he now barked, struggling to his feet but his knees had other ideas and so I took quick hold of his arm to steady him.

His admission was alarming, or to me it was, at any rate – based on a growing theory of just who Collin really was, who he had been created to be.  Again – I needed those file decryptions of The Plan and The Furtherance!  And unedited versions.  I was of a mind that Kevin had laid eyes on something that would get him killed should it become common knowledge that he had achieved the file decryption.  This could be the only reason I could think of for him holding out – if he indeed was.

“You are the only man I know in this Post-Time world who would actually complain about having to be near a woman” I pointed out the illogical nature of his statement.  With a slanted grin Collin only held my eyes for several heartbeats, but in the beat of just one more, the grin had vanished.

“He’s abandoned me, Brains, I’m certain of it” Collin now changed lanes, and I understood that he was referring to God.  I would have liked to ask him what tangible proof he had that he’d ever been connected to God in the first place.  However, this would have gotten me decked by my friend.

“Faith is a matter of the heart, though, isn’t it?” I offered with a shrug, since that’s what it boiled down to in the end.  It didn’t matter the circumstances – you either believed in something or you didn’t.

And Collin had stopped believing in himself, so thus the problem.

A profound change we had all noticed once Collin had brought Sierra back to his base.  He was done with his yearlong desert odyssey, as he called it – a year that, in turn, did two things at once.  Took years off his life, but also had given him a vehicle through which he could once more fall in love.  However, a double edged sword this had become.  Sierra was carrying Aidan’s Unborns, which unofficially made her his brother’s woman, like as not.  Had she become property of The Order, then Aidan would surely have Bonded with her, making Sierra his legally wedded Wife.

But all because she was here and Aidan was there, it changed little.  She was in the care of Aidan’s brother, and this was tearing Collin apart.  His desire to do right by Sierra, as well as his brother – to make up for the transgressions of his past.  Collin’s boastful talk about doing what he would with Sierra was just that – talk.

I knew my Commander better that just about anyone.  He was a man of conscience, if nothing else.

“Some time away from here, doing research, will do me good, I think” he now decided, but no sooner had the words come out and he shivered.

“What are you not telling me?” I put to him.  “Something has got hold of you – what is it?  Besides this being the anniversary of Mira’s death.”

“Assassination!” Collin now hissed as he jerked his arm free of my hold.  “Doesn’t matter if Aidan was the assassin’s target, it was an assassination all the same, Greg – so don’t try to tell me otherwise.  An accident it was not.”

“Fine – it wasn’t, then, but Collin – that was almost two decades ago” I tried to reason with him.  “I’m not saying forget her, you know I’d never tell you to do that.  She is the mother of your child, after all.  And I know you keep right on blaming yourself for her death, and that of Amanda’s twin, but that is just plain wrong – and more wrong yet to let it whack you out all these years down the road, my friend.

“It this why you think your God has abandoned you?  Because of Mira?” I asked a tough question.  “And the affair you had with your brother’s wife?  Stop beating yourself up over that, Collin.  And if God is what he’s purported to be, then – he forgave your sins long ago” I asserted, for this was what Collin believed to be true – for everyone except himself, of course.

My long time friend considered me at length and then sighed.  Briefly looking away, he then nodded.

“I know, Brains,” was his concession, “but what does He want from me?  What do I have to do to get back into His Good Graces?” he wanted to know, and I could hear the capital letters in his words.  The man was dead serious – this much I knew.  This man with the ridiculously high IQ wanted to know what he needed to do so that his imaginary friend would forgive him.

Here’s where I got off the boat.

“Try living your life for a change,” was my suggestion, “instead of living in the past.  You try too hard sometimes, Collin – really.  Bury yourself in your work, make your best effort, see to the needs of your men, and to those of Sierra.  No one could ask more of you.  In time you’ll again find your way, eh?” I posed and although he nodded in acceptance, I knew that Collin would just continue to beat himself up when it came to things over which he held no sway.  That was just his nature, and unfortunately would be his undoing if he wasn’t mindful of this reality.

“Yeah” he mumbled and then once more ran a hand over his eyes – a hand that was shaking I was distraught to take note.  “Tomorrow – but tonight a drink or two won’t hurt” was his determination, but that was the last thing he needed – especially given the fact that he now sank to his knees.  The man was in a bad spot, no two ways about it.  Whipping out my Palm, I was about to text Finney when Collin waved me off.

“I’ll be fine” he managed to say, but his body had other ideas.  Something truly was wrong with my friend – and just then I could care less the impetus.  He needed medical attention and now.  Brushing him off so I could send for aid, Collin would not relent and so grabbed my arm.  “No, Captain – and that’s an order” Collin found strength enough to growl but I just ignored him.  He could level reprimand later on – once he felt better.

Seeing that I wasn’t about to obey, he now softened.

“Please don’t rat me out to Eric” Collin made request.  “He’ll have a conniption fit.”  Nodding, I agreed.

“Finney is coming,” I told him, “and without the fanfare, so don’t worry” I put his mind at ease as I stowed my Palm.  “What exactly is wrong, Collin?  Aside from feeling weak?” I prodded, wanting to keep him talking so he would not pass out on me.

“I… dunno, Brains… hard to describe” was his muttered response.  “I feel like I just want to give in” he told me.  Not give up, but give in, which were two totally different ideologies – but give in to what?  Now there was the question which begged an answer.

“Give in to what, Commander?” I pressed but first he just shrugged before answering.

“Maybe I should just Reaffirm” was his shocking revelation.  “Aidan said he could get me a Waiver, so I won’t have to take the Trials” he told me and that not so warm and fuzzy feeling I had was growing.  Why The Order should so badly want Collin to Reaffirm his Oath was a complete mystery – or perhaps not if my suspicions panned out.  “Coward’s way,” Collin muttered, “but I’d be a living, breathing coward, though” he said with an awkward laugh, and that was truth enough.  Only the young and the strong passed The Order’s Trials to become a Member.  “I can’t keep running away from my Pre-Time Oath Sworn to The Brotherhood, to The Order – Aidan won’t stop until I Reaffirm, they won’t stop until I Reaffirm” and who were they? I wanted to ask but I wasn’t sure he’d give me a straight answer.  One would assume AFA High Command, but who knew.  Collin had many secrets to keep, most all of them very close to the vest – this was a given.

“That doesn’t sound like a good enough reason to just throw in the towel, Commander” I pointed out but he didn’t have much to say and so again shrugged.

“If it can keep me from losing what’s left of my sanity” he now confessed, looking at me to then hold my eyes for a long while.  There was a lot he wanted to say – I could see it in his eyes, eyes which I noticed were a remorseful sea-green.  “Not that you would, Brains – but don’t say anything to Jonesy… he’ll get all bent.”  And like I wasn’t?  The revelation that Collin was actually considering leaving the AFA for The Order was enough to scare the crap out of me.

“No worries, Collin” I assured him as I now drew an arm around his shoulders.  The temperature was tanking along with the sun and he really needed to get back inside.  Within moments now Finney rounded the same corner which earlier I had, and once he spotted Collin alarm spread across his face.

“Cousin?” he called to Collin as he knelt in front of him.  Quickly assessing his condition, Curiously, Finney then began to frisk his cousin.  Collin immediately tried to ward off violation of his person but his cousin made short work of the process.  Withdrawing from one pocket a vial of pills, I now suddenly got the picture.

And it was a disquieting one indeed.

“There’s a reason this was a controlled substance!” Finney growled after taste testing one of the tablets.  “Where did you get this, lad?” was his demand but Collin didn’t feel like talking.  “How many did you take, cousin?  You either fess up or I’ll have your goddamned stomach pumped” the doctor made threat, or rather promised.  Sheepishly looking up at Finney, Collin now decided to break his silence.

“I, uh… a few more than usual” he told Finney, but that wasn’t really helpful.  “It wasn’t like I took a whole handful, Seamus – honest” and although his was a very sketchy recounting of the dosage, Finney let it slide.  Giving Collin a quick once over, the doctor then released a weighted sigh.

“Bullocks” Finney now grumbled, shaking his head as he rummaged around in the pack he had slipped off his shoulders.  Pulling out some capsules and a water bottle, he thrust them under Collin’s nose.  “Take these or else I’ll force feed them to you myself” he ordered his patient who gave him the best dark look he could muster given the circumstances.  Appeasing the big Irishman, Collin was able to swallow the capsules, which I now recognized as charcoal.  A remedy for poisoning, I knew, and so grew the level of my concern.

“C’mon, let’s get him back inside” the doctor instructed and so now we both dragged Collin to his feet.  Fortunately, we were not all that far from the private back entrance to Collin’s quarters.

It was no easy task, however, with the wind blowing and having to lug Collin, who was a big guy, along the narrow trail.  Once inside we got Collin undressed and got him into bed at which point Finney then did a more extensive examination of his cousin.  With Collin dead to the world, but at least not dead, we excited the sleeping chamber, leaving the door ajar, as we then went to sit down in the adjoining sitting room.

Plopping myself on the couch I slumped down, while Finney sat down in the chair by the fireplace.

“Codeine” the doctor now told me what substance our Commander had ingested.  “He must have been taking that for his leg after he broke it.”  When Collin said he had been looking to kill the pain, apparently he hadn’t been joking, since the drug most certainly was a painkiller.  “It’s a good thing you came along when you did” his cousin apprised in a low voice.

“Yeah, well – I went looking for him” I told the doctor.  “And you are right, good thing I found him when I did – he was about ready to look for a bottle to dive into.”  Once the words were spoken, we both understood what that meant.

Collin’s intent had been to commit suicide.

The question was, why trade one hell for another?  He was a devout Catholic and since suicide was a deadly sin, he would go straight to hell, do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.

The Irishman and I just looked at each other but didn’t say what was on our minds.

“Mira” Finney finally spoke, shaking his head.  Elbow to armrest and palm to chin he held my eyes for a long while.  “Why this year of all years?” he wanted to know.  “And don’t tell me it is because Sierra reminds him of Mira – that’s not reason enough for my cousin to try his hand at committing suicide.”

“I wish I knew, Finney – honestly” I said, but did not go beyond that.  What Collin and I discussed had been private, and in reality I really had no clear idea as to precisely what had prompted Collin to make such a bold decision for suicide.  If that’s indeed what it indeed had been – right now it was only conjecture on our part.  “Collin keeps me hopping, you know that – which lately hasn’t given me a whole lot of time off the grid to spend with him” I said, now wondering if Collin had been trying to distance himself from not just everyone, but his friends as well.

Pulling out his Palm, Finney now tapped away and so I watched with curiosity.

“I asked Kevin to bring Sierra here” he explained as he now pocketed the device.  I agreed with his decision.

The woman cared a great deal for Collin, and had shown much concern for him when they had been together out in the desert.  They were friends, if not lovers, and she could offer him a comfort that none of us men would be able.  Well, beyond the obvious, but I knew that wasn’t Finney’s intent in requesting her presence.  As we all could testify, the comfort of a woman went way beyond the physical.  In Collin’s case it would remind him that there was someone who needed him, his protection.  This would, I had no doubts, bring out the knight in shining armor in our Commander – he would have his reminder as to why he must continue to draw breath.

In silence we waited and soon there came a knock at the door.

“C’mon in” I called out and so in came Kevin, with Sierra in tow.

“Nice digs” the woman made comment, looking around.  “Whose are they?” Sierra now asked, looking back and forth between Finney and myself.

“Collin’s” was my one word reply and now her eyes widened.

“I knew it!” she now breathed, instantaneously looking alarmed.  “What’s wrong with him?  I knew he was in trouble!” was her declaration, which was rather interesting, although it could just be chalked up to women’s intuition.

“What happened?” Kevin now asked as he took a seat next to me on the couch.  What I would tell him now wouldn’t be the same as later, though.

“He took a little too much meds,” I gave one extremely generalized account but then added, “I guess he lost track of the dosage” I stretched the truth but Sierra wasn’t fooled.  Collin would never flub something like that.  Narrowing her eyes at me she was suspect, but thankfully didn’t voice her thoughts.  “We have business to attend – so we’d like you to watch over him, Sierra.  In case Collin wakes up and forgets he’s not supposed to have any alcohol” I put it as delicately as I could.  “Can you do this for us?” I asked, making it sound like we needed her help, which we didn’t but Collin most certainly did.

“Uh, sure – but what if I need to contact you?” the woman now asked the doctor and that was a good question.  Collin still had not cleared Kevin to give Sierra her Palm.

Digging deep into one of his pants pockets, Kevin withdrew a spare Palm.  He always carried at least one.  After a few moments of tapping, he then handed the device to Sierra.

“Only use it if you have to, girlfriend” Kevin told her.  “Collin will kill me if he knows I gave that to you without first getting his permission.  Ok?” was his plea and so she nodded, understanding – and hopefully would stick to that.  Something told me she would, though, if only because she didn’t want to get Kevin into trouble with his CO.  “I’ll collect the Palm tomorrow morning” he informed her and so the little hacker saddened but wasn’t about to argue.

“He’s in the other room, lass – sleeping it off” Finney told her as he now got to her feet.  “If you need us” he said and with that we all made our exit, leaving her to stand there.  Watching us go the woman suspected a whole lot more was going on than we would ever offer up.

Once safely outside in the hall, with the door closed, we all looked at each other.

“When are you and Collin leaving?” I asked Kevin.

“Day after tomorrow, but not now I guess?” he asked but I just shook my head.

“If he’s fit, he’s going” I decided, glancing at Finney who nodded in agreement.  “The man is in need of distraction, and throwing himself into his work is the right medicine for him.”

“Uh… yeah… and what drugs, exactly, is Collin taking?  And for what?” was the geek’s discerning question.  “He’s been really vacant the last few times we had meetings” he now informed us.  “I wasn’t sure why he was so, you know, distracted, but I guess that’s no longer a mystery, is it?”  Indeed – as was the mystery behind Collin not questioning a lot of things as of late, notably Kevin’s ever-shifting priority list.  The one where decrypting those files ranked dead last.

Neither Finney nor I made comment – but then again, we didn’t need to.

“You are to keep this confidential, Captain Wong” I now gave him an order – one whose translation really was for him to not say anything to Colonel Jones.  Not that Kevin would, but a reminder wouldn’t hurt.

“Sure thing” he accepted.  “Well, I got stuff that needs to get done, so unless you gentlemen need me?” was his inquiry and so I shook my head, an informal dismissal.  “Cool – later, then” Kevin said in parting and then he wasted no time getting back to his datacenter.

Watching him go, I stood there pondering Collin until Finney grabbed my attention.

“Have you had dinner yet?” the doctor asked and so I just slowly shook my head.  “Well, we can have some delivered to my office – might be a good idea to stay out of Eric’s way for a bit” was his suggestion, but I knew better.  Collin’s cousin wanted to pick my brains.

“Sure” I accepted and then pulled out my Palm to message Eric, who was in a meeting I knew.  I’d tell him that Collin was no longer MIA, that he was exhausted and catching up on some sleep.  That should at least get Eric off the warpath, if nothing else, and would keep him out of Collin’s quarters.  Once that was done, I placed an order for dinner for me and the Irishman, but found that now I was the one who was distracted.

Distracted by all the disquieting new data I had acquired from this latest interaction with my Commander and friend.

Sometimes the least renowned book repositories held within their confines the greatest of prizes.

And not exactly university approved reading, either, that which was harbored here amidst the aging bound volumes.

Grinning ear to ear I slowly shook my head as I a released a long, low whistle.

“Something good, Commander?” Kevin asked, breaching the archway into the repository as he crossed over to the table where I sat.  Taking a load off, he then slumped down in a chair across from me, waiting for my response.  Now glancing up, I held his eyes for a moment, and so he then decided to sit up straight.

“Intriguing, at least” I returned, marking the page and then shutting closed the book.  “This one I will personally escort.  I am just about done here, Master Geek – we should pack out before it gets dark” I told him, since I had the willies – a dire feeling which had been encroaching on me during the preceding hour.  Our pilot would be waiting for us, but Don knew it could be after dark by the time we rendezvoused with him and the plane.

Feeling as ill at ease as I was, the sooner we got moving the better.

“No argument here” the geek grumbled and again he was on his feet, quickly packing in his portable scanning gear.  Unless a book was of great significance, then we did not remove them, rather instead just scanning important pages to OCR files.  Books were far too heavy, awkward, and not to mention frail, to transport.  In their homes I would let them stay, unless, as I stated, one was of particular import.

Getting to my feet as well, I now stowed in my pack the precious volume I had been reading.  As I was about to sling the pack over my shoulders, however, I stopped dead.  In a heartbeat I turned to face the archway, standing still as stone – something which did not go unnoticed by my TechStaff Captain.

“Something… wrong, Commander?” Kevin asked in a low voice and I wasn’t sure.  Either interpretation of the sensation I had in that instant could be equally good news as bad.

“I think we may have overstayed our welcome” I quietly returned.  Hearing this, Kevin then doubled his efforts to get his gear collected while I, on the other hand, was too busy slinging my pack over my shoulders to then reach for my rifle.  Once my TechStaff Captain had everything wrapped up, he then looked to me for his cues – but unfortunately I didn’t have any to hand out just then.

Closing my eyes, I tried to get a fix on the creepy feeling – the same creepy feeling that I had come to recognize as what Aidan and I had dubbed the other.  How on God’s Earth had this phantom been able to track me to this location? I wondered in complete dismay of the unknown specter.  After all, we had flown in and our itinerary was undisclosed to all but a handful – and those men were incorruptible.

However, coincidence was an ever present part of God’s world – the guy could have just been strolling through the vicinity, after all.

Not, I knew – but at present had no other way to explain it.

Quickly signing to Kevin, I made a decision.

The front entrance, I indicated, motioning him to follow me.  I had no idea if that would be a good escape route or a bad one, but I would rather take my chances outdoors than trapped inside.  My Captain did not look so confident, however, spooked no less than I was, but with a nod he obeyed and so forward we went.

Upon reaching the door I signaled to him to stop and then I took a peek outside.  No one was in sight, not a sound to be heard, and yet the feeling persisted.

Let’s get out of here, Kevin signed to me in haste and I was in wholehearted agreement.  We now both slipped out the front door of the old university book repository and started off at a jog across the campus.  Heading towards the pickup location, I began to feel less preyed upon as we swiftly put some distance behind us.  After a space I was able to finally breathe a sigh of relief as we now slowed to a walk.   The feeling had abated and so I assumed we were on the right track – which was away from our interloper.

Slinging my rifle over my shoulder, Kevin and I exchanged glances.

“Should I ask?” the Captain now inquired in a low voice but I just shrugged.

“No” I grumbled in return, and then just for good measure looked over my shoulder.  No one was following us, so that was a plus – at least, not that I could discern, but then again I was no Elite-Assassin, either.  Aidan would have been able to detect a bloodsucking tick on a deer blood at a hundred yards such was his truly uncanny connection with the natural world around him.

As we made our way to rendezvous with Don and the plane, that freaky sensation again crept up on me.  This time, however, I broke out in a cold sweat, for the closer we got to our means of deliverance, the stronger became the feeling.  With the sun riding low on the horizon the plane finally came into our view.  Slipping my rifle off my shoulder, Kevin then followed suit and did the same – and with good reason.  I could now make out two figures over by the plane.  One was Don with his rifle trained on another man – one who was decidedly Brotherhood in his appearance and was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Stopping in my tracks, I swallowed hard, reluctant to go on.

This, then, I presumed, was the other – and I was about to finally make formal acquaintance of the man.

“Commander?” Kevin now prompted, taking hold of my arm, and the look on his face clearly spoke to his concern.  Not about whoever had darkened our doorstep, but rather concern for me.

For I was fairly certain that I had turned alabaster white.

“Onward” I muttered, pressing forward and trying to put some purpose into my step, but that I was finding more difficult by the moment.

Once we were upon them, the Member curiously repositioned himself on both knees, leaning forward with his forehead touching the ground.  This repose was one of supplication, I knew.  I looked to Don with questions in my eyes but he just shrugged, being every bit as perplexed as was I, apparently.

“If there are more out there, then they haven’t moved against us” the once Pre-Time Marine pilot made comment.  This was true enough for if there were and this had been their purpose, Members would have overtaken us long since.  “This Member says he needs to speak with you” Don tacked on and so now all three of us exchanged a look of puzzlement while the Member just patiently waited.

“Who are you?” I now spoke to the man on his knees, although I had a damned good hunch that he truly was the other.  A man who had once, in the recent past, come to my rescue and saved my life.

As the Member looked up, I took a step back – this was indeed the same man I remembered who had rescued my sorry tail.  His discerning sea-grey eyes I could never forget, nor his face.

“What do you want from me?” I tacked on to the demand since I was certain there was something he needed from me, personally.  Don and Kevin exchanged glances, but both men were obviously perplexed by my reaction.

“My name is Aaron – I wish to lend you my aid” was his plainly delivered response.  “To Serve” he now added.  Settling back on his heels, he made a fist of his left hand and then pressed it to his chest as he bowed his head.  Ok, so now I was the one who was confused, it seemed.

“I am not a Lord of The Brotherhood” I pointed out the blindingly obvious.  I was unsure what was going down but somehow understood that my life had just reached that crossroads.  The one that I had felt gaining on me over the past few months.  I could feel that this was that very turning point which had been long in the offing.  Not unlike the path not taken, that one in the yellow wood from a renowned Robert Frost poem.

“To Protect” the Member now augmented his prior assertion, beseeching me with his eyes as he looked up.  Lowering my rifle, I now slipped it over my shoulder to stand there blankly considering this Member.  A million possibilities were going through my head – all of them equally as bad if not but for the fact that I held no fear of this man.  Granted, I was ill at ease over the circumstances, and the oddity of having a connection with him similar to that of the one I shared with my brother Aidan.  Nonetheless I could sense that this Aaron meant me no harm.

Now lending my attention to Don, he could read the questions in my eyes.

“He just materialized out of the scenery” Don recounted for me.  “Bowed to me in greeting, surrendered his blade and then just sat down” he explained.  At this I could not help but grin – it was amusing, to say the least, very much Brotherhood in its nature, Aaron’s surrender.

“And he wouldn’t answer a single one of your questions, I take it” I surmised with a slanted grin and so Don just nodded.

Taking a deep breath I decided to rid myself of my weapon.  I relinquished my firearm to my pilot, handing it over to him, but Don was notably was reluctant to accept it.  However, he was a soldier first and so would obey orders given him by his CO.

“Is that such a good idea, Commander?” Kevin now prompted, at least voicing his concern, and so I leveled him a dark look of warning before giving my attention back to the Member.  Now I moved in close, much to the dismay of both my men, to then crouch down in front of the man.  I needed to make this encounter personal.

“Order?  Legion?” I prompted, hoping to get a straight answer.

“No” was his disturbingly simplistic reply.

“You’re going to make this like pulling teeth, aren’t you?” I now asked, being forthright and admittedly sounding rather testy in my delivery.

“Yes” the Member returned with a straight face but then a faint grin took his lips.

And I wasn’t sure if I should laugh my ass off or wipe the grin clear off his face.  A Member with a sense of humor was a man to be feared.

“Ascendancy” he now was quick to clarify as to which Arm of The Brotherhood he belonged.  My head immediately began to whirl – how many more Arms of The Brotherhood were out there that had survived?  Unbeknownst to me?  My brother had been less than forthcoming in certain arenas – or so was my bleak summation.  “I am the last Member, as far as I know” Aaron now added and then bowed his head.  Not to hide in plain sight like my brother Aidan would do, but rather out of respect for his deceased Brethren.

Deciding it was safe enough to take a load off, I sat down to then draw one knee up under my chin.

“Gentlemen, a little space, if you would” was my request, one that was actually an order, and although neither of my officers were thrilled by this command, they did back off.  Far enough away to give us some room yet close enough at hand to spring into action.

“They may have joined with The Legion or The Order?” I now suggested of Aaron’s long lost Brothers and in a display of pure loathing he spat upon the ground.

“The Order hunted my Brothers to extinction” he informed me in a low voice, one full of the pain of loss – and tinged with the threat of revenge, I could sense.  “Most, if not all, had been extinguished just prior to the Apocalypse.”

“And yet you remain” I made note of the inescapable.

“Sadly enough, yes – always leave one man alive to tell the tale” he explained and this rang true enough since it was an unspoken Way of The Order.

“What is different about you?” I now inquired, being nonspecific and so he raised an eyebrow.

“Do you mean why I am the only Brother who is left of The Ascendancy?” he asked for clarification.  “Or why we can sense each other’s presence?” this Member went one further, pretty much flooring me.  Holding his gaze, I did not answer – at least, not right away.

“How did you know to find me here?” I now circumvented as I navigated my way through this necessary dance of words.

“Coincidence is a part of God’s World” was his pat Brotherhood response, one which made me set my jaw.  “I seek what you seek – my trail led me here.”  That was a bit much to swallow, however.  “I am as surprised as are you.”

“Your full name?” I now decided to shift my line of questioning, mostly to give myself time to consider his responses and thus compile more exacting questions in counter.

“Aaron Gallagher” he told me.  “Aaron Michael Gallagher at your service, Commander O’Reilly.”  Now that did ring a bell for none other than Antonio Abruzzi himself had asked me a long time ago if I knew of a man by that name.  I hadn’t.  However, this Aaron was Irish and that in and of itself raised a red flag or two.  I had plotted our entire family tree at one point and there were no Gallaghers in it – this much I knew.  So why the connection between us?  It could not have its basis in genetics – could it?

“You have to admit, it’s a tad freaky,” I grunted, “the… connection.  I’d say it was because we are both of Irish descent, but most of those who survived the Apocalypse are Irish to one degree or another” I tossed out for consideration, but left out the detail the Irish were closely followed by those of Russian descent.  And then there were the Navajo, who survived in droves, but they were obviously not of European lineage.

“Where were you born?” my interrogation now went on, although he seemed more than happy to answer my questions.  “In the northeast?” I tried leading him but he just shook his head.

“No, I am not a product of the frozen north” he chuckled in response.  “Raised in Twenty-Nine Palms – a desert creature by nature, I suppose.  What will you do with me?” the Member wanted to know and again, just like a true Member.  Get the facts – first, foremost and always.

“Who says we are going to do anything?” was my swift parry.  “Did you think we’d take you with us?” I laughed but the man just held my eyes.

“Yes” was his once more simplistic reply.  “Let me help you, Commander O’Reilly.  You don’t want the Cup to fall into the Hands of The Order any more than do I” he now bowled me over, making me question if this guy was just some cleverly contrived spy from the Order, or possibly The Legion.  This wasn’t their style, however, since that would be far from honorable.  Not to mention the fact that I could sense this man was speaking Truth.

In the background, Kevin was doing one hot and heavy search on this guy’s name – I could hear the geek tapping away with lightning speed.  Glancing over my shoulder at Kevin, I raised an eyebrow.

“Pre-Time occupation?” Kevin prompted, apparently having dug up some dirt.

“Journalist, for Time Magazine – but I could have just as easily done a search on someone whose identity I wanted to assume in this Time After” Aaron pointed out, playing his own devil’s advocate.  “Your cousin Seamus – we met once, he and I, even had a few drinks together.  It was on a snowy Christmas Eve in Connecticut – in Roxbury, at the bed and breakfast” he recounted and now I could only blink.  “He’ll remember me, Finney will – he was a ray of light in the midst of all that coldness.  Climate and people alike there in Connecticut; pretty darn chilly – not exactly neighborly” he chuckled and I could not help but laugh.  True enough, that – we New Englanders were fairly cold year round.

“And what had prompted your traveling to such an inhospitable place as Connecticut in winter?” I inquired, assuming he must have had relatives there, and if he had then it got me to wondering that perhaps my father had spawned an illegitimate child or two.

“A woman” he returned with a shrug and that said it all for me.  Follow one I wanted right to the ends of the earth I would and so I was able to commiserate.

“Give me your hand” I suddenly made demand, holding out my own but now he grew very still.  “Do you have a problem with that?” I prodded as he stared at my outstretched hand.

“I… don’t know what will happen” was all he said in a quiet voice as he raised his eyes to meet my own, and now I recalled our encounter from a recent past.  The one where he had come to my rescue, when I had found myself beset by Members who had meant to do me grave harm.

And had.

While I had lain there, battered and bruised with my head in his lap, this man had placed his hand on my forehead.  The result was I had gone out just like that proverbial light.  Perhaps I had not imagined that, then?

“I’ll take the risk” I accepted and so, reluctantly, he took hold of my hand, grasping it.  At first I felt nothing more than just contact with another fellow human.  However, after a moment Aaron’s grip loosened.  Tightly shutting his eyes he bowed his head, seeming to be in great pain and this I could feel flowing back to me through my own hand.

Abruptly I let go, as if I had come into contact with a raging fire.  Distressingly my wrists now sharply ached, as did the rest of my body, all the way down to my ankles and I felt a sharp pain in my side.  Releasing a shuddering breath, Aaron now looked up at me.  We were both astonished, just as much as were Kevin and Don who had now closed in on us.

“To Serve, to Protect, to Obey” the Member said as he again repositioned himself on his knees, leaning forward with his forehead pressed to the earth.  And me?  I just sat there back on my heels with my jaw swinging wide.

God’s World was filled with the unexpected, this I had always well understood – but this new experience left me feeling profoundly confused.  Spiritual did not even begin to describe the sensation.

“Whom?” I wanted to know as I now got to my feet, shaken – and looking down upon Aaron there was that aura!  Just as I had experience that day he had come to my rescue.  If Kevin or Don were seeing the same thing, then they gave no indication.  “Whom do you serve, Aaron Gallagher?” I now clarified.

“The Son of God” was his plain statement and for some reason I wholly believed him for I had long been doing the same.  However, I had a suspicion that this man was a tad bit more connected to the Almighty than was I.

“Well, good to know” I said in return, admittedly left feeling somewhat fuzzy in the brain after the experience.  “Um, getting dark here and we need to get back.  Care to join us?” I now offered, deeply wanting to explore the connection I had with this man, as well as to understand who he was and why he had targeted me of all people.  I had some theories brewing but at this point they were just that – theories.

And probably crazy ones at that.

“Commander, you can’t be serious” Don now openly protested, and as I looked to Kevin he was of a like mind.

“Well, I’d rather have him where we can keep an eye on him,” was my reasoning, “than have him popping up out of nowhere, like Aidan does” I decided and at the mention of Aidan’s name there seemed to be a dark cloud which crossed Aaron’s eyes.

There were a lot of stories there for the telling, I considered – right inside this man of intriguing talents.

Walking back over to the Member, I once more crouched down in front of him.

“Do I have your word you will do us no harm?” I asked him.

“Yes – Brother to Brother” Aaron assured me and now I heard Kevin groan.

“Commander – far be it from me to be contrary,” the geek slowly began, “but… what if this guy is just a plant?” he suggested, and I understood what he meant.  This could have been a spy from the Unspoken, but I had information that spoke to the opposite – although one could never be certain.

“I’d stake my life that this man is not” was my determination as I rose to my feet.  Giving my attention back to the Member, I considered him for several long moments.  “Why are you on your knees?” I thought to ask.

“I serve our Lord” was his curious reply.  Bowing his head he once more made a fist of his hand and pressed it to his chest.  Well, I served the Lord too but wasn’t on my knees at every turn.

Although in retrospect, perhaps if I had then I’d now be further along the line in achieving my goal.

“Hmm, well – up with you, then” I ordered, extending a hand – one the Member was again hesitant to accept.  Admittedly I was reluctant to once more touch him, but I needed to know if what I had felt was real – or if I had hallucinated.

Taking my hand, I then helped him to his feet and again I felt something, but this time it was… different.  It felt akin to overwhelming relief.

“Aaron, when you came to my rescue that day,” I began to ask, “saving me from the hands of other Members – why did you leave me?  You didn’t even give me an opportunity to say thank you.”

“Order” was his response, spoken in a low voice, almost a growl, but then he tacked on, “I put myself at risk, willingly” was his reminder.  “I needed to see to my own safety once I had seen to yours.”

“And how did you know that anyone would be coming after me?” I probed.

“A little… divination” Aaron explained with a shrug and why did I have a sense he was – obfuscating?  Intriguing, I thought – a mystery I was powerless but to indulge.  Suppressing a grin at his words, I now glanced around.  “No pack?  Did you just materialize from thin air?” I asked with a straight face – this might not have been the harsh lowland deserts, but it wasn’t exactly a beach on the California coastline either.  One needed gear if he was to survive out in the open.

“Hardly” the Member returned.  “If you’ll afford me a few minutes, I need to get my gear and turn loose my horse?” he requested, and with a nod I agreed.

“Certainly” I accepted and so after offering me a low bow, Aaron then jogged off.

After a few moments, I released a long, low breath before turning to face my officers.

And their pending interrogation.

“Are you sure that’s the Member who came to your rescue that day?” Kevin now asked.  “At the adobe house by the mesa?”

“I never forget a face” was my flat return.  Standing there with my hands clasped behind my back, I held each of my officer’s eyes in turn.  I would dare them to challenge my authority.

“What if this Member’s purpose is to remove you?” Don asked in turn but I only shrugged.

“He said no harm would come to us – and Members don’t lie,” I reminded them, “especially to their own.  I am a Member of The Brotherhood, after all.”

“Barely” the geek grumbled as he glanced up from his Palm, apparently still searching for dirt on this guy.  I glared at him but otherwise kept my mouth shut.

“Did something… happen… when you took hold of his hand?” was Don’s discerning inquiry and so now briefly I looked away.  Kevin even stopped tapping on his Palm to give me his attention.

“Yes” I answered my pilot, my eyes in a deadlock with his own.  Would they think I was losing it? I considered.  Most likely, however – they understood that I walked just this side of normalcy most days.  Things beyond explanation had transpired, on occasion, and each man had been witness on occasion.

“Um… on quickie search I found some images” Kevin now informed, walking over to show me his Palm.  “I’d have to do some analysis, but the pics look to be the real deal.”  Accepting the device I trained my eyes on the screen and indeed the man in the picture accepting an award in journalism was that of our Member.  “He covered world events, middle east was his specialty” the geek told me and at this utterance up popped a red flag, as well as an eyebrow.

“Indeed?” I muttered as I glanced over my shoulder to see Aaron returning on his horse.  That much then was Truth, his getting about on horseback, although I had a strong sense that the Member had not been attempting to deceive us.

Watching him approach, it was impossible not to notice the horse he was sitting – which was no mustang nag.  It was a dusky colored stallion which appeared to be at least part Arabian.  An eerie feeling now crept over me – to watch him as one with the horse brought to mind an image of my brother, Aidan.  Aidan was a master horseman, having an unnatural connection to the beasts.  Not so with me, however – although I admired the creatures for their strength and beauty, and was a fair rider, I was nowhere near the horse whisperer as was my brother.

In the manner which Aidan also preferred, Aaron was riding with a light bridle and no saddle.  Coming to a stop before us, with ease the Member slid down off the stallion and then taking hold of the bridle, he stroked the magnificent beast’s nose.

“I will miss you, Medallion” he spoke in soft tones to the horse who now tossed his head.  Aaron then took off the bridle, coiling up the reins as he released a sigh.  “Go on, buddy – go find some mares” he told the stallion and then slapped him on the rear, sending him off.  At first reluctant to go, the horse then neighed before taking off at a lope.  His master’s eyes following his progress until the stallion had been lost from sight.

“Gorgeous beast” I said as Aaron now gave me his attention.

“Yeah – we’ve been friends through most of this Time After” he told me, slipping his pack off his shoulders so he could now stow the bridle.  “Thank you, Commander, for your generosity.”

“Please, call me Collin” I requested with an open smile.  Looking at this tall, stately, lordly Member, I felt as if I should know him.  I was at complete comfort and ease with him – and this, perhaps more than anything, was the mystery I needed to unravel.  However, I could not help but notice Don and Kevin shifting with unease – I never gave anyone permission to call me Collin.  At least, not so quickly.

“Ok, Collin – I’m ready if you are” Aaron said, returning the smile and so now we all boarded the plane.  Kevin had a lot of choice words for me, I could tell, as did Don – but both men knew to keep their mouths shut until we got back to base.

And then theirs wouldn’t be the only inquisition I would have to endure, I knew – it would be just the beginning.

“What would your pansy brother say if he knew?” Quade wondered aloud and so Bryan and I glanced at each other, exchanging a grin.  Why this Brother had such a low opinion of Collin was a question mark – however, it did make for amusing commentary on occasion.

“Knew what?” I now precipitated, waiting.

“That you are never searching for that which he believes you to be” he returned.  Good question there, but Collin need never know, after all.

We were in the bowels of a subterranean NSA facility, attempting to resurrect some aging databanks.  Bryan had been slaving away for the better part of a week and this day he had finally made some appreciable progress.

The search for the Cup could wait, after all, even if Collin would balk at the notion of any such delay.  However, there was much more to take into consideration now that my brother had adopted an unknown stray.

A wayward Member, or so rumor had reached my ears.  The identity of whom was a mystery all its own, waiting to be solved.

“Aidan?” Bryan prompted, apparently having found something of interest and so I returned my attention to the task at hand.  We were looking for a list of men and woman who had been part of one very covert project during the Time Before.  Every day in every way I thanked God for my having had a clue, as Collin would say, in the Time Before of things that were to come.

In Truth it had just been plain dumb luck that I had stumbled across what I had – being in that infamous right place at the right time.

However, I required more than just rumor and innuendo as proof to back up my hypothesis.  Thus my time spent searching for data believed irretrievably lost.  Dirt that had been thought swept away in the tidal wave that had been the Apocalypse.

Nothing was ever lost for good, though – and anyone who was foolhardy enough to believe this?  Well, then they deserved what was coming to them.

Peering over Bryan’s shoulder at his laptop screen, both Quade and I, my eyes now widened.

Pay dirt and then some, I considered with a slanted grin as I looked to Quade.

“You were right, Andy” Quade conceded, slowly nodding.  The project for which I had been rummaging had not been of NSA origin, but covert governmental agencies often collaborated, and some of these had been big on redundancy outside the confines of their own organizations.

It was this eyes only case to which I had had access back in the Time Before.  Just the vitals, not the details – but I had filed it away in my brain like I did with everything else.

Until the day a tickler would awaken it.

And one such tickler had been the WardenOps Colonel-Major whose quasi-acquaintance I had recently made.  The very one who had been in escort of me to my brother’s AFA base via military chopper, after my misfortune of having been skewered by a sniper’s arrow.

The CIA database had been laid to waste upon the Apocalypse – this had been by design, I understood.  However, there was something to be said for not keeping all of one’s eggs in one basket.

“Let’s see the dossiers” I instructed Bryan who now began paging through them, one by one.  And then suddenly there he was, the WardenOps officer, his picture staring back out from the screen.

“Well, now – that explains a lot right there” Quade grumbled but left it at that.  Colonel-Major Elijah Robert Wasserman, AFA, was Brotherhood without a doubt and had been a CIA operative during the Time Before in addition to his Air Force career.  A different name he carried in this Time After, obviously.

Stepping back I released a long, low breath.

“I’ve seen this man before,” Bryan casually informed us and so now I whirled about to look at him.  “He was a member of the local gun club in the town where I grew up” he told us.  It could have been coincidence, I supposed – since Bryan’s hometown did have an airbase.  However, why join the local gun club when you were in the damned armed forces?  With Bryan being who he was in relation to me, however – the proximity of this man to him smacked of something so very much deeper.

“You are certain?” I asked, even though I knew it was pointless to do so.  Bryan never would have voiced such a declaration if he wasn’t sure.

“Absolutely, milord” he now got all formal with me – his way of saying he was insulted that I should even think to ask.

“Let’s take a look at the dossiers of the other project participants” I grumbled as I now walked back over to look at his laptop screen.  One by one Bryan tabbed through them, and then the last one jumped out and I could not help but suck in my breath.

Quade and Bryan pretty much did the same.

Know thy enemy, after all – except this man’s dossier stated that he was Brotherhood as well.

The fact that he was Supreme-General of the entire AFA notwithstanding, of course.

And although none of this made sense, something now did.  Colonel-Major Wasserman reported directly to Supreme-General Karloff.

The two men had known each other in the Time Before.

Stepping back, I now turned and headed out of the room, grabbing a lantern as I headed for a darkened corridor.  Quade was on my heels, though, and thus I did not get all that far.

“Talk to me, Andy” Quade demanded in a low voice as he grabbed my arm.  “Tell me what you are thinking.”

Turning round to face him I found myself unable to answer.  One word would lead to one too many.

“Pride” was all I was able to say, and so Quade raised an eyebrow.  “It comes before a fall, doesn’t it?  How could one become Brotherhood and then in the time of Our greatest need abandon Us?”

“Are we so certain they have?” he was quick to counter but I could only blink at him.

“Quade, look – granted, our Grand Head and I don’t often see eye-to-eye,” I slowly began, calmly, “but for Dmitri to keep intelligence from me of this magnitude?  That hardly foots – in anyone’s ledger” I succinctly pointed out.  “These men are Brotherhood!”

“Not everyone is as devout, or fanatical, as you are, Andy – and that’s the sad Truth of it all” my friend tried to reason.  “And what about the Unspoken?  It is rumored that many of their numbers were once Brotherhood.  If there are Brotherhood defectors who have sided with the AFA, then they are likely to be more elsewhere, probably even in the Blackguard.  Just playing devil’s advocate here” Quade explained.

“Perhaps, but I would know” I growled.  I had made it a personal quest since the Apocalypse, to gather up every blasted Member I could.  And if not that, then at least know who and where they were.  “Admittedly, not one hundred percent accountability, but Quade – c’mon.  The man who is in control of the whole bloody AFA?  That’s just a bit much to swallow.”

“I’d say it is a designed distraction, but the facts support the reality and so what do you propose?” he wanted to know.  Looking away for a moment, I considered that was one damned good question.

And just one more reason I needed to further my own bid for Grand Head of The Order.  Only then would the secrets being kept under lock and key by the Grand Head and the Grand High Council be revealed to me.

“And so who then is this stray that my brother took in?” I now wondered aloud, since by all accounts the man was Brotherhood.  “Another defector?  How many are there?  We are not openly losing numbers or otherwise, unless a Member meets with death.  It’s not like our Members just sneak away, after all – you understand how carefully we had been selecting Inductees.”

“Oh yeah?  What about your brother?” was his pointed inquiry and now I felt like decking him.  “Relax, Andy.  I get your point, though – but if you were lax in your recruiting of Collin, albeit for one extremely good reason, who is to say that others didn’t do the same?”

“Devil’s advocate again?” I put to him, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

“Well, perhaps having stumbled across the same intelligence that you had in the Time Before,” my friend now opined, “if a Member wanted to spare, oh, say, a blood relation, then… well, you get the picture.  Most men are human, Aidan – and that’s a fact.”

“Whereas I am… what?  Less than human?  Is this your implication?” was my cool inquiry and so he grinned.  “Thanks for the compliment, Brother Quade.”

“Don’t mention it, Brother Aidan” was his equally dry response, one augmented with a smirk.  We knew each other well – almost too well at times, I was of a mind.

“So, I suppose I’ll just have to pay my brother an unscheduled visit” I now decided.  “I need to be face-to-face with this Member who has openly walked into his waiting arms.”

“What if that is his intent?  This Member” Quade continued playing devil’s advocate.  “Do you want to take the risk, Andy?  You are not invulnerable, as much as you may want to believe you are.”

“Not yet” was my tempered return – once I found the Cup, though, then I would be.  “However, I’m sure my brother isn’t as dense as we think him – he will take precautions.  Collin will protect me, as well as his new pet, I’m certain.  I’ll know without a doubt if this man is Brotherhood” I declared, but it was no boast.  My animal senses would never betray me.  I just had to get within range.  “I don’t need to concoct an excuse to visit, either, because Sierra is carrying my Unborns – and Ryan will Attend, since he will be checking in on Amanda, his wife.  No one can deny that The Brotherhood is all about Family, after all.  Even Collin understands this much and so a perfect cover.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Quade argued, “Collin knows there’s no such thing as clandestine.  Everything comes out sooner or later, and rumor that Collin’s IntelliCore base has another de facto addition to its ranks?  That’s one rumor destined to spread – and fast.

“We really need to get out of here, though” he now brought to mind and he was right.  I was beginning to feel like we had overstayed our welcome as it was.

With a nod I agreed and then we headed back to where Bryan was still working.  It would be bad form should any of us get caught here.  After all, this facility was supposed to secured, and by The Order.  That we had circumvented the deterrents, as well as monitoring equipment, that had been put in place by our own Brethren?  Well, this would certainly court us grave Censure – death to all being the one right at the top of one very brief list.

“Wrap it up” I instructed Bryan who nodded and was quick to obey.  We’d gotten everything we’d come for, and then some.  Now it was time to be away from this place.

After Bryan had packed it in, we then started rerouting the deterrents and monitors, reverting them to their original states one at a time as we made our way towards the exit.  This was where Ryan was on vigil, hanging back just inside the entrance and therefore concealed from any unfriendly eyes.  I could sense, however, that he was relieved to see we were taking our leave of this place.  It was just after dusk and even I had to admit, it felt downright creepy.

Something is out there, Ryan now signed to me and so immediately we went on high alert.  Watching, waiting, he now tacked on and he was right I could… feel it.  There was a tenseness permeating the air, distinctly palatable.

Apparently we have over stayed our welcome, I signed in return and then set about assisting the others in getting things zipped up.  Once we were through, we then began our silent retreat across the several miles between us and our vehicle.

We had a hanger on, however – trailing us through the pinon pines.  Nothing obvious had given away this stalker, but I could sense the presence plain as day and so would attempt to flush him out.

Gaining the attention of my Brothers, I signed to them, We need to dislodge this tick – I will trail behind, was my decision.  You three continue, I added and although objection could be seen in their postures, they understood and would obey regardless.  I was our best chance for cornering whoever was following us, and so alone it would have to be.

And so it became my turn to be the stalker.  Patience, skill and experience all came together – and every ounce I needed.  This Member, for I was sure it was a Member of The Brotherhood, was exceptionally talented.  It took me longer than usual to pinpoint this interloper, given the terrain and darkness, and I actually found myself admiring this man’s skill.  It took many years of brutal training to learn to move with such stealth.  To be able to melt into one’s surroundings, it required much more than just absence of sight and sound – it required a particular presence of mind as well.  That, perhaps more than anything, was hardest to master.

And my opponent had mastered it well – so well, as a matter of fact, that quickly the tables turned.  It was only my animal instincts which kept me from serious injury as I now found myself under attack.  And that was it – cover blown and thus the confrontation began.  Within moments my Brothers were on the scene, having heard the commotion.  To our good fortune, however, it seemed that my assailant was a lone assassin – and although talented, was no match for me.

And once I had him subdued, I now understood why.

Poised to snap the neck of the assassin when the revelation took me, I held my breath, unable to believe.

Looking up as Quade and the others joined me, they appeared as confused as I felt for my opponent was decidedly of short stature, more like a boy than a man.

Now dragging the assassin to her feet, I turned the woman to face me as my Brothers drew a circle around her.  Obviously we were still on alert – it would have been rather embarrassing, after all, to be caught off guard as the result of having been beguiled by a female.

After relieving the woman of her weapons, I then stood there for a long time in silence.  Listening to the desert, I strained to detect rumor of any other seductive ticks that might have latched on to our location.

However, if her fellow assassins, Sisters, were female then they would be much harder to detect.  Woman were just naturally more nimble, lithe and quiet – they were the original stealth and all by design.

Of course, that this assassin was a woman was a double rarity in our Time After.

Once a round of appreciative looks had subsided, I now signed to my Brothers.  We would continue to make our way to where we left the vehicle, with the exception that now we would have one alluring travel partner in tow.

One who had precious little to say, it was clear.

After another hour or so of uneventful travel, we reached the jeep and so in short order we were then back on the road.  Quade drove with Ryan riding shotgun, and the comely little assassin sat in back, between myself and Bryan.

It was a long drive to the vicinity where we would again take to our feet, on our way to a safehouse.  At least the diminutive assassin was smart enough not to make a break for it, and by all accounts came along quite peaceably.

By the time we had made it to the safehouse, dawn was beginning to break with a brilliantly spectacular sunrise.  A beauty to behold, as was our new companion – and by the light of day it was plain to all.  This young woman could not have possibly been have attained Assassin status in the Time Before – she would not have had enough years on her at the time of the Apocalypse to have achieved such a station.

So many questions I had on my tongue; so few I would ask, however.

Once inside the safehouse, we surrounded the woman, merely observing, and so she got down to one knee.

To me this meant that she damned well know who I was, and possibly the others as well.

Her bearing and actions spoke Brotherhood – but which Arm?  Granted, even in the Time Before, women Members there had been, if not few and far between.  Also, there was one Arm of The Brotherhood that had never been officially Sanctioned.

Could this assassin possibly be of The Way?

This notion was cause for extreme caution, then – but in my gut I knew it to be Truth.  The reason being that the elusive ticks we had been trying to dislodge in recent months, which had unnerved me and my Brethren to no end, their ability to evade us with ease now made perfect sense.

The question still remained, however – why had they not moved against us?  Or at least made themselves known to us?  Their purpose would take extreme effort to uncover, if we would be able to at all.

“You may either reveal to us your tattoo,” I began in a low voice, “or we’ll be happy to search your person ourselves” I gave her the option.  Granted, a tattoo designating her as Way could be nothing more than a clever rouse, but it would be a place to start.

Glancing round to each of us, she got the idea that I meant what I said.  The woman was sure of herself, but not so sure, I could sense.  Although, for so young a woman she was one very cool customer, especially given the gravity of her situation.  One woman facing four men, in a world where women were an extreme rarity?  It didn’t take a genius to figure out where this might lead should she decide to resist.

Or even if she didn’t.

Had we not been gentlemen then she would have need to worry – but fortunately for her, we were.  All of us had women of our own, except Bryan, and he was clearly taken with the beautiful young creature.

Slowly now she unfastened her jacket to then begin unbuttoning her shirt.  Just where one would except, tattooed to the underside of her left breast was a her marking which declared her as Way.  In their sect, tattoos were imprinted in discrete locations upon their persons.  This assassin had all the makings of a Member – first off being pride of body.  All assassins were taught to have pride in their physiques and this one did not bat an eye at exposing herself.  Once we had all witnessed the tattoo, however, modesty kicked in and she wasted no time buttoning up her shirt.

“What shall we do with you?” I wondered aloud as I now began to circle.  Obviously we could not let her go, nor could we take her back to The Order.  After all, she knew where me and my Brethren hand been.

Death would have been a normal matter of course.  However, the assassin being a woman would make that one extremely difficult decision to choke down.

There were other places to send her, however – but the one at the top of the list was the Blackguard.

Personal restitution for three of Antonio’s men whose lives Quade and I had taken.  Granted, Collin had had to pay off Antonio on my behalf, to ensure his silence about some rather sensitive matters which also involved my brother.  This never meant that Antonio felt fully compensated – since Sierra was supposed to have become property of the Blackguard.  In all reality, there was no adequate compensation that could be made in exchange for a woman.  Especially one of child bearing years.

As I considered my options the woman now decided to speak.

“The Mistress of The Way sends her greetings, Lord O’Reilly” the creature now spoke, in a decidedly New Jersey accent.  I gave no indication of my surprise, instead just continuing to circle in hopes she would say more but no.  She did not, and so wanted to make it like pulling teeth, I supposed.

I had a hunch she knew damned well we would not dare torture a woman, given their scarcity in this Time After.

As I went to kneel down in front of her, the woman now repositioned herself on two knees.  In my doing the same was indication that I would do her no harm.

“What else does she send?” I played along, now understanding that she was a messenger, and therefore had been intended to get caught.

“Me” was her simple response but before I could ask her to elaborate, she did just that.  “She has faith that I will make an exceptional nanny to your children once the woman Sierra gives birth.”

With this I just held my breath.  There could have been any number of ways that word would have reached the ears of The Way in regards to Sierra.

What was more intriguing was that The Way had survived at all, and in such numbers they would actually volunteer to lose one of their precious Members.  Woman or man, it mattered not – any Member was a rare creature, since The Brotherhood was a minority in this Time After.

Yet growing every day, I considered with unease, since The Legion had also survived in strength of numbers.  Enough to actually make The Order feel as if we were losing to them any ground we had gained against the AFA.

“Given that your woman is property of the AFA,” the assassin then continued, “your children will need as much Brotherhood style mentoring as possible, yes?”  That was a true statement, and it was indeed a tempting thought.

How would she feel should I her that The Order’s High Council had Voted into Law the exclusion of female Members?  To accept her into The Order would be to do so as just a woman – nothing more, nothing less.

Kneeling there, my mind was racing as I tried to sort out all the possibilities.

“May I?” she asked, slowly reaching into the inner pocket of her jacket.  Out she pulled a document and handed it to me.  Accepting it, I turned it over – it was sealed in the time honored traditional of The Brotherhood, with sealing wax.  Impressed into the wax was an intricate seal, of a dove with an olive branch and in the center three overlapping letters – FKM.

Initials I knew all too well.

I opened the document to then read what had been written in a controlled yet stylish script, a transfer of ownership of this slave!  With my head reeling I strove to keep my composure.  This woman had more than one tattoo, then – and I knew where the other one was but would not ask her to reveal this.

“Are you aware of the contents?” I asked and so sharply she nodded, once.

“You are to reveal this to no one, do I make myself understood, Member?” I demanded in a low voice and so again she nodded, once.

“Yes, milord” she returned.  Bowing her head, she made a fist of her left hand and then pressed it to her chest.  I would need to make sure that the woman wasn’t some cleverly contrived spy, but all of my training and senses told me no.  This woman was a message, from the Mistress of The Way – an offering of friendship, to me personally, if not alliance.

Every single day new oddities were popping up, it seemed.  Coincidence was part of God’s world, after all – but lately it was all a bit too much to accept, so many at once.

Standing up I just let her stew there for several heartbeats and then I passed off the document to my Brothers.

“Brothers, meet Kelly-Morgan Flaherty – Assassin of The Way” I introduced the woman as I looked round to the others.  Bryan, after reading the document, looked to me and his eyes plainly read you lucky dog.

Well, not as lucky as he was about to be.

“She’s yours” was my announcement.  “I’ll have my Asset manager log the Acquisition and execute the Transfer” I told him and now the woman was quick to whip up her head, looking at me with questions in her eyes.

Fortunately for her, the questions, as well as any objections, stayed behind her lips.

“I hope you don’t mind long distance relationships” I made comment and then signed to Bryan and Ryan, instructing them to remove the woman and start the interrogation.  One which I suspected would be less than fruitful, and thus just a formality.  However, other tidbits of value these two Brothers would glean – and often what remained unspoken would speak louder than any words.

“Well, our suspicions were at least dead on the money” I grumbled as I now sat down in a chair by the window.

“Ours?  No, yours, Andy” Quade countered as he now sat down himself.  “You had first call.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” I grunted, “but this does explain quite a lot.  And at least now I know I wasn’t losing my mind when I kept scenting women on the wind” I could not help but laugh, since this was Truth.  However, I had often attributed this to my relationship with Sierra – the woman was with me all the time, regardless.  Her scent I could never forget and could conjure up at will – but began to wonder if I was losing touch with my control.  At the oddest times, when out in the middle of nowhere, I would swear I could scent women, but of course I would think of Sierra and so her scent would then present itself in my mind.  So overpowering it would preclude all others.

“That’s a grand gift you are giving Bryan, that of a slave” my friend now remarked.

“She is a spoil of war” was my reminder.  “Not to mention a gift from the Mistress of the Way.  Our Laws are clear, Quade; I’m within my rights.  Once we have a better feel for this young creature, I believe I will, in the end, do as was intended for her.  I will send her to my brother, so she can babysit Sierra.”

“That’s a real risk” in a low voice Quade made objection and sure, it was.  However, it would also serve many ulterior motives in addition.

“If she truly is Way, then you know as well as I that they and their Members are all about Life” I put to him.  “She would not harm a woman, much less children.

“What’s more troubling, though, is that it’s now more pressing than ever that we officially confirm another Arm on our shores besides The Legion” I brought to mind.  “Conspiracy theory aside, such confirmation would make an even more damning case for The Brotherhood’s involvement in The Plan and The Furtherance, which in turn drove the Apocalypse with intent of scripting this Time After” was my dismal assessment.  Slowly nodding, Quade was in agreement.  “To any sane man, on the surface it all sounds like a crock.  However, scratch just a bit?  And then some more?  It gets uglier the deeper you go – and every day the evidence just keeps on piling up for all to audition.”

“There’s more to everything than meets the eye – but we all know this” my friend reminded me.  “Once Bryan decodes those files your brother’s geek stole from that DoD database, then we’ll have more data, at least.  Regardless, there is one possibility that you persistently keep dodging.”  Holding his gaze I also held my tongue as well.  “Collin could very well be the real deal.”

There.  He said it.

Someone had to, I supposed.

Several silent heartbeats went by without a word spoken between us.

“Where did your Da hide it?” he now asked for the millionth time the question I refused to answer.

And not because I didn’t have an answer, either.

“Andy, what are you afraid of?” he went on, now more compassionate in his delivery.  “If Collin lays his hands on a piece of the True Cross – then we will have our answer, one way or the other.”

“And how can we be so certain that anything will happen if…” I began but trailed off.  In Truth, I did not want to consider the implications – or perhaps instead I just plain didn’t want to know, one way or the other.

My brother was the one for whom the part of the Second Son had been scripted in The Furtherance.  This knowledge I had quite literally stumbled across – and once the Time Before had become this Time After?  Well, suspicion had turned fact that The Plan, at least, hadn’t been some paranoid, delusional, conspiracy theorist crock.  As the days afterward blossomed into this Time After, little red flags began popping up all over the place in regards to my brother and the intent of The Furtherance.  One of them being the Grand Head of The Order pressing me to lure my brother into Reaffirmation of his Oath to The Order.

Oddly enough, because this had not been scripted into the Furtherance.  And opposition spoke just as loudly as collusion.

After all, Collin was the most un-Brotherhood-like Member there was – and in all honesty The Order needed him where he was.  Being an AFA Commander-General was nothing to sneeze at, and the perks we received as a result of my relationship with Collin were sorely in need.

And yet, on a weekly, if not daily, basis our Grand Head would asked of me where things stood in regards to my brother Collin and his plans for Reaffirmation.

Either way, the real deal or not – each was equally ominous.  Even more so because my Father, when I was but a young lad, had showed to me what he claimed to be a piece of the True Cross.  He had told me that this rather plain and unremarkable piece of wood would hold great significance for those who were related to Christ our Lord.

He had never elaborated beyond that, but had told me to well remember this piece of wood – to file away in my mind every surface detail and to never forget, and to never speak of it to my brother.

And so I had burned the image of this piece of the True Cross into my mind’s eye, and never had I mentioned the experience to Collin.   My Da had not told me where he kept this Relic of extreme significance, and being young I had not thought to dare ask.

Although, I did have a strong hunch where its resting place was in this Time After – I was almost one hundred and ten percent certain.

“Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie, Quade” was all I would say and then fell to silence, one accompanied by deep thought.  There was no need at present for confirmation one way or the other, or even urgency for me to seek out that piece of wood upon which our Lord and Savior had died for us all.

However, as I sat there in the dark considering all things great and small, something told me my days of inaction would now be swiftly drawing to a close.

My guest was every bit as much an enigma as was my brother.

That Aaron was Brotherhood and to the t, just like Aidan, not a soul could possibly deny.

However, like my cousin Seamus who was also Brotherhood, I found Aaron to be of a great comfort.  So I supposed the question was – why did my own fraternal twin brother scare the crap out of me when these other men did not?

Good question there, but no answer forthcoming, per usual.

The sun was now beginning to breach the horizon this midwinter’s day, bringing with it the promise of a glorious day to follow.  Why I placed such significance on the solstice I wasn’t sure, but a ritual it had become for me.  Without fail I would greet the winter and summer solstice in solitude – outside in the natural world of God’s creation.

And in this, disturbingly enough, I was just like Aidan.

Jogging along the goat path, I was almost at my destination – a promontory which jutted out over a narrow canyon.  This would give a spectacular view of the solstice sunrise.  As I drew near, however, I could now see that someone else had the same idea.  There a man already was kneeling and so I almost stopped up short – thinking it might be my brother on one of his unscheduled, and unauthorized, visits.

But no – it was only Aaron.

Again, Brotherhood to the t.

He was kneeling with his head bowed, and so slowing to a walk I could now discern that the man was praying.  Out of courtesy I stopped, not wanting to intrude, but I was also fascinated by him and wanted to learn of his own Solstice ritual.

Turning his head slightly in my direction, he now ceased his prayers.

“Collin – please, come join me” he extended in offer, along with a wave of his hand.  I was at first hesitant, but then caved.  My analytical side dictated caution until more facts about this newcomer had been collected and auditioned.  Admittedly, though, my heart was leaps and bounds out in front of my head.  A tool I had intended this man to be – at first.  However, from the onset I had found in Aaron a new friend.  Even though I felt as if I had known Aaron for years without count – a curiosity which perplexed me to no end.  I was as comfortable with him, and from the get go, as I was with my lifelong friends Eric and Greg.

Accepting his offer, I now joined him to then kneel by his side.

For a long while there we stayed, watching the rise of the Solstice sun.

“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Aaron now asked as he turned his head to look at me.  I didn’t answer right away, not wanting to appear to suppose his mind – even if I did.  “It bothers me, too, to be honest.  I’ve spent so much of my life being guarded – in this Time After as in the Time Before.  Although I’m sure you view me as a useful tool to employ in your work, I’m also of a mind you feel guilty about turning a friend into one” he put out there, hitting a home run.

“Actually, I’m not thrilled about doing that to anyone,” I corrected, “but in order to reach my aim… well… you get the picture” was my open admission.  “We are on our way to becoming close friends, I believe.”

“And that troubles you, too, Commander” was his summation, delivered along with a slanted grin, “but not because your brother will be livid once he discovers you have taken in a rather unusual stray.  One who is a Member of The Ascendancy, no less” Aaron supposed with a shrug and now I could only laugh at his evaluation.

“Yeah, well – Aidan and I… most often we find ourselves on opposite sides of the fence” I conceded.

“That’s not just because he’s Order and you’re AFA” he made assessment, getting to his feet.  I did the same and so now we stood there, facing each other.  “Faith has many faces, of course,” Aaron stated, “and it is how we conduct ourselves when we feel abandoned – this dictates who we are as men, as children of God.”  How interesting! I thought, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my field jacket.  All at once I felt intrigue, and discomfort as well.  Prior to making his acquaintance I had been feeling abandoned by God.  Screw that – not only abandoned, but kicked out with the door hitting me in the ass.

“We should expect no aid from God” I put in my two cents worth and to this Aaron openly laughed, offering up a broad, heartfelt smile.

“You are absolutely right!  However, that doesn’t mean we don’t keep right on asking” he pointed out the inescapable reality.  “And if we live righteous lives, then often we feel entitled to a little assistance during our journey.  This is usually when God looks the other way, of course.”

“Tell me about it” I grumbled, briefly glancing away as I rubbed a hand around behind my neck.  I’d experienced the feeling of being left in the lurch on more than one occasion.

“There are things I would like to show you, share with you” he told me, now sounding rather grave.  “One old text in particular holds great interest – to each and every man alive.”

“And where is said text?” I could not help but ask as the seduction of curiosity quickly kicked in.   Aged writings to me were a thoroughly irresistible and addictive substance.

“Well, by now you’ve been through everything on my Palm, I’m sure – so you know it’s not on there” he chuckled under his breath and so now I felt like a voyeur.  I had ordered him to surrender the device to Kevin, who indeed had been going over it with a fine tooth comb.  And like my own PDA, there was precious little on it beyond photos of loved ones.

“Ah, yes, about that” I began, clearing my throat.  “Kevin is ready to return it to you.  I – please forgive the necessity.”

“No need to apologize” Aaron deferred.  “Unlike you, I don’t have the means, or luxury of time, to scan texts to OCR.  I do have a photographic memory, though – to a certain degree” he explained, which intrigued me because I also possessed the much the same.  “I don’t procure ancient writings, either, like you do – although I may ferret them out from time to time.

“The one of which I speak is disquieting, though” he now went on, sounding rather solemn.  “By all appearances it looks to be the real deal, and what that portends?  Well – in the wrong hands it could be just the thing certain parties need as an end to justify their means.”

“However?” I voiced for him, since it was clear that word was perched on his the tip of his tongue.

“It needs to be dated, first off” he revealed.  “I have never heard rumor of such a work – and yet it exists.  A clever forgery it might be and I’m… I’m afraid that there are few alive who possess the technology, or the academia, to validate it.”

“And yet fewer alive who could have forged it?” was my prompt, one born of supposition.  “Perhaps it was forged Post-Time, this is your concern” I surmised and so he nodded.

We just held each other’s eyes for several protracted heartbeats.

The list of those who would have had this ability was indeed short.

And there was no way the AFA could pull it off – not without help, and not without me having sniffed out rumor of such a project.

This, then, left the Unspoken.

“And odder yet its location, or perhaps instead it might be considered humorous, it’s resting place” Aaron grunted.  “Care to take a trip?” he now asked, his sea-gray eyes locked on mine.  “A sojourn of two friends you can call it.”

“My senior officers will object” I laid out for him in complete candor.  Eric and Greg weren’t about to let me go anywhere with this Member – alone.

One heartbeat, two – Aaron only considered me as he stood there, hands clasped behind his back.

“I see” he returned.  “I understand, how it would appear – your taking off into parts unknown with a Member of The Brotherhood.”  Isn’t that what I often did with Aidan, though?  Go trouncing off into the wilderness, alone, with The Order’s Head of Assassins?  And his lethal minion playmates?

Aaron was hinting that I trusted one Member over another.

Which would be a wrong assumption – since I trusted Aaron as I did my own brother.

At least in certain regards.

“Well, not really the unknown – and not so far,” he clarified with a shrug, “but one hundred miles or one would make no different to your Colonel and Captain-Major, or so I suspect.  It is comforting to know, however, that you have friends who will fight tooth and claw to protect you.”

And what was I supposed to say to that?  To my ears it almost sounded as if he held my comrades in disdain, which caused me to set my jaw at the notion.  Or perhaps he was alluding that I didn’t feel he would do the same as Eric and Greg?

“To Serve” Aaron now espoused, getting down to one knee, reading my mind, it seemed.  So like Aidan, I considered as I looked down upon him.  His left hand was clenched to a fist and pressed to his chest while knelt there with his head bowed.

I wasn’t about to again ask him why he should take up that repose with me.  The first and only time I had, his answer left me feeling unsettled and very much ill at ease.

“You are bewildering” I grumbled as I got down on my knees.  “Do you know that, Aaron Gallagher?” I asked and now he looked up.

“That is not my intent, Collin” was his return.  “I have a task.  You have a task.  Both are one in the same.  I need your help and you need mine.  I… am loath to remove the book from its resting place” he now voiced reservation.  “As I have said, in the wrong hands, with the wrong interpretation – it could give justification for jihad.

“I think we both know that The Order avoids conflict” the man now went on.  “Their ranks are not as numerous as they would have… others… believe.  And I am of a mind that you withhold this information from your AFA masters,” he hit that proverbial nail right on the head, “just as the AFA would have everyone believe that they themselves are not out to exterminate The Order.”  Again the hammer squarely slammed down upon yet another nail, and resoundingly at that.

“This book speaks to the hearts of all men” Aaron now continued in a low voice after a moment’s pause.  “Mankind has strayed from God’s intended path and this collection of writings has the power to lead them back – or to destroy them” Aaron declared, but I found it odd how he would always refer to us, mankind, in the third person.  “It explains the Apocalypse, what lead up to it, as well as what would take place afterwards.  It’s the stuff of religion, Commander.  Man looks around himself, his world, for meaning – for purpose.  I am afraid that someone, or rather some group, had foresight in the frailty of this Time After, and thus seeks to take advantage of the weakness of men without direction.”

“And what do you, personally, think of this book?” I now asked, curious as to what his answer would be.  Drawing in a deep breath, he hung his head for a moment.

“It speaks to my heart as well,” was his admission as he looked up at me, “but as I said, in the wrong hands…” he then trailed off, falling to silence for several heartbeats.  “The story it tells is written in archaic Aramaic.  Although I do have a grasp of this language, I am by no means a scholar of this ancient tongue.”

“Such a text could not have survived all these years!” was my challenge and so he nodded.

“No, this text I uncovered seems to be just one in an unending line of reproductions,” Aaron concurred, “but even this reproduction is ancient enough, and faithfully copied, I’ll wager, if it is indeed the real deal, that is.  It is the oldest copy I have ever seen.

“However, for all its appearance as an ancient book, it could be a contrivance” Aaron conceded.  “Even if that is the case, the work can still hold great insight into our world’s present state of affairs.  How mankind got from point A to point B, and where he must go from here.”

And where do we go from here? I thought.  No one had any clear idea – we were too busy just trying to keep mankind off the endangered species list.

“Why do you always refer to mankind in the third person?” I now dared ask and so Aaron only held my eyes.  Otherwise he was not inclined to answer, or so it seemed.

But when he did, I stopped breathing.

“My lineage does not parallel that of mankind” was his simple statement – one full of complexity none the less.

I believed him, though, and without question, I was disturbed to realize.  What I had felt that time, touching his person?  I understood without a doubt this was no mere mortal.

“That doesn’t mean that I am not a man, however” he added in clarification.  Well, that was a conundrum there, his statement.  Searching his eyes I had the impression that Aaron was holding his breath.  I didn’t feel as if he was deceiving me, but rather that he was afraid I might think he was a nutcase.

Releasing a long, low breath I now ran a hand over my eyes, letting it linger there a moment.  After dropping it, I then walked back over to the edge of the promontory and looked out over the canyon below.  So much to accept, but impossible to not – and the true nature of my relationship with Aaron I had been unable to share with anyone.

My senior officers would have me carted off in a straitjacket should I utter my notions about this Member of The Ascendancy.

“Why choose me?” I simply asked over my shoulder, standing there with my hands stuffed in my pockets.

“Why not?” was his equally simple response.  “Collin, you are a righteous man, one with an invaluable hobby – not to mention the fact that you are thoroughly likable.”

“And you would have known that beforehand, how?” I now challenged, swiftly turning to face him.  “That I am likable?”

“You are a hard man to miss on the street, Commander” Aaron told me with a slanted grin.  “I spent time in San Francisco, before the Apocalypse, and I’ll admit I put some effort into peeling away the layers of Aidan O’Reilly’s fraternal twin.  The twin who was so unlikely to be recruited for Membership in The Brotherhood, let alone The Order.  Exclusive club, they were, The Order – hit men need only apply, after all” was his terse assessment.  “Not much has changed in that regard, I’ll bet.”

“Yeah, you’re right there” I chuckled, grinning.

“You were being considered as a candidate for The Ascendancy – but your brother put the kibosh on that” was his stunning revelation and I was certain that my jaw must have been swinging wide open.  “I am assuming that Aidan pressured you to join The Order, and very quickly, telling you that the window of opportunity was closing?  And it certainly was, for one of our Members was about to approach you.  A sad day that was, your initiation into The Order.  You would have been happier by far being Ascendancy.  Our Members at least had brain cells” he grunted.

“Well, I’d now be dead, though, wouldn’t I?” I put to him.  “Since The Order hunted down your Brothers.”

“Point taken – and in this, as in all things, God has Purpose” was his solemn determination.

“Who would have approached me?  For Membership in The Ascendancy?” I now continued this impromptu interrogation.

“Colonel Hofstra” was his straightforward answer, waiting to audition my reaction.  Swallowing hard I just looked at the man.  “I know – he died in the Middle East, but I can assure you that it was not an Islamic man who took his life.  I’d venture to guess that the man who was Colonel Hofstra’s bane was the same one who was your savior when you yourself got into a tight spot over there.

“So you see, Collin O’Reilly – Aidan didn’t just happen to be on assignment in the region.  He was there for a whole other purpose.  Oh, rest assured he was on a mission, just not for the CIA” he explained in a tempered voice and now I turned white.  “Had Aidan ever expressly told you that what brought him there was a mission for the CIA?  Or did he just say that he was on assignment in the Middle East?” was his pointed inquiry.  Feeling clammy now as I started to break out in a cold sweat, I cast my eyes to the ground, an attempt to mask my discomfort.  Aaron was right – Aidan never had used the words CIA and mission strung together in the same sentence to explain his presence in the region.

Apparently, his purpose had been to thwart my being recruited by The Ascendancy.

“But I had already been indoctrinated into The Order by that point” I was now quick to point out.  “It would have been too late to pledge to another Arm.”

“Is that what Aidan had led you to believe?” Aaron put to me.

“An Oath Eternal” I returned in a controlled voice.

“Yes, to The Brotherhood – but it was not uncommon for Members to transfer between its Arms.  Let me guess – Aidan conveniently omitted this particular?” he wanted to know.  No, Aidan hadn’t since he had made it clear my Oath was Eternal – but he just had never specified which Oath.

I was feeling sicker than sick I wanted to hurl.  It was like everything I knew was wrong.

“If you do not believe me, just ask Aidan on any of these points and audition his answers,” Aaron suggested, “or lack thereof, I’ll wager.  Often times if one Arm had need of special talents or skills, a transfer would be negotiated.  The recruiting Arm would be responsible for compensating the Arm to which the Member in question belonged.  This often meant an exchange of Members – the transfer would need to benefit both Arms or the exchange didn’t take place.

“Remember, Collin – above all, The Brotherhood takes care of its own, even if there is rivalry between its Arms” Aaron concluded.

“Except when one Arm tries to exterminate another?” was my rather sarcastic assessment, since according to Aaron The Order had set out to eradicate The Ascendancy.

“That affront was never Sanctioned!” was his adamant assertion, one made with a slashing motion of his hand.  “There are renegades in all societies of men, Collin, past and present alike.  The cutthroats walk hand in hand with the conscientious objectors, I’m afraid.  And we both know who wins in that case.”

“Didn’t the other Arms come to your aid?  When your Members started dropping like flies?” I now steered him away from that topic and back to the one of personal interest to me.

“There had been no open war declared on The Ascendancy by The Order” he made clear.  “The Order testified in front of The Brotherhood Combined Council that they had authorized no such action.  They obfuscated their way through the Hearing, but trust me – pointed questions were avoided being asked, and so that being said…” Aaron trailed off with an aggravated sigh.

“Were you… at the Hearing?” I could not stop myself from asking, being morbidly fascinated, and so he nodded in affirmation.  “Was my brother present?” I immediately followed this with yet another question.

“I was at the Hearing but not your brother – and even if his Station had been lofty enough to warrant his presence, then I am certain he would have found excuse to be absent” was his dry summation.  “So, perhaps you can understand why I’m not overly keen on your brother and The Order.”

“Tell me, what did The Ascendancy do to piss off everyone else?” the questions kept right on coming but now I noticed that Aaron was beginning to migrate towards a state of discomfort.

“I’ve told you more than I ever should” he now tried to back away from my interrogation – literally.  Aaron started his retreat, shaking his head.  “I don’t know what it is about you, Collin, that demands I unburden myself.  It’s supposed to be the other way around.  You think I’m a mystery?  Well, you are an even bigger one, Commander – trust me on this.”

“Seamus won’t say boo to me about The Ascendancy” I kept at him, following his retreat as he turned tail and headed back towards the base.  “Just why is that, Aaron?” I called after him, jogging to catch up and when I did I grabbed his shoulder.  This stopped him dead in his tracks and to my dismay I could feel him trembling.

“Aaron?” I prompted, now walking round to face him.  Once more he was quick to drop to one knee, again flustering me to no end.  Down I went with him, determined to get some answers, even if I suspected them to be ones that I wasn’t going to like.

“Why do you kneel to me, Aaron?  And don’t say it’s out of honor for me or my rank or something along an inane line of thinking” was my caution.

“Ok, then I won’t” he was now quick to snap, and it was interesting to see that this Member had a temper.  “There’s so much you should know, Collin – so much I am unable to reveal to you, because you are Order.  I am the sole keeper of a Divergent Faith – a belief that got my brethren slaughtered.  Shouldn’t this be enough for you to know?  Mine is to Protect, Collin – to save your soul, if no other.”

“You sound like a Jesuit – demanding that my soul be saved regardless if I want that or not” I laughed with ill ease but he did not find my remark amusing.

“I was Ordained as a Catholic Priest” was his dead serious comeback.  “I had another calling, however – although my being a priest made me uniquely qualified as a journalist in the Time Before, covering the Middle East conflict.  God put me to work where I would do the most good.”  Well, this was subjective, since being devout Catholic meant that all objectivity flew out the window, right along with freedom of will.

“Are you able to tell me about this… Divergent Faith?” I asked with hope, for with each word the man uttered he was only more deeply drawing me into his tale.

Whether or not that was his intent.

“You are not Ascendancy” he refused, shaking his head.  “And no, Collin – this isn’t a ploy to tempt you into changing sides.  Hardly, since I am all that is left of my Sect – at least, that I know.”

“Well, then that’s a rather brutal tease, then, isn’t it?” I grumbled, starting to become agitated by this point in our dance of words.

“You are able to read Aramaic, though – am I correct?” was his wholly ludicrous inquiry and so I just blinked at him.  How could he know that I had studied this language?  “The text of which I speak, if legitimate, validates the Faith.  And if it is not legitimate?  Well, it still supports the belief of The Ascendancy.”  Now I had to laugh.

“So, let me see if I have this right – you are proposing to look the other way while I read this text?” I asked of him and so he slowly nodded.

“Yes, since it is in The Ascendancy’s library of sanctioned texts I am unable to recite from it to any who are not Ascendancy” Aaron explained – another tease for this implied they had had in their possession many intriguing historical volumes.  “I trust your senior officers will allow you another trip to Salt Lake City?”  To this I raised an eyebrow.  After all – this was where we had made our formal acquaintance, Aaron and I.

“Is that why you were there that time?  To keep me from stumbling across that book?” was my direct questioning.

“No, Collin – that wasn’t why I was there,” he assured me and I believed him, “but I was certainly curious as to what had brought you there.  And more curious yet which text it was you took with you – the one which ambushed your interest.  I’ve been through just about every book in that repository, after all.

“Your insight is invaluable to me, you see – since your experience greatly differs from mine.  We were born of opposing worlds” he said in conclusion; an odd way of putting that, I thought.

“Give me your hand” I now commanded him, even though he wasn’t mine to command.  Aaron was about to protest but before he could I reached out and took hold of his wrist.  He was afraid of me – at least, in that moment he was, but this was quick to subside.  “Why should we feel anything when we touch?” I asked in a low voice, but yet I did not let go of his wrist.

“I… can’t explain Collin – not yet” he told me, and although I could feel he was not lying, he was obfuscating none the less.  “I suspect things but yet have no proof.  Will you please trust me?  When I obtain evidence to back up my theories, then I will tell you.  Until that time it’s all just conjecture – which could do more harm than good if my hypotheses don’t pan out.”  The man made sense – this point I could not argue.  Supposition these days was a deadly proposition.

Releasing my grasp on him, I nodded once in affirmation and then got to my feet.  I had stayed out there too long with Aaron as it was – Eric was going to have a bird.  Time and again he had advised me against being alone with Aaron.  Once he found out I was alone with this Member and isolated?  He’d ream my ass for certain – regardless the fact that there were Wardens watching my back.

Standing to face me, Aaron appeared relieved that at present I would press him no further.

However, he was soon to have something else to stress over.

“I have been ordered to AFA High Command” I announced as I now turned back towards the base, with Aaron falling in alongside me.  “I am to bring you with me, to meet Supreme-General Karloff.”  Aaron didn’t say anything in return, which meant he disagreed.  “He has assured me that no harm will come to you – it’s just a… public relations visit.  We go there together, we leave there together.”

Still he didn’t say anything.

“But?” he eventually prompted me to drop the other shoe.

“This is the assurance of my CO, who is Elite-General Hasting – I don’t have the assurance of Supreme-General Karloff, however” I was loath to admit.

“General Karloff has said as much?” he probed but I just shook my head.

“I would have to go over my own CO’s head for that,” I grunted, “and I’ve already done that once – which was one time too many.  So, sorry, Aaron – this is all the assurance I can give you.  They are eager to speak with you, however – and if it means anything, they crave any alliance with Members of The Brotherhood, regardless the degree.”

“Will your alliance with me bolster your position within AFA High Command?” was his shrewd inquiry and what could I say to that?  It sure would.  Even if Aaron was the last of his Arm.

“Yes – and if this makes me an opportunist, then I am guilty as charged” I accepted.  “I… I have not lived up to their expectations,” was my candid revelation, “in courting The Order’s Head of Assassins.  They feel that because Aidan is my brother, it should be a slam dunk, which proves how little they understand of Members.”

“Or rather just those who have Sworn to The Order” he corrected.  “Have they ever questioned Finney about his Membership?  To The Legion?”

“Seamus?  No” I told him.  I understood what he was getting at – and now I felt ill at ease.  Stopping in my tracks, I looked at him.  “You can always just conveniently melt off into the desert, Aaron – I would not fault you for doing so.”

“I would never leave the side of a friend, a fellow Member, in his time of need” was his staunch reply.  “For me to go skulking away before you can show me off to your superiors and make a good impression, this would put you in one very bad position.  No, I’ll accompany you, Collin.  I trust you.”  Now, if that didn’t make me feel like a sack of shit I didn’t know what did.

“Well, let’s just pray that doesn’t get you killed” I grumbled with unease, shrugging my shoulders as I now resumed my trajectory.  My words, however, made Aaron break out in laughter.

“I don’t go down that easily, Collin – never have, never will” he boasted and so I could not help but grin.

And I would stake my life on it that in this assertion of his, Aaron was dead on the money.

Collin viewed me as an oddity – this was the decision I made as I took a sip of tea.  My arrival at his AFA IntelliCore base had caused quite a stir – something akin to adding a rare zoological specimen to his already diverse collection.

Smiling to myself, I considered how truly unique were his men.  Each and every last one had some shining quality, skill or talent – not run of the mill Army personnel by any stretch.

Being Sunday morning, I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast in the mess hall.  After all this was the Lord’s day, the Sabbath.  The base Commander skimped on nothing, it was clear – and Collin’s pension for good food had not gone unnoticed by me.  Partaking for the first time of the edible delights his chefs would create – I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.

And you should know, Aaron Gallagher, I thought to myself with a mental grin.

Been there.

Done that.

I’d been fending for myself in the wild for so long that I had pretty much forgotten what truly good food tasted like.  Therefore, this recent change of fare was something for which I was most certainly grateful.

With a sigh turned inward, however, I now begged my Father for His forgiveness.  His World, the natural world, had provided for me during those years, and it was wrong of me to appear ungrateful.  Sustenance was a blessing, regardless the degree of palatability.

Glancing up as I polished off my eggs, I now saw Collin striding into the mess hall.  He was an early bird to be certain – as were his key officers.  The woman who held his affection, however?  She would rise when she was darned well ready – which was long after the cock crowed most days.

And there was one topic I needed not to ponder – that of the woman Sierra.

Collin walked straight up to his men who were gathered round another table on the other side of the mess hall.  Briefly he spoke to them and then once done with that he then made a beeline for the table where I sat.

“Well – good morning, Aaron” Collin said in greeting as he took a seat across from me, offering up that irresistible smile of his.  “I thought you’d be in the middle of a grueling workout?”

“Good morning to you to, Commander – this is the Sabbath” I reminded him and so he offered me a curious look.

“That never stopped my brother” he told me.  “Aidan has always maintained that working out is pleasurable and therefore it doesn’t count.”  Well, I begged to differ, but I was not about to get drawn into any further discussions which revolved around, or even remotely involved, Aidan Kael O’Reilly of The Order.  Regardless, it was a pointless topic, this of working on the Sabbath.  Everyone here on base did – Sunday was just another day in the AFA, after all.

“I’ll need to step up my workouts” I grunted.  “Eating here is bound to eventually pack on the pounds” I laughed, broadly grinning.  “Naturally, the older we get, the harder it is to keep off.  Later on I’ll at least go for a long, reflective walk.  I’d appreciate your company – that is, if you can fit it into your schedule?” I posed and so he nodded.

“Absolutely – I don’t work on Sunday, either” he informed me and this brought about in me a smile.  The Commander was more Brotherhood than he would ever admit.

Then again, this I had always known.  Collin O’Reilly was one of Us, even if he publicly balked at the notion.

“Thank you – until later, then” I said as I prepared to get up.  “I’ll leave you to breakfast with your comrades.”

“You should join us next time” he again offered, same as he had every day since my arrival.  “I promise we won’t grill you.  No man should have to break bread alone” was his reminder and I could only look at him, waiting for the inevitable.  “Or, I could just make it an order, eh?  This is my domain, after all, and when in Rome…” and there it was.  The friend turned master, I chuckled to myself.  Up until now Collin had been trying to be diplomatic about my partaking in their early morning gatherings.  All week I had deferred.  So now having exhausted his options, or rather his patience I was of a mind, the Commander would finally play hardball.

“Tomorrow then” I accepted and this pleased the man to no end.

“Excellent!” he chirped, smiling from ear to ear.  Victory was his, after all.  As he was about to say something else, we were interrupted by Eric who now strode over to us.

“Commander, sorry to disturb you – but I just received word that your brother is here” Collin’s Colonel told him, slipping his Palm back into his pocket.  One heartbeat, two – he just held Eric’s eyes before he then ran a hand over his face, letting it linger there a moment.

“Did he just slither in?” he asked in a controlled voice, letting his hand fall away from his face.  His Colonel, though, didn’t respond – which apparently meant that Aidan had showed up wholly unwelcome.

“Ryan came in with him, although there is probably at least two more Assassins out there somewhere that our Wardens haven’t yet detected” Eric reasoned.

“At least” Collin echoed as he now looked to me.  “I apologize for my brother showing up unannounced, Aaron.  I… know how you feel about Members of The Order.  You’ll be protected here, however.”

Wanna bet?  Or so was was my assessment, one which I didn’t voice.  I was a sitting duck, basically, should Aidan decide to finish the job and knock off this last Member of The Ascendancy.  After all, it would take only one Member of The Ascendancy to bring to life Aidan’s worst nightmare.

“I have no fear of The Order’s Head of Assassins” I declared, which in turn caused Collin to raise an eyebrow.  Even Eric looked amused.  I was also an Elite-Assassin, and every bit as good as Aidan, I’d wager – and I was thoroughly familiar with his deadly reputation.

“Hmm, well – ok, then,” Collin accepted in a low voice, “but I am” he freely admitted with a grunt.  “Gives me the willies most times, Truth be told.  I may love and respect my brother, but the man scares the crap out of me and that is no lie” he muttered, getting up from the table.  “There’s still time to head for the hills, if you like.”

“I’d like to accompany you to greet your brother, if I may” I requested.  “Might as well get it over with – and it is the Sabbath, after all.”

“Do you think that means Aidan won’t kill on a Sunday?” was his frank inquiry and I would hope not, but then again – Aidan wasn’t fond of playing it by the book, either.

“One can only hope” was my flat response, and so Collin now nodded, once, releasing a long low breath.

“If you are looking for some excitement, sure – tag along” Collin laughed.  “We can watch Aidan get all twisted, I suppose.  Colonel Jones – my brother is being detained where?”

“Northeast entrance, sir” Eric returned, and so looking down for a moment, Collin considered his options.

“Alright – first off, make sure Sierra doesn’t get in the way.  Not that she’s yet risen of course, but on the off chance” he chuckled, grinning as his thoughts now strayed to the sultry little temptress.  “Then have my brother escorted to my ready room,” Collin decided, “and instruct  the Wardens to afterwards post themselves outside the door” he gave instruction.  “Also, tell Seamus to join us.  I don’t care what he is doing, either – convey to him that unless it’s a matter of life or death then he needs to get his tail there pronto.”

With that Collin turned on his heel, heading towards the exit.  Out of courtesy I bowed to Eric – only to keep up appearances, however.  Collin’s Second I did not like, and not just because the man was a stuck up brown-noser, either.  It was rather instead that I had quite a bit of Pre-Time dirt on Collin’s overly dedicated Colonel.

Following in the Commander’s wake, I could only imagine how his brother would receive me.  Collin was being prudent, though – asking his Elite-Assassin cousin to join us.  I had no clear idea whether or not Aidan would know who I was, but as a result of this meeting he would at least know what I was.  Regardless, I would need to continually watch my back when he was on base.  After all, Greater Good was the mantra of The Order.  Even though it was the first and foremost Way of The Brotherhood, The Order had so greatly skewed this sacred Way that its true intent had been all but lost.

Often times, Greater Good meant seeing to the safety of a single individual, for in the salvation of one could the salvation of all others be found at hand.

Try to tell this to Members of The Order, however?  Uphill battle – now as then.

“He’ll write it off to my eccentricity, that of my having collected a nomad” Collin predicted as we walked along together.  “Or perhaps just my need to see how far he can be pushed” he augmented, offering one of his frequent a devil-may-care grins.

“That’s not exactly wise, Collin – when the object of the taunt is an Elite-Assassin of The Order” I felt a need to remind him else wise I’d be remiss if I did not.  Granted, Aidan was his fraternal twin brother.  However, if removing Collin from this world would Serve the Greater Good of The Order?  In less than half a heartbeat Aidan would retire his twin.  Of this I had no doubt whatsoever and had proof to back up my assertion.  Aidan had thought nothing of having his own wife assassinated, after all.

All in the name of Greater Good.

Abruptly stopping in his tracks, Collin now turned to confront my assessment about poking a stick at his lethal brother.

“To Protect” I stated, not expecting him to understand.  Although, working out what I was about, that was an irresistible lure to this AFA Commander-General who clearly loved a good mystery.

“You keep saying that,” he brought to mind in a low voice, “and again I will ask.  The question I have is – why?  And please don’t tell me Greater Good.”

“Then I won’t” I delivered my pat response with a straight face but then grinned.  Impatience was smoldering in his eyes, poised to flare up into anger, but it was then just as quick to subside.

“You’re quite the comedian, aren’t you?” Collin grumbled.  Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, he searched my eyes.  “You are a mystery and a half, Aaron Gallagher, and although logic demands I not so quickly lend you my trust, yet here I find myself doing just that, and more by the day.  Do you have any insight as to why this is, any wisdom which you are able to lend me in return?” he put to me and disconcertingly enough, Collin now grew very, very still.

This meant that he damned well expected an honest answer.

“God works in mysterious ways” I offered with a shrug and to this Collin surprisingly chuckled, his mood lightening.

“That’s a mouthful” he now mumbled as he again grew solemn.  Holding my gaze for several more heartbeats he then turned on his heel.  Once again we set off on our original trajectory.  “Why aren’t you and my cousin Seamus more like Assassins from The Order?” was his venture onto dangerous ground.  “They are a fairly dark bunch, their Members – the majority, anyway.”

“And how many of their Members do you personally know, exactly?” I indulged myself in asking him and once again he stopped up short – but this time he was glaring at me from behind his fiery gemstone green eyes.

“More than you do, I’d venture” he declared and so I just blinked.

“And by reputation alone I know even more,” I revealed, “the point I am trying to make is an old one, Collin.  Don’t judge a book by its cover, or even by the first few pages, and certainly not by the ending.  I don’t doubt there are many good men who are Members of The Order.  Just as there are many good men who are soldiers of the AFA.  However, that doesn’t mean that either won’t obey the commands of their superiors.

“If you would judge all Members of The Order based on Aidan and those closest to him then, well – that would not be prudent” was my assessment.  “Remember, Aidan is their Head of Assassins which means he is considerably high up in the food chain.  He doesn’t keep himself in the company of the common man, eh?  Or as Aidan would likely view them, the bottom feeders.”

Casting at me a side glance as we now continued on our way, I could discern that Collin was just plain prejudiced against The Brotherhood – period.  This was a dangerous thing – and for all Brothers who walked God’s Earth, no less.

Releasing a weighted sigh, Collin nodded.

“You are right” he conceded as we now emerged into the central cavern, crossing through it on our way to the Admin wing of the facility.  Looking outside the entrance as we passed by, I could see that a glorious day was in the offing – a true gift from God, a splendor in which to revel.

Or would be, if it wasn’t for the delicate encounter soon to be at hand, one that I predicted would stain this day in a dark color.

Once more Collin stopped – this time to pull out his PDA.  Turning it on he then impatiently started tapping away, followed by some not so patient waiting.  In a few moments his PDA chirped and so just as soon as he had turned it on, he now turned it off.

“Seamus is on his way; he’ll be along momentarily” he informed me, now folding his arms across his chest.  “Better safe than sorry, although Aidan wouldn’t dare to shed blood here” Collin declared, which only meant that his understanding of The Brotherhood, The Order, and his brother as well, was sorely lacking.  It was an education of which he was desperately in need – and one which I fully intended to give him.

Not then, and not all at once.

To aggressively work against his brother so soon, and too quickly, would be to alienate Collin.  For one thing I did know about this pair of fraternal twins, without a doubt, was that each loved the other – regardless.  So strong were the ties of family, I considered – and I was not immune from such frailty, either, I was forced to confess.

After a few minutes of silent waiting, we now saw Finney hastily approaching, fearing the worse I suspected.

“Seamus” Collin said in greeting.  He was the only one, it seemed, who called his cousin by his given name rather than his nickname.  However, this was Collin all over.  The man seemed to feel a great need to walk a different path in all things, great and small alike.

“What are you intending, cousin?” Finney asked in a low voice as he now joined us.  In response, Collin wasted no time in turning on his heel to now resume trajectory towards his ready room.  Apparently he didn’t feel his cousin was due an answer.

Courting Collin’s temper, Finney reached out a hand to grasp hold of his shoulder.

“Lad?” he prompted and so Collin then whirled about to confront his cousin.  However, as quick as he was to anger so he was to soften.

“Aidan is going to find out sooner or later” was his response.  “I would keep no secrets from my brother” he tacked on and now Finney’s eyes grew wide.  “You know what I mean, Seamus!” Collin snapped.

“Cousin, there’s such a thing as discretion” Finney advised in a low voice.

“And reaction,” Collin was quick to counter, “which is what I am after, Seamus.”

“Why?  I’ve already confirmed what Aaron has told you, about Members from The Order having hunted down Ascendancy Members” he reminded his cousin but Collin only shrugged.  “Don’t be so sure that today Aidan won’t finish the job they started in the Time Before, eh?”

“Aidan holds me no fear” I put in my two cents.

“Then you are clueless, Aaron – no offense intended” Finney said to me, holding my eyes in challenge for several heartbeats.  “Aidan has no conscience.”  This was something I knew all too well, unfortunately.

“That’s a given,” Collin grunted in return, “but two Elite-Assassins against one?  And Wardens posted outside the door?  I’m hoping the odds will be in my favor.”  His favor?  What about mine? I thought with a silent chuckle.  However, I was just another tool in the Commander’s toolbox – on our way to becoming fast friends, even if Collin kept making an attempt at caution.  Who could blame him?  An inherent mistrust he held for all things Brotherhood – to change this phobia would take more than a day, a week, a month or even years, I’d wager.

His cousin and I exchanged glances, each understanding there would be no swaying Collin.  I did, however, want to stand face to face with The Assassin – I needed to size up the man, up close and personal, as it were, to get a sense of what we were up against.  Collin’s brother had colored so far outside the lines during the course of his life that it was hard to believe that he was even Brotherhood at all.

Obedience had never been one of Aidan’s strong suits, though – and I was of a mind that Collin was woefully unaware the extent of this particular failing in his brother.  Even though it was likely to save the Commander’s life someday.  However, in Collin’s journey from point A to point B, this deficiency of Aidan’s was bound to squarely place Collin in harm’s way.

Upon reaching the Commander’s ready room, I could see that Wardens had indeed been posted outside the door.  Stopping only long enough to take a deep breath, Collin then forged ahead, opening the door to then march right on inside.

In his wake Finney and I followed.

On the other side of the room, standing straight, tall and motionless, was my adversary.

Even if Aidan didn’t yet realize that it was more personal than business, the clandestine feud between us.  And did he have a clue who I was?  Not yet, I would venture, but making myself known he’d waste no time in ferreting out my own secrets.  I could only prey that I had kept them well guarded.

“Brother!” Collin exclaimed in greeting, an enormous smile gracing his face – and one not forced, either, I could tell.  Regardless the circumstances, he would always be happy to see his brother, or so I had been given the impression.  Even when he talked about Aidan, any disdain he held towards his fraternal twin was in the same instant tempered by his love for his brother, and vice versa.

Aidan did not return his brother’s greeting, notably – instead he only offered Collin and his cousin a cursory look before then locking eyes with me.

“Are there any more Members lurking about out there?” Collin now asked, folding his arms across his chest as he rocked on his heels.

“No, but one seems to have slipped in right under your nose” was Aidan’s droll assessment but his brother only shrugged.

“Not quite – he’s a stray I picked up” the Commander explained with a grin.  “Isn’t that right, Aaron?” he prompted.  Standing to his left and slightly behind, I now moved forward, but was mindful to keep out of Aidan’s strike zone.  Turning to look at Collin, I could sense, if not see, that Aidan stiffened.

He had spotted the tattoo on the left side of my neck.

The one which announced that I was Ascendancy.

“And he’s a stray who has one very… enlightening… tale to tell” Collin now said in a low voice as his demeanor turned blackly foreboding.

“Didn’t Ma ever warn you about talking to strangers?” was Aidan’s parched inquiry, his infamous desert dry humor making an appearance.  This rumor then about The Order’s Head of Assassins was Truth.

And an Elite-Assassin with a dark and arid sense of humor was a dangerous thing indeed.

I only offered Aidan a faint grin – in other words, a challenge.  Not so much because I wanted to goad him, but rather to set his feet on the path of distraction.  The assassin’s mind was racing; you could almost hear it.  This meant that I was a major question mark in Aidan’s cozy little world of this Time After.  Much more troubling was the existence of one lone Member of The Ascendancy than were hundreds of those from The Legion who had recently stormed these shores.

“You are in essence, Collin, his sworn enemy” was Aidan’s cool assessment, which was Truth enough given that Collin was Order.

Something that should have never been allowed to come to pass! I thought in regret.  It had never been scripted that Collin join The Brotherhood in the Time Before, much less The Order.  However, when the undoable had been done, we of the Ascendancy started scrambling, our sights set on seducing Collin into aligning with another Arm.  We could not undo what had been done, after all, which had been Collin Swearing an Oath to The Brotherhood.

Our bid to lure Collin away was thwarted by The Order, time and again, before the subject of an offer could even be broached.

A fleeting look of confusion crossed the Commander’s face in response to his brother’s statement.  This was an indication that Collin had never really thought of himself as Brotherhood, much less Order.

“As are you, then?  His enemy?” Collin put to his brother in a low voice.  “Would you care to explain to me why The Order had sought to eradicate The Ascendancy?”

“Had?” was Aidan’s cool return, a not so obvious threat.  “I’m sure our cousin has filled you in, brother” was his prediction, now glancing at Finney who was standing off to one side.  Still as stone their cousin was, watching every tick and twitch of us all – on the off chance that the testosterone levels became elevated to such a point where someone did something stupid, which would mean Collin.  Reportedly, Collin had an innate ability to push Aidan’s buttons like no other.

“Seamus only acknowledged that this was fact” the Commander flatly countered.  “Perhaps you’d like to brighten up those gray areas for me, hmm?” he suggested but Aidan had nothing to say.

“Name?” Aidan now directly asked of me, giving me his attention.  He was due at least this much.

“Aaron Michael Gallagher” I told him but apparently this didn’t ring any bells – but not for long.  Aidan would begin his own investigation and I had best not forget that he was ex-CIA.  He was every bit as skilled at ferreting out information as was his brother Collin who had spent his whole career in military intelligence.

“Station?” he further probed, another question he was due an answer.  However, I would not go beyond this.

“Elite-Assassin and Ascendancy High Council Member” I confirmed his guess and then bowed to him – after all, he was The Order’s Head of Assassins, a Lord of The Brotherhood by all accounts.  With reluctance, Aidan remembered his manners and nodded to me in return – all the respect he felt I was due, apparently.

“A moment of your time, brother – in private” the lethal assassin now requested of Collin and so Collin shrugged.

“For my brother?  Sure – why not?” he accepted and then turned to look at me and Finney.  “Gentlemen, if you would?” was his request that was in reality an order.  And so in obedience, both of us bowed to him and Aidan in turn and then took our leave.  As we did so, I could feel the cold daggers in my back that were Aidan’s icy black eyes.

Closing the door behind us I understood that Collin’s brother was royally pissed.

And thus the infamous O’Reilly temper was another Truth to rear its head.  Both brothers suffered from it.

Finney and I now walked along the corridor in silence, away from Collin’s ready room.

“Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?” the Irishman asked with a side glance.  To this I responded with one raised eyebrow.

Caffeine was supposed to be shunned by all true Elite-Assassins, after all.

In this case, I’d make an exception though, as would Finney it was clear.

“Absolutely – might need the energy to hightail it out of here” I grumbled but then grinned.  “Aidan was none too pleased by the revelation of my existence.”

“Aye, but more so that he hadn’t had prior knowledge of any surviving Ascendancy Members” was his reasoning with a grunt.

“Well, he unless he is God then he can’t be all-knowing, can he?” I returned in a low voice and so Finney nodded in agreement.

We got ourselves some hot coffee and then found a quiet corner of the mess hall to sit, out of the way.  Long we sat there, sipping coffee but otherwise holding our tongues.  When Finney decided to speak, it wasn’t along a path I had expected him to take.

“Collin has always been extremely open to suggestion” he now told me, much to my surprise.  Not that I was actually surprised by what he said, but rather that he was telling me at all.  “Like Collin, I have a good feeling about you, I did even back when I first met you, ages ago now – regardless your being Ascendancy.  And granted, Aidan is not my favorite person, but he is Family – and Collin greatly loves his brother.”

“Despite everything – this is what you are getting at?” I put to him and so he nodded.

“Yes.  Now, I don’t know where this is all heading, your relationship with Collin – but, he considers you to be a friend.  This is a rare privilege, let me assure you – and doubly so since my cousin never so quickly lends his trust.  Do you understand me here?”  Considering him at length, I then gave my answer.

“Yes” was my simple reply, wondering where he was leading me, however.

“That being said, I would strongly advise you against placing Collin in a position where he would need to choose between you and his brother” was his weighted advice.  “Aidan could kick his ass from here to Kingdom Come and back nonstop for a year straight, and Collin would forgive him in the end.  Don’t ask me why, I have no idea, but that’s just the way it is, and has always been.  Aidan even stole to love of Collin’s life right out from under his nose, and Collin upped and forgave his brother.  He was even happy in a twisted way that if he had to lose the woman to another man, then he was glad it was his brother.”  This I had known, for I had a rather comprehensive dossier on each brother and their lives together – both In the Time Before as well as this Time After.

“As Christians, that is what is required of us, to forgive” I pointed out.  Personally I believed this, as a priest I subscribed to it, but this didn’t mean that I let it get in the way of my job.  However, I was well aware that Collin carried his forgiveness to extremes, which should come as no surprise, actually, given who and what he was.

“Aye, it is – but with Collin it gets a little old sewing him back up, body and soul alike” was his dour assertion.

“Should we have not left him alone with Aidan, then?” I now wondered aloud.

“Aidan won’t do anything while on base to make Collin lose face” was his matter-of-fact response.  “He’ll just add it to a growing list of offenses that Collin has committed, and believe me, Aaron Gallagher, Aidan will one day hold him accountable for it all.  Every last one, and before The Order’s High Council.”

“Not if I can help it” I growled under my breath.

“You and me both,” the Irishman agreed, “but in all reality, there may be little we can do to stop that.  You may have noticed that the Commander demands his privacy” he pointed out an inescapable fact – one which troubled me to no end.  Collin should have had Wardens with him round the clock.  However, how could I tell Finney my reasons for feeling this way?  Much less tell Collin?  The man would not take kindly to having a bodyguard, and that was the sad Truth.  Collin craved isolation – so that he could wallow in his sorrow.  Sorrow over a woman lost long ago that he could not expunge from his soul.  Even if he had, in a sense, recovered that love in the form of the woman Sierra.

And there was another thorn in my side – the alluring little Latina beauty who loved both Aidan and Collin, as they in turn loved her.  The Furtherance was already off to a very bad start, I considered.  Adultery, consensual or no, was taboo, after all, and on God’s list of the top ten no-no’s.

“I can try to broach the subject with Collin, that of a bodyguard, an Attendant,” I offered with a shrug, “for all the good it will do.  Given that he is Brotherhood, the man should have one Warden always watching his back round the clock.  Collin’s rank in the AFA is equal to that of a Lord of The Brotherhood, after all.  He would at least be a Council Member and should be afforded the same protection as They.”

“I’ve tried to be that to him myself, an Attendant, when I am able,” Finney revealed, “but it’s an uphill battle.  Even though we are friends and not just cousins, Collin still insists on a lot of alone time, and that often means out and about in the desert all by himself.  There’s no reasoning with the man, either.  Colonel Jones and Captain MacNamara keep after Collin as well, to not disappear.”  This was Truth.  I had often heard both Eric and Greg complaining that Collin had pulled another Houdini on them.  With that thought I smiled at the reference to a long dead escape artist.

And this, I decided, was what my new found friend was in need – escape.  By all accounts, the man would not even leave his PDA on long enough for it to be an effective communication device.

“The Commander is stubborn man” I said, mostly to myself and so Finney now grunted.

“You don’t know the half of it, lad – and that’s the Truth” he augmented in agreement, releasing a long low breath.  “A piece of advice, Aaron – if you don’t mind.  To frequently pester Collin about any topic, be it great or small, is likely to push him in the opposite direction, or worse – make him shut down altogether.

“Unfortunately, the only one who can successfully maneuver Collin and obtain results is Aidan” he now informed me.  “Needless to say, this is a bad thing.”

No kidding, I thought in aggravation.  It was the very reason why Collin had joined The Brotherhood in the first place when this event had never been scripted into The Plan, or The Furtherance, for that matter.

And this was yet more evidence that Aidan had had foreknowledge of both.  He had made every attempt to alter the destiny of his brother.

Now, to what extent – this was the question of the day, one to which I desperately needed an answer.  Otherwise, I could never go up against Aidan where Collin was concerned – at least, not with any real success.

“Patience in all things” I now pulled out a Brotherhood standard.  However, this caused the Irishman to burst out in a raucous of laughter.

“Again, you don’t know the half of it Aaron” he reiterated and then upended his coffee mug to finish the rest of his brew.  Somehow, I felt as if there was more behind his words than surface value – and this I would file away for consideration at a later date.  “I need to get back to work – good-day, Brother” Finney now said in parting, and with a bow of respect he then took his leave, leaving me there to long ponder his words.

And to lay my plans against his interfering cousin, Aidan.

Even when he worked with me, Collin worked against me, or such was my dismal consideration.  I could not leave the man alone for any amount of time without him unwittingly laying waste to any progress I would make.

Or perhaps it wasn’t unwittingly?  That was always a possibility, of course.

Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, he challenged me with his eyes.

“Go on and deck me – you just know you want to” was his goad and as tempting an offer as it was, I would pass.  “Cat got your tongue, Aidan?  I thought it was you who wanted a word with me” was his curt reminder and ok, now I wanted to beat the crap out of him.

“I came to see Sierra” I was quick to divert, skirting around the Ascendancy topic.  “I have brought a nanny who will aid in the rearing of my children once they are born” I told him and now he grew very still.

“Do you have this… Mary Poppins… in your pocket, by any chance?” was his droll inquiry.  “Or is she going to come floating down with umbrella in hand?”  First counting to ten, I then took a seat at the conference room table.

“She is at a distance, with Bryan and Quade” I told him.  “I wasn’t certain how the woman would be received, what with her being Brotherhood and all” I tossed out for consideration and now Collin furrowed his brow.

“You mean she Belongs to The Order?” he tried to put words in my mouth and so it was necessary to suppress a grin.

“Strictly speaking – yes, she belongs to Bryan, I transferred her ownership to him so she is now his asset,” I now clarified, “but she is Way.  A gift from their Mistress to The Order’s Head of Assassins.”  My brother only blinked and then after a heartbeat or two, he sat down as well, curiosity impatiently ranging behind his green eyes.  “I already have a woman, so I transferred ownership to Bryan” I explained.

“And not to Quade?” he probed and so this time I chuckled.

“I don’t think Quade’s wife would appreciate him taking another” was my flat reply as I leaned back in my chair, waiting for my brother to drop his jaw.

And he did not disappoint.

He was about to make comment but thought better of it.

“I thought The Way was a… myth?” Collin now questioned and as clandestine as The Way had been, it was secret and no myth.  “Regardless,” my impatient twin now pressed ahead, “why would you accept such a woman, and so freely?  And furthermore, trust her with your children?”

“She is Brotherhood,” I reiterated, “an Assassin.  She will make an outstanding nanny and protector, as the Mistress of The Way sees it, and I am inclined to agree.”

“You’re jerking my chain, right?” he now spoke in a low voice, one full of danger.

“When have you ever known me to joke?” was my plain and simple reply.  “Her name is Kelly-Morgan Flaherty – very young, very talented, very New Jersey.  If you know anything at all about The Way, then you would understand theirs is to Protect.  Protecting women and children, this is right at the top of their list.”

“To Procreate, to Nurture, to Protect – that’s their signature Trilogy, isn’t it?” my brother now surprised me – and so he had been doing his home work across the years.  Know thy enemy, after all – and in his eyes, namely The Brotherhood.  “How can you be so certain that this woman is not some cleverly contrived spy?” he wanted to know, which was insulting to me.  I would never allow her to come in contact with Sierra, or even my brother, had I thought otherwise.

“So, are you saying you would prefer I send a… male nanny?” I said with a straight face.  “This can be arranged, brother.  Just give me the word – but there will be a nanny whether you like it or not.  Sierra might belong to the AFA, but her children will belong to The Order” I made crystal clear for him.  “I trust Finney to provide Brotherhood-style mentoring, but he has a job to do, after all – he cannot be with the children round the clock.”

The fact of the matter was, a woman nanny would go over much more readily with AFA High Command than would a male Member.  Even though here at his IntelliCore base Collin was king, he still would have to clear permanency of a new addition through AFA High Command.

Which led me to wonder how his Masters felt about his new pet, Aaron.

“Aren’t you going to grill me about Aaron?” Collin goaded, reading my mind as he now leaned forward across the table.  In holding my silence I would give him my answer.  Mine was not to get into a bitch match with Collin over his adoption of this deadly Member from a long decommissioned Arm of The Brotherhood.  My only intent had been to verify the rumors that had reached my ears, and to gauge what threat, if any, this newly found Member of The Ascendancy could pose.

And it certainly was one big one indeed, the threat.

However, just as I would not openly reveal certain realities to my brother, this Member of The Ascendancy would not openly do the same.

That, though, was not an absolute.

“No comment?” Collin now pressed and so I would throw him a bone.

“Now we both know that he is the other” I offered up, this I had been able to detect before Aaron had even entered the room.  He was the one whose presence Collin and I could sense, much in the way Collin and I could always tell when each other was near at hand.  And this, more than anything else, had my mind furiously working.  “Why do you think that is?” I put to him and now down came my brother’s shield – much to my distress.

And why?  It was clear that my brother had befriended this wayward Member, and suddenly I was also certain that Aaron had done like in kind.

My brother, who trusted no one, had made a new friend.

Too much was happening as of late, and far too quickly at that, for all to written off as mere coincidence.

“Kind of makes one wonder, doesn’t it” I muttered, mostly to myself, but then I noticed that Collin was wholly unmoved.  No commentary meant that he was hiding something – something private.  “Have you gotten in over your head?” I now asked, the protector in me shining through for Collin was, and always had been, my number one priority – in all I did, even if at times it appeared to be to the contrary.

“Huh?  Uh, no – what makes you think that?” he now retreated, leaning back in his chair.

“You are my brother” was my pat answer.  I could always feel when my brother was in trouble.  Looking at me, his eyes clearly read, no shit.

“General Hasting has asked me to escort Aaron to AFA High Command” he now told me.  “Seems Karloff is eager to make Aaron’s acquaintance.”  My breath caught in my throat.  If that didn’t smell like collusion, especially in light of the recent intelligence I had uncovered with my Brothers, then I had no idea what did.

At least I now knew what had Collin worried – it was leading this friend into the lion’s den.

“Why have your superiors never asked you to drag me along for a visit?” was my open inquiry.  “Why is it when a new Member pops up out of the dust they are so anxious to meet him?  That doesn’t foot in anyone’s ledger, Collin.”

“Don’t you think I know that!” my brother’s temper swiftly took front stage as he resoundingly slammed his fist on the table.  Abruptly now pushed his chair back away from the table to then get up and begin pacing.  Here we had the caged tiger, with angry green eyes to match.  “Aaron said he will attend, but I keep delaying the trip.

“Perhaps Karloff never asking me to drag you along is merely because you are The Order’s Head of Assassins – you’d not openly walk into the waiting arms of AFA High Command” was his logical statement – or should have seemed as such had I not known what I now did about the Commander-and-Chief of the AFA.

“It would all be speculation, regardless” I again diverted, wanting to steer Collin in another direction.  “Do me a favor, little brother – don’t go wandering off alone into no man’s land with your new friend, or anyone for that matter.  Ok?” I implored, deciding to try the brotherly welfare approach.  “It’s a lot less safe out there these days, and you at times make yourself a convenient target” was my frank assessment, and with this my brother stiffened.  Slightly, but enough for me to understand he likely had one such foray in its planning stages.

“You are my priority, Collin – you are my brother, my blood relation” I again reminded him and before he could ask me why, I redirected him one final time – back to the beginning.  “Do I have your permission to allow residency of the nanny?” I asked but Collin just blinked at me.

“I thought I was the one who kept everyone off balance” he grumbled in return as he again sat down at the table.  Searching the depths of my eyes, any questions he wanted to ask he didn’t.  My brother understood I would never allow any Member near Sierra and my Unborns if I was not certain of that Member’s intentions.  At the end of the day, Collin would trust in me, even if he did not trust to the Ways of The Brotherhood.

“Sierra will be glad for the company” Collin predicted, which translated to his daughter Amanda and Sierra still not getting along.  I would hate to tell Collin to not be so sure about Sierra welcoming this new woman.  Kelly-Morgan was an outstanding Member of The Brotherhood, or should I say ex-Member, since We of The Order did not Sanction female Members.

Regardless, she understood Brotherhood Protocol, and in such a short space of time had also learned the Ways of The Order.

“When should we expect her arrival?” he now asked and so I pulled out my Palm.

“As long as it takes for me to contact Bryan” I told him.  “I hope you’re up for a Bonding Ceremony” I now tossed out there.  “Bryan is to Bond with Kelly, and since she will be here and not at The Order…” I trailed off, leaving the natural conclusion to him.  The look on Collin’s face was precious, I had to admit.  “At the waterfall would be nice” I added as I finished tapping away on my Palm.

“You’re serious” my brother said in a low voice.

“As a heart attack.  Exposing AFA personnel to some of our Ways might not be such a bad thing, Collin” I reasoned.  “For some reason, your fellow comrades seem to think that The Brotherhood as a whole is Satan incarnate.  Would you care to explain where they picked up this notion?” I put to him but he only set his jaw.  “I suppose we’ll just have to settle for the base Chaplin to Consecrate, though” I complained and now my brother was curiously grinning from ear to ear.

“Aaron can officiate” he happily announced.  “In Pre-Time he was Ordained as a Catholic Priest” Collin revealed and with God as my witness my heart almost stopped pounding in my chest.

Almost – and would have had he said Jesuit Priest.

“I should think we can all put aside our differences for such a joyous occasion and allow Aaron to Consecrate” Collin pushed the envelope, leaning forward across the table to wink at me and that was it.  In a split second I had my asshole brother by the collar.  “Ah-ah – manners” the prick dared remind me and so just as quickly as I had accosted my brother, I released him.  “So tell me, again – just why does The Order so loath The Ascendancy?” Collin attempted to bait me but I was too busy trying to see through the red haze which veiled my eyes.

If I hadn’t loved my brother so much, I just might have been inclined clue him in.

“It will be a modest Ceremony” I quickly moved beyond Collin’s inquiry.  “Attendees will be your senior officers, I should think.  Finney can help with preparations, naturally – but right now, we need to break the news to Sierra about her receiving the services of a nanny.  If she’s up and out of bed, that is.”  Chances were not, but if that was the case then she’d have a rude awakening.  My intent, and instruction, for Kelly was to keep Sierra in line and out of trouble.

“So, you’re… not pulling my leg, then?” the idiot asked, and in all due seriousness no less.  “You mean to tell me that the Grand Head of the mythical Arm of The Brotherhood known as The Way just gave away this female, to you off all people, only for you to in turn sign her over to your IT geek?  Who is now going to Bond with the creature, and Bryan’s wife has to stay here, rearing your children?  And you accuse us in the AFA of being convoluted” he grumbled, now sitting back in his chair.  “Fine – send her on in.  I’m not about to say no to another woman gracing us with her presence.”

“Already done – so if you will notify security that a guest is about to arrive, then I’ll go greet her” I told him, now getting to my feet, and so Collin pulled out his PDA and started tapping away.  Not waiting for his leave, I turned on my heel to make my exit but didn’t get far.

“Aidan” Collin called to me, looking up from his PDA.  “I can’t explain it, but I have a good feeling about Aaron” was his confession,1 something of which I already had surmised.  “This doesn’t mean, however, that I am siding with him, or either of you, for that matter.  You’re both Brotherhood, after all.”

“As are you” I now doled out one pointed reminder since the dolt seemed to keep forgetting this reality.  With a lingering look of caution, I now opened the door and then shutting it behind me I made my way to the eastern entrance.

Ignoring the usual looks of curiosity from base personnel as I made my way along the corridors, my mind was working overtime in regards to Collin’s new friend.  Bryan would have his hands full digging up dirt on one Aaron Michael Gallagher of The Ascendancy.  His name didn’t ring any bells, but his face sure did – I was just unable to place it.  This, more than anything perhaps, disturbed me.  It was like some specter lurking in my peripheral vision – just out of site, almost within the grasp of recognition.

But hopefully not for long.

Once having arrived at the eastern entrance, it wasn’t long before I saw Bryan and his intended approaching.  Bryan was not a very happy camper, I suspected.  On one hand I had transferred the asset which was Kelly to his name, and then I turned around and dictated that she would be nanny to my children, here at Collin’s IntelliCore base.

Nothing like a long distance relationship, after all – but at least in Bryan’s case Kelly would be his and his alone, regardless the distance.  She would not be torn between two men, as was Sierra.

Regardless, my children would not be here forever – and in reality, not that long either.  Bryan would only have to wait a short time before his wife would be able to accompany him home.

Bowing first to my Brother, and then to Kelly, I turned my back to the woman as I now signed instructions to Bryan.

Priest, I signed to him, followed by, Ascendancy and then I signed Aaron’s name, having to spell out the last name.  Sharply nodding once, Bryan understood and then bowing low he took his leave and was gone – on his way back out into the desert where Quade was waiting.

Turning to Kelly, I smiled at the alluring young creature.

“It’s not so bad here” I told her and then indicated that she should follow.  It was clear the woman had an opinion about her new place of residence but wisely left it unspoken.  There was no way to mince it so that the notion of living on an AFA base could be considered palatable.  At least, not to a true Member of The Brotherhood – even if it was this ex woman Member.  “The food at least is excellent” I tacked on for that was no lie.  Kelly only offered me a sideward glance but that was it.

Once back at Collin’s ready room, upon entering I saw that he had rounded up Sierra, who looked rather sleepy and put out.  My brother had also summoned Amanda, who not only brightened at the sight of me, but even more so at the woman.  Kelly was slightly older than Amanda, but not quite as old as Sierra.  What was more important than being closer in age to Amanda was Kelly’s being Brotherhood.  My niece could tell this much about Kelly right off the bat.

Observing Sierra’s reaction was amusing, needless to say.  A million and one emotions now took her at once.  Surprise, confusion, jealousy – just to name a few.

“Kelly-Morgan Flaherty, this is my daughter Amanda,” I began the introduction, “and this is Sierra, the woman who is carrying my Unborns.”  Kelly bowed low to each in turn, and although Amanda reciprocated, Sierra just gawked.  “And this” I said with a nod of my head in Collin’s direction, “is my brother, Commander-General Collin Tristan O’Reilly, AFA IntelliCore” was my proper introduction and Collin then bowed to her.  He was clearly struck by the young assassin’s beauty, even though this he did make an attempt to conceal.

“Kelly is going to help you with the children when they are born” I told Sierra.  “She will be what you’d call a nanny” I explained but her demeanor didn’t change.  Biting her lip she just looked from me to Kelly to Collin.  My brother had on his best game-face, but I could see a smug smile lurking behind his eyes, along with a tinge of lust since Kelly was drop-dead-gorgeous.

And this little detail had brought out the cat-claws in Sierra.  She was practically bristling now.

“Amanda, please see to it that our guest gets settled in” Collin now instructed, and although I sensed she would have preferred the directive to have come from me, Amanda knew not to question Collin’s orders.  With a nod she accepted and so wasted no time ushering Kelly out of the room.

Once the door was closed Sierra was a study in contradiction.  I suspected that she wanted to sprint into my arms, but resisted the temptation.  As happy as she was to see me, the woman was also miffed.

“I thought women were a rarity?” was her bossy challenge as she gave both Collin and me the evil eye.

“Going to get even rarer if you don’t watch your mouth, Chiquita” was my brother’s caution as he now got to his feet.  “Listen to my brother and try not to overreact, hmm?” was his suggestion, and so bowing to her, and to me as well, Collin then left me alone with the bite-sized wolverine.

Sitting down at the table across from Sierra, I just leaned back in my chair, watching her and waiting.

“I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age and when you do show up, it’s to bring me a babysitter?” the woman complained.

“Spot on” was my arid retort, and trying like hell not to grin at the same time.  How I had missed this woman! I warmly considered, but I didn’t have time just then to spar with her.  “She is ex-Brotherhood and will help mentor our children once they come into God’s World.  Now, if you don’t have it in you to carry on a civil conversation, then I’ll be on my way and leave it to my wordsmith brother to explain” I told her and then got to my feet.  “Good-day” I said with a bow and then turned for the door.  I only half expected her to stop me.

She didn’t.

And I didn’t have time to try and smooth her ruffled feathers.  I needed to speak with my cousin Finney.  Sierra could wait since I had a hunch after she was done pouting and fretting, then the woman would come traipsing after me like a puppy dog.

Leaving Sierra behind to stew in her own hormones, I headed off to the MedStaff wing and Finney’s office.  In passing by the mess hall I spied Finney making his exit – and in the direction from which he was coming I saw Aaron sitting at a table along the wall.  Locking our eyes in unspoken challenge, Aaron then grinned at me and I nearly lost it.

Nearly being the operative word.

I stood there and waited for my cousin, but as soon as he walked up to me his Palm chirped.

“A moment” he grumbled and then pulled out the device.  Reading the message Finney then released a long, low breath.  “Any idea what your brother wants now?” my cousin asked but I didn’t answer – after all, it would only be a guess.

“First we need to speak, cousin – you and I,” I told him and then quickly added, “Brother,” and so he nodded – Brotherhood before AFA, after all.

“Aye, even though Collin will get in a snit over it should he find out” he grunted but then laughed.

“Outside” was my prompt, fearing his office might be bugged and so he guessed my mind right off the bat.

“It’s not bugged, if that’s what you’re thinking,” was his assurance, “but all the same, outside would be best” and with that we then in silence made our way to the exit.  Once some distance away we then stopped, turning to face each other.

“What has my brother gotten himself into?” was my opening volley.

“Look, you know damn well that The Legion was on neutral ground when it came to taking up sides for or against The Ascendancy” my cousin saw fit to remind me.  “I will not influence Collin one way or the other in regards to Aaron.”

“Did Collin tell you that Aaron is a priest?” I tossed out for dissection and now my cousin grew very still.

Apparently not.

“Oh for the love of God” my cousin now mumbled, turning away.  “Makes sense now, the way he speaks, the things he says – he sure didn’t seem like one when I met him in the Time Before” my cousin now floored me, and on more than one level, as he turned back around.  “It was that Christmas in Roxbury, the one that pretty much had us snowed in for days with a blizzard, if you recall?”  I remembered it well – it was the first Christmas where Collin had brought Miranda home with him to meet the whole family.

It had also been the Christmas when I had fallen hopelessly in love with my brother’s woman, breaking more than one of the Ten Commandments during that winter holiday.

“Yes” was my simple reply, waiting for Finney to go on.

“Aye, well – Aaron was checking into the bed and breakfast when I met him” he recounted.  “The lad was waiting on his girlfriend, but she had missed her flight out of Sky Harbor in Phoenix.  He seemed likable, had a good Irish name – so we had drinks that night ‘round the hearth.  If he was a priest back then he sure wasn’t living the life of one.”  Leave it to our cousin to befriend everyone, I considered – but in this case that had been a good thing.  At least I now knew that even back then, The Ascendancy had been watching over Collin.

More fuel to add to the fire, one that was quickly becoming an inferno, fed by my hypothesis.

“I refuse to allow rumor to become reality” I said in a low voice, one full of threat.  Per usual, my cousin just offered me a blank look but I needed no reaction for confirmation.

“If there is Truth to the rumor, then both you and I are powerless to thwart its eventuality” he actually offered opinion this time.  However, I was of a mind that The Legion wanted to further it, as in the Furtherance.

“No one is going to make puppet out of my brother” I growled in threat.

“And you think I’d want that?!” was Finney’s insulted retort.  “This is all speculation, Aidan – you have no proof, I have no proof.”  Not yet, I considered – but soon.

“Well, in the time being you’ll have the opportunity to puzzle out the newest specimen in Collin’s collection” I told him and so he raised an eyebrow.  “I brought with me someone to keep Sierra in line, and help care for my children.  A gift from the Mistress of The Way” I laid on him, hoping for some reaction and this time my cousin did not disappoint.

“Is that a fact” was his even-keeled remark.

“So, you’re not surprised?” I prodded but he only shrugged.

“Why should I be?  If reports are true then The Legion is out there as well” he quickly covered with a diversion, but something told me he knew more about the presence of The Way then he would ever reveal.  The same went for The Legion.

“And will you forsake your cousin when The Legion comes to claim you?” I wanted to know, since that was one very real possibility.

“I think we both know that answer” Finney grumbled and then sighed.  “I want to protect Collin as much as you, but there’s just so much coloring outside of the lines that we can do, eh?”  That was a true statement if there ever was one, I knew.  “The fact is, Aidan – rumor is all we have ever had to go on.  All because a Member of The Ascendancy pops up out of the wilderness doesn’t necessarily mean that rumor is about to become reality.  Coincidence is part of God’s World, after all.”  Be that is it may, my sources were different than Finney’s – and the knowledge I possessed was pretty damning.

“My brother isn’t safe among the AFA” I now voiced my heartfelt opinion and now Finney grunted in response.

“And like what?  You think he would be safer at The Order?” was his incredulous inquiry.

“He Belongs” was my dire reminder.

“Eh, don’t remind me, lad” Finney grumbled and then flicked a hand at me, as if to dismiss any such notion, reality or no.  “It would be the death of him, to resign his commission – you know this, I know this.”

“Well, at least he would be alive, Finney” I countered but then left it alone.  “The young woman who will help Sierra with the children once they are born, she is young – but an assassin none the less.  And she will Bond with Bryan – I was hoping you can make the arrangements.  The Ceremony will be held here on base” I informed him and so now he raised an eyebrow.  “The AFA needs exposure to Us and Our Ways, Seamus – we both understand this.  If rumor does become reality, then the AFA will have to succumb to The Brotherhood.”

“Long shot, that, cousin,” he argued, “but who knows what numbers The Way and The Legion will bring.  I do know this, Aidan – The Order is in for the battle of a lifetime, mark my words.”

“A little insider info?” I goaded but he only shook his head, slowly.

“No – just the fact that The Order’s numbers are few” he reasoned, which was Truth but strength in numbers had never been something upon which to rely.  There were other ways to win victory, after all – and We of The Order had not been idle in laying our contingency plans, as well as contingency plans for the contingency plans.

The AFA’s biggest mistake would be in underestimating us – not only The Order, but The Brotherhood as a whole.

And that, I was of a mind, was to change – and soon.

“Well then, I suppose I should go and introduce myself to this female assassin” my cousin said with a shrug, deciding that our business was done.  It had not been a fruitless conversation, however – for in it I could sense that my cousin knew quite a bit more about what was going on that anyone could have guessed.

Nodding in agreement, I then turned towards the base with Finney and so we headed back inside, my mind furiously working.

One thing my cousin didn’t know, however – and that was just how far outside the lines I would color to protect my brother.

And this was fact.

Aidan expected an apology and so I would just have to give him one.

That was, if he hadn’t already gone skulking off back into the desert.

Having stewed long enough, with a yawn I got up from where I sat at the conference table in Collin’s ready room.  I had no idea where Aidan went, so if he was still on base I’d just have to poke around.  I couldn’t exactly message anyone and ask, since Kevin still hadn’t been able to clear intranet access for me.  My Palm was a distant memory now, just as technology had become for me during the seven years I had roamed the desert all by my lonesome.

However, I wasn’t so sure why I missed it now when I hadn’t missed it back then.  For some reason, that little detail troubled me.

Pondering this as I exited the conference room, I made my way to the usual places in search of the Assassin, as Aidan was commonly known.  With a capital A no less.  He wasn’t in Collin’s office, and neither was Collin, for that matter – he wasn’t down in the med-wing with Finney, and he wasn’t at the waterfall.

Fine then, I thought in a huff – he probably had slithered back out into the desert after all.  Grumbling something less than polite under my breath, when I looked up there he was – heading right towards me down the corridor that led towards the eastern entrance.  He was with his cousin and both men looked downright somber.

Finney nodded to me in passing, as did Aidan, but both men kept right on going.  Turning round I just watched them go and so my heart sank.  Aidan was still mad at me.  How tweaked he would get when I wasn’t respectful to him! I thought in exasperation.  Sure, easy enough for him – he didn’t have to lug around twins in his belly.  Hormones were my master these days, it was clear.

With a sigh I now padded after him, keeping a respectful distance behind.  Mostly because I was afraid of invoking his temper – for Aidan surely had one, and no less volatile than Collin’s.  Aidan just had better control over his – but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be any fallout, however, when it reached its boiling point.

The two men went their separate ways – Finney heading back towards the med-wing and Aidan continued on to the mess hall.  Before walking under the archway, he turned, though, and waited for me.

“Gonna have breakfast?” I asked, sounding as demure as possible and this, for some reason, made Aidan smile.

“Lunch is more like it, but breakfast for you, I suppose” he said in that mesmerizing voice of his.  “Would you like to join me?”  With a shy nod I gave him my answer and so drawing his arm around my shoulders, he escorted me in.

Finding an out of the way booth in the back, we sat down and within moments one of the cooks came over.

“Lord O’Reilly” Jake greeted Aidan with one rather formal bow.  “The usual?” he asked and so in return Aidan nodded.  “And how about you, miss?”

“I’d say whatever he’s having, but…” I trailed off, not sure what kind of bland concoction Aidan would eat.  “A bran muffin and a cup of… uh… tea?” I asked, really wanting coffee but knowing Aidan like I did, he would not approve of that much caffeine with my being pregnant and all.

“Sure thing, coming right up” the man said and then quickly set about getting our orders served up.  Aidan leaned back, holding my eyes with his own – still waiting for that apology, I could tell.

“I’m sorry I was so cranky, Aidan” I told him.  “Hormones, I guess” I mumbled but still the man was unmoved, so sucking it up, I gave him what he wanted.  “I apologize.”

“Accepted” he returned and now the man finally softened.  Not so anyone would notice.

But I did.

“I have missed you, Sierra” Aidan told me as he reached across the table to take my hand in his, and with this simple act I practically melted.  “Not a moment goes by while we are apart that you are not in my thoughts.  And no – I don’t need Collin or anyone else to tell me how it bothers you that I don’t visit more often.”  With this I was sure my jaw was hanging open.  “You only make it harder when you behave as you do – harder on me, harder on you.  Even Collin is affected, I am sure.”  Well, that was quite a speech – or rather reproach, but what could I say?  He was right.  I felt like a canary cooped up in a cage on that base, luxury resort or no.

“I know” was all I could say in return, biting my lip and looking rather abashed I had no doubts.  “She looks like a nice girl” I mumbled, still uncertain what to think about him bringing a babysitter to watch over me.

“She is well-mannered” he espoused and then moved beyond his own remark.  “I know that you are bored but you’ll have something to look forward to, though.  This base will soon be host to a Bonding Ceremony” Aidan informed me and now I must have turned white.  Bonding Ceremony?  Who on this base could possibly be entitled to a woman?

Blinking like an owl, I suddenly got it – Aidan had said Bonding Ceremony and that’s how The Brotherhood referred to a wedding.  So, what?  Was Aidan getting hitched then?  To that gorgeous Kelly chick?  I was utterly at a loss for words, but did I expect?  I belonged to the AFA after all – and hadn’t Kevin told me that Collin, even though he was a Commander-General, one rank shy of being able to obtain a woman?

Suddenly I had no appetite.

“I’m sure you two will be happy” I grumbled, trying to keep the tears out of my eyes as I slumped down in my seat.  Aidan didn’t say anything so I supposed it was true.  However, looking up I saw he had a look of consternation on his face.

“What did I just finish saying to you?  About missing you?” he prodded in a low voice.  “Although Kelly was my asset, as soon as the acquisition was made I transferred ownership to Bryan.  They are to Bond.”

“You mean, women at The Order are property?” I asked in a hushed voice but he just shook his head, curtly.

“This one, anyway – she is a special case and was a gift to me” he explained which explained nothing at all.

“So, that slimy IT leech now owns her butt?  And gets to marry her?  Excuse me if I just don’t get it” was my bitter complaint.  “How does he rate getting a woman?  His counterpart sure doesn’t” I wanted to know, since Kevin was in no position to claim a woman, but Aidan only grinned.

“For all you think you know about Us, in reality you know so little” was his summation.  “For the volumes you’ve read you will still never understand, not unless you lived among Us.  Ask Amanda, she will clue you in” Aidan suggested in all due seriousness.  “This case with Bryan is different, but otherwise women of The Order have freedom of choice – they don’t have to accept a Bonding Proposal from a man to whom they are not attracted – plain and simple.  It’s not at all like the AFA in that regard” the man now floored me, and weren’t the AFA supposed to be the guys in the white hats?  Yeah, Aidan was right – I still didn’t know squat, about The Order or the AFA, apparently.

“I really missed you too, you know” I now told him in a soft voice since I really didn’t want to spend my time with him being contentious.  This brought about a warm smile in him that made me flush.  He was always so serious much of the time, often to the point of being dark.  And every time I would consider this, I would think to ask the same question.  “Aren’t you ever going to tell me about that tear tattoo?” I found myself asking before I could stop.  In the corner of Aidan’s left eye was a small tattoo of a single tear – just one of many tattoos he had on his person.

Per usual, he would pause a moment as if preparing to answer, but then seeming to think better of doing so, never did.  The odd thing was, any of the other tattoos he had?  Openly he’d tell me, to the extent that he was able, their meaning – most all were fraternal in nature, having to do with his Membership in The Brotherhood and The Order.  Each and everyone was an exquisite work of art, and in miniature, most of them no bigger than the size of a quarter.

Opting to keep my mouth shut, I just sat there, as did Aidan, waiting for our food to be served.  When it was, I was shocked to see that Aidan was actually having eggs and hash browns with onions, along with a piece of cured bacon you could have knocked me off my chair.  And a dark wholegrain bread!  How many times had I heard him talk about the evils of gluten?

“To me, this meal a real treat” he told me, reading my mind.  “All things in moderation – except gluten, anyway” Aidan corrected with a slanted grin.  “You seem to forget, at the end of the day We of The Order are men, Sierra – and there’s a time and place for everything.”  Nodding in agreement, I dived into the two muffins Jake had brought – the man had strict orders from both Finney and Collin to make sure that I ate well.

Once our meal was over, Aidan and I then went in search of Amanda and Kelly.

“By the way, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from referring to The Order’s Head of IT as a slimy IT leech” he now finally called me out about my comment, one which he felt unwarranted.  “At least in public, at any rate” he added since he knew full well how I felt about Bryan.  “You might feel differently if you understood what he means to me, but you don’t and so…” the man trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.

“I’m sorry” I apologized, even though my heart really wasn’t in it.  Aidan could tell but he let it go, in silence accepting the apology as is.

We found Amanda and Kelly by the waterfall, and the two young women were having what appeared to be lively and enjoyable conversation.  Why wasn’t Amanda like that with me? I wondered, feeling rather like an outcast most times.  As we approached, Aidan and I, the young women composed themselves.  Kelly bowed to Aidan, and then curiously enough did the same to me.

“Take what Sierra says with a grain of salt” Aidan told her.  “She has a sharp tongue most times, even if she regrets it afterward” the man just had to go and tell it like it is.

“Thank you – I will, milord” Kelly returned with a nod, which prompted me to give Aidan a side glance to audition his reaction to being addressed as such.

There wasn’t one.

With an inward grumble I considered that he had been right on – I didn’t have a clue about their fraternity of men.  It was more than just a fraternity – from what I had read it was a way of life, a culture, a community, a civilization unto its own.  This much, at least, seemed true.

“Behave yourself” Aidan now cautioned me before turning on his heel to leave me standing there, watching him go.

“Aidan!” I chirped, running after him like a little puppy but I couldn’t help myself.  “You’re not leaving, are you?” I asked, tugging on his sleeve and so he stopped, looking down at me.  Getting down to one knee he now surprisingly drew me into his embrace, holding me tight and long.  The display wasn’t surprising, but what was, rather, was that Amanda was watching.  Even from her Aidan strove, for the most part, to keep his private life just that – private.

Burying his face in my neck, he deeply inhaled before tenderly kissing it.

“I wish I never had to say good-bye to you, my love” the man whispered in my ear for me alone to hear and I swore I was going to swoon on the spot.  There was never anything false, fake or forced with Aidan.  His emotions, when he chose to set them free, were guttural and extremely real.

Pulling away from me, he now brushed my hair out of my eyes, offering me a heartfelt smile.

“I am here for the day” he told me.  “I’ll be leaving tonight – we’ll spend some time together later, ok?  We can have supper” he suggested and so nodding happily in acceptance, I gave him a hug, but before he let me go he indulged himself in one ardent kiss.  “Right here, right now, on this very spot – if it wasn’t so… crowded” the man spoke softly in my ear and then that was it – he was on his feet and gone, jogging up the path which led away from the waterfall.

Leaving me there to stand, wildly blushing and making me wonder how I could ever doubt his love.  It took so little for Aidan to express his deepest feelings for me – and it came without effort.

Collin on the other hand?  He tried so hard it was painful.  I knew the man loved me – but what troubled me was the fact that Collin himself felt a need to try that hard.  Just why was that? I wondered as I now plucked up the courage to turn around and face the two women.

Somehow I forced myself to be social, even when that was the last thing I felt like being, but it was not so hard with Kelly.  She was a happy girl, fun to talk to and took an active interest in me and my pregnancy, as well as everything else about me.

Which made me wonder if Aidan had commanded this of her.  Well, regardless the impetus, it sure was a change from the dour and reserved Amanda who, I was convinced, hated my guts.

Amanda and I took her around the base, giving her the grand tour, and after that I was feeling tired and so excused myself.  Amanda would continue Kelly’s orientation while I sought out a quiet place for a nap.  Napping in my quarters was a lonely affair so I snuck off to Collin’s office.  He had a nice comfy chair in his sitting room where I liked to curl up and doze.  That room was one of few with a view and sky lights so it was like being outside without really being outside.

Chances were Collin was with Aidan, though, so my normal retreat would probably be a no-go, but it was a place to start.  To my good fortune, however, his office was vacant, as was his ready room and sitting room.  With near glee I dove into the comfy chair by the window and drifted off to sleep, praying it would be one unencumbered by the disquieting dreams which had plagued me as of late.

“You just give him free rein of this base?” Aaron dared question me and although he tried to keep the edge out of his voice, I could detect it none the less.  “Do you think that wise, Commander?”

Glancing up at him while I signed off on some documents that my Captain-Major needed approved and pronto, I just held Aaron’s eyes for several heartbeats.  Returning my attention to the laptop screen, I now finished the task at hand.

I had stopped by Greg’s office to review and digitally sign the documents, and Aaron had joined me along the way.  I understood his concern, one shared by my Senior officers, but Aidan was no threat to our operations here.  Besides, I would do whatever it took to foster trust between my brother and me.  If this meant letting him wander around this IntelliCore base all by his lonesome?  Then so be it.

Releasing a long, low breath I pushed the chair away from the desk and then stood up.

“I understand your concern, Aaron – duly noted.  Now, if you’ll excuse us?” I prompted in an even tone, trying not to sound miffed but oh well, there it was.  Nodding once, curtly, he then took his leave.

“Ok, so now we have two Members who have free rein here?  No, make that three, if we count the nanny” Greg quite seriously noted but then grinned.  “Four if we factor in Finney.”

“Ha-ha” was my droll counter as I then walked over to plop my tail down on his couch.  Slumping down, I put my feet up on the coffee table and closed my eyes.  “It gives the men more reason to gossip” I muttered.  “You know how they love to speculate” I chuckled and of course they did – we all did, after all.  This was a Military Intelligence unit – we thrived on rumor and innuendo.

“Yeah, well – I’m inclined to agree with Aaron, Commander – but you already know that” Greg said as he now took a seat next to me on the couch.  “The new woman will be enough distraction for the men, I dare say.”

“And for you as well, eh?” I prodded, cracking open an eye to peer at him and the man damned near blushed.  “I think we need to join The Order, Brains – its way easier to get a woman there than here, that much is clear” I complained and so Greg now laughed.

“It will just add more fuel to Kevin’s rivalry with Bryan, that’s for sure” he predicted and I could only nod in agreement.

“True statement, my friend – true statement” I wholeheartedly agreed.  Aidan’s IT geek was one lucky guy, having Kelly handed to him so that she could become his Wife.  Releasing a weighted sigh I now sat up, leaning forward.  “I’m going running with Aidan, Greg – I’ll be a while, so tell Eric not to get in a snit because I’m unreachable.”  With this Greg raised an eyebrow.

“That’s different from any other time… how, sir?” my Captain cracked wise, clearly being a smartass.  Grunting a laugh, I just shrugged and then got to my feet.  He was right, of course, since I never left my PDA on anyway.

“It is what it is, Brains – but Aidan is my brother and I love him, regardless his being Order” I reminded him, but then realized how stupid that sounded.  I was also Order, when you got right down to it.  My Captain didn’t say a word, though, otherwise just looking up at me.  Shaking my head in exasperation, I then turned on my heel to make my exit.  None of my friends could understand my relationship with Aidan.  Love-hate is what it was – pure and simple.

Love for my brother, absolutely – and something akin to loathing of myself for not being able to live up to Aidan’s expectations.  A lifelong struggle it had been, from the time when we were kids, and probably even as far back as in the womb.  Why I so longed for the approval of my fraternal twin I would never know, but like I had told Greg, it was what it was.

A good long run was what I needed.  It was the one thing in which I had always excelled when compared to Aidan – at least, up until I had broken my leg out in desert the previous year.  That misfortune, however, I would not have changed for the entire world.

After all, that was when I had met Sierra.

Ok, now I needed to either have that long run or I was going to require a cold shower.  Every thought of that sultry little Latina number forced me to control myself in ways that I found downright painful.

Pushing from my mind lustful thoughts, I now went off in search of my brother.  I knew without a doubt where Aidan would be.  First I swung by my quarters and changed into my running attire.  Once that was done, I used my private back entrance to make my exit, crossing the foyer to then enter the natatorium.  Aidan would be doing laps I knew and sure enough, upon entering I could hear the sound of lapping water.  My brother swam like a fish and never missed an opportunity to use the pool while he visited.

I also loved to swim, and so had had a pool constructed.  To get the funding such a frivolous project I had to beg, borrow and steal – however, it wasn’t all that hard once I informed AFA high Command that it would aid in fostering a stronger relationship with The Order’s Head of Assassins.  It would give Aidan more reason to visit, therefore more time for him and me to bond, and thus courting The Order’s resources via my brother.

Naturally, that reasoning was all just a sham – Aidan swam wherever water was to be found.  He didn’t need a pool, obviously – but whatever worked, worked.  I got my allocation of men and artisans and so the whim became a challenge and then the challenge resulted in reality.

The challenge was everything, after all – and in ways such as this I would go up against AFA High Command.  It was a stress reliever after a sort, given that I had slammed right into the proverbial glass ceiling.  It would be a cold day in hell before AFAHC would ever promote me beyond Commander-General.

However, this didn’t mean that I didn’t keep right on trying.  Small victories were a comfort, though, as well as a distraction, while I continued my quixotic pursuits.

Sitting down on a bench at poolside, I watched my brother while he continued his laps.  An amazing athlete he was – even for his years, he was in better shape than assassins half his age.  It was almost as if the man wasn’t human, I considered as sat there – that he was perhaps some genetically engineered super being.  Not possible, though, since his brother here was decidedly normal in the physique department – I had to work at it whereas Aidan?  Everything seemed to come to him so effortlessly.  It often gave me pause, the fact that we were so different.  Not only did we not look a thing alike, everything else about us was different as well.

The man even had a more impressive cock than I did – just one more not so little detail that aided in continually making me feel inferior to my fraternal twin brother.

Accentuate the positive, I reminded myself as I released a weighted sigh.  There were some things in which I excelled, and these were the ones that both AFA High Command and The Order’s High council sought to foster – and in earnest.  And yet my superiors would see to it that I remained under their thumbs, precluding me from ever being able to stand among them as an equal.

Pick your battles, Commander, pick your days, I thought as I watched Aidan emerged from the pool, having finished his laps.  Grabbing a towel, my brother now walked over, considering me with those near-black eyes of his.

“Troubled?” he now asked, wrapping the towel around his waist before he took a seat next to me.  He was perceptive, I had to hand him that.

At first I slightly nodded in return but then quickly changed lanes and shrugged.

“Any and all avenues” I mumbled, which was my reasoning behind having befriended a man who Aidan regarded to be the enemy.  My brother understood that to which I was referring.  Reaching into his gym bag he dragged out his Palm to check his messages and then, quite suddenly, my brother grew very somber.  That was the flavor I got, at any rate, since outwardly there was no change.  Tucking the device back in his bag, he now looked to me.

“I can’t keep you safe, Collin – not as long as you stay here” he now tossed out the first volley for an ensuing discussion.

“You believe Aaron will do me bodily harm?” I asked in a low voice, not wanting to have this conversation but Aidan only shook his head.

“No” was his simple reply, one that was anything but simple.  “You and me, brother to brother – no AFA, no Order, Legion or Way, no Blackguard.  Just between you and me, Collin – I cannot personally keep you safe if you remain here.  And yet, I would want you to remain, because of Sierra.”  I just gaped at him – my brother wasn’t making sense and this scared the daylights out of me.  “Unless we wanted to start a war, that was – then you could bring her along” he chuckled, which was very un-Aidan like, to joke about such things.

Not to mention expressing amusement.

“Wouldn’t Dmitri have your head over it?” I played along, feeling wholly ill at ease, considering.

“Not if you came to us, to Reaffirm” was his flatly delivered response.  “And technically Sierra’s Unborns belong to The Order…” he began a line of reasoning but then abruptly let it languish.

“I didn’t know you indulged in daydreams” I laughed with unease and so now he leveled me a black look.

“And it is one, one where my only concern is your safety” my brother told me.  “In reality, should Sierra bear me a son, the infant would be safer being raised here, until the Age of Separation.  You know I have enemies at The Order.”  This was Truth, but who was to say the AFA would be any safer?  It was a tenuous world, ours, and impossible to predict just when the worm would next turn.

For a long while Aidan held my eyes, in silence, and then raised his hand to press his palm to my neck.  Were those tears in his eyes?

Nah, must have been pool water.

But I knew better.

“If my Oath didn’t bind me to The Order, I would stay with you, brother – to keep you safe, always” Aidan spoke in a low voice.  “Since I am unable, won’t you please consider an Attendant?” was his plea, and blinking for a moment, I then got it.  He meant bodyguard.  “If I owned an assassin I could spare then I would send him here to guard you, but since I don’t at present – how about a Warden?  I’m sure you can concoct a viable reason for Colonel-Major Wasserman of WardenOps to assign one to you, personally.”

Holding my breath I wasn’t sure what to say, or if I should just laugh.  However, the man was dead serious – as had been Aaron and Seamus.  They, too, felt that I should have a bodyguard.

I wasn’t sure if this should make me feel special or concerned.  After all, who on God’s Earth gave a rat’s ass about this IntelliCore Commander-General?  Putting aside my rank, I was nothing more than just another of many numerous males in this world.

“Think about what I have said, Collin” Aidan requested as he now proceeded to get dressed, preparing for our run.  Pulling his running gear out of his athletics bag, I heard him release a very uncharacteristic weighted sigh.  “I can’t suffer your loss as well, brother” he told me and right away I understood what he meant.  As much as Mira’s death had torn me up inside, I seemed to forget that it had done the very same to my own brother.

As I had never gotten over Mira’s death, neither had my brother.

With no other words spoken between us, we went running together.  It felt good to get outside, away from the base and my responsibilities.  The day was a gift straight from God – one which made for a productive jaunt.  We’d strayed far, which would infuriate my Colonel, I knew, should he make discovery.  Eric was only trying to watch my back but the man was damned suffocating most times.

Taking a leisurely walk back after we had run our fill, Aidan finally spoke.

“I’m going to be away for quite a while” he told me, and in his tone I knew he didn’t just mean his visits to my base would become even more scarce.  “Alone” my brother then decided to tack on, acknowledging that he was going to be breaking one of The Order’s commandments, the one dictating that Elite-Assassins travel in pairs.

“What?  No sidekick?” I tried to make light, but it fell flat – which meant wherever he was going, he really was going it solo.  “You pressure me to get a bodyguard and then in practically the same breath you turn around and tell me you are going on a long mission – alone?” I put to him, sounding rather disgruntled in my delivery.  Granted, Aidan was an amazing killing machine, but that was only where his talents began.  Regardless, in light of his odd mood this day red flags were popping up all over.

My brother didn’t bother to answer, so it was not open for discussion.

“Take care of Sierra, Collin – please” Aidan now almost pleaded with me.  “Try to explain to her, if you can, that I have a job to do.  The woman doesn’t seem to understand this.”  This statement was true enough and so I grunted a laugh.

“Sure, for all the good it will do.  Can you tell me the nature of your… mission?” I probed, not really expecting an answer but I got one – after a fashion.

“There’s something from the past I have to check out” he told me.  “It’s a… hunch, you could say, and I won’t rest at ease until I discount it, or not, as the case may be.”  I well understood the itch that was a hunch – when I had one I would pursue it until I was finally able to scratch it.

“Will you be back before Sierra gives birth?” I now asked, since that was the question Sierra was going to ask me, I knew.

“I’ll make every effort” Aidan informed me and so now I stopped in my tracks, taking a hold of his arm as I did so.

“To not be here when Sierra gives birth?  That would require something more significant than just validating or invalidating a hunch” I put to him, counting to ten before I said something I’d later regret.  Since he didn’t respond, my anger now subsided, transmuting instead to grave concern.  Looking down at my hand where it grasped his arm, Aidan concentrated on it until I let go.

“Not that the woman will listen to me,” he began as he resume walking, “but I have picked out names.  If you could suggest these to her, I would appreciate it.  I’d prefer she accepted the names herself before learning that in The Brotherhood the father is responsible for the Naming.”  Nothing like pushing that off on me! I thought in frustration.  What kind of a spin did he expect me to put on that?

A positive one – that’s what kind.  Leveling him a flat look, I sighed and then nodded in agreement.

“Sure thing” I accepted and then waited for him to lay the names on me.

“Kaden Kael and Jason Tristan if they are both boys” he informed me.  “Although, Sierra seems to believe she will have one of each” my brother actually chuckled.  The boys’ names followed tradition, needless to say.  The first born male’s middle name would be that of his paternal grandfather’s middle name, and the second born male’s middle name would be that of his paternal grandfather’s first name.  Kind of backwards if anyone were to ask me, but there it was, and who was I to go against tradition?

“What if they are girls?” I prodded, since those names were of less importance, I knew, and the mother could be allowed to choose whatever she liked.

“Fiona or Kiran” Aidan revealed, another no brainer there.  Fiona was our mother’s name, and Kiran her middle name.  Not very creative, but then again – naming traditions were different for females.  “Whatever Sierra decides if they are girls will be fine by me, though.”

“You know you are scaring the crap out of me, right?” I quite bluntly put to him.  Aidan, however, only glanced at me.  “You won’t tell me where you are going, or why – which isn’t so unusual.  Recently, however, everyone else is holding out on me as well – among those are men I implicitly trust.  Now tell me – what is going down in this Time After that everybody is making one damned concerted effort to make sure that I am kept in the dark!” I now barked out of exasperation, my temper getting the better of me.  “I cannot imagine anything more important in this world than being present for the birth of one’s own child – and in your case children.  Yet, you cannot promise Sierra you will be present for the birthing?  Are you sure you wouldn’t like to enlighten me?”

Badgering my brother was not a wise thing to do.  My intent was to goad him into talking – even if chances were slim-to-none that his was going to happen.  However, what he didn’t say would often speak louder than any words since being his twin I had always been able to get a sense of where his head was at.

And right now?  I could sense his fear for not only me, but everything in general.  And the impetus, I was now certain, was the presence of Aaron – or not so much Aaron, but rather a surviving Member of the Ascendancy.

But how could one sole surviving Member of this long deceased Arm of The Brotherhood possibly be a threat to Aidan’s world?  To ferret out those details would take mountains of research, as well as cajoling of the right people.  Discussion of The Ascendancy was clearly a taboo among Members of The Brotherhood, or so I assumed because my own cousin had shut me down cold when I had tried to broach the subject with him.  And Seamus had always been pretty damned open with me.

“Enlightenment – that’s the key, now, isn’t it?” Aidan mumbled.  “Reaffirm, Collin, if you’d like to be… enlightened.”  As much as I craved to know those remaining secrets about The Brotherhood of which I have been unable to possess, I still had a desire to draw breath a while longer.  I would never be able to pass their Trials and so finally admitted this to my brother.

“I think we both understand I would never survive the Trials” I told him.  “My taking the Trials – is this your way of getting rid of me?” was my painful inquiry and now Aidan stopped in his tracks.

“Didn’t I just finish saying that you are my priority?” Aidan returned in a low voice.  “Why do you refuse to accept a Waiver?  No one will know, Collin – only at the High Council level will those Members have awareness of your being offered a Waiver.”

“And afterwards, I am to stand and face these men, how?” I wanted to know for I had never expected an easy ride.  I either made achievements by my own merit or not at all.

“There comes a time when all men must swallow their pride, brother” he informed me of something I knew all too well and in which I already had quite a lot of practice.  “You use your pride as an excuse not to Reaffirm” was his dead on assessment.

“And you know that it goes a lot deeper than that” I now growled at him but I had no desire to get into an argument with my brother.  After all, he meant well – and in his warped and twisted way, was only watching out for his little brother.  “Why you should think that my career in the military is unimportant to me I will never understand” was my complaint but Aidan only held my eyes.

I knew what he was thinking and then he voiced the words.

“You know that’s not true, Collin – I understand how much a part of you, as a man, the military is and has always been” my brother made concession.  “Your rank might be who you are, in this moment in Time, but it is not who We are” was his solemn reminder.  “You are one of Us, Brother,” he solemnly brought to mind, “regardless the uniform,” and in this assertion I somehow now found myself feeling very much ill at ease.

Abruptly shaking my head I now stalked down the path, not wanting to have this conversation.  It ended the same way, every single time, without fail.

Why Aidan should think it would have a different outcome on this occasion was beyond me.

After a moment, my brother jogged to catch up, falling in alongside me, and so we made our way back in silence.  Suddenly Aidan reached out to take hold of my arm, stopping me dead in my tracks.  Forcing me behind him he stood there and waited.  My brother’s senses were not to be taken likely and so I was now on alert, and considering that it had not been such a good idea to have strayed so far from base.

However, I now decoded the sensation.

Within seconds, rounding a blind corner on the narrow, rocky path, emerged a figure.  It was only Aaron.  Hadn’t he said earlier that day he would be going for a reflective walk?  And hadn’t I said that I would accompany him?

Alarmingly, my brother, however, was strung as tight as the high string on a two dollar fiddle, to quote some lyrics from an extremely dead musical comedy duo.  Thinking it a good idea to position myself between the two before it came to blows, I tried to do just that.  Aidan, though, had a different notion and with solid hold of my arm he made sure I stayed behind him.

My protector, after all – then as now, I considered with unease.  I felt as if I was once again a mere kid, with my brother preparing to defend me against the neighborhood bullies.

What scared the bejesus out of me right then, though, was that both Aidan and Aaron felt that I needed protection from the other.

“Aaron” I now called out in greeting, offering up the best smile I could muster.  A nod along with a slight grin, albeit brief, was how Aaron reciprocated, but then he kept his eyes trained on my brother.  Being this far out from the base, either was fair game for the other and so I feared the worst.

“Enjoy your run?” Aaron now politely inquired, stopping just out of Aidan’s strike zone.  He sounded amiable enough, but beneath that calm exterior I could feel his hatred of Aidan.

However, what I felt from Aidan was different – not hatred of Aaron, at least not personally.  It was more a loathing of what Aaron was and not who – and thus his approach was purely professional.

What I wanted to know was why it was personal on the part of Aaron?

“Yes, thank you” was my cordial return to Aaron’s inquiry, but my anger was growing due to the fact that Aidan had yet to release me.  “Brother, would you mind?” I asked my brother, politely, but that was about to change and quickly at that.

“To Protect” Aidan said as he loosened his grip, but continuing to hang on though, and I could still feel his fear for me.

“To Protect” Aaron mimicked and that was it – quite predictably I lost my temper.

Yanking my arm free, I now positioned myself between the two Members.  Looking back and forth between them, the air was becoming thick with testosterone.  This was so unlike Members that if I before held concern, it now exponentially grew.

“Gentlemen, I could not care less about the feud between your two Arms of The Brotherhood,” I began in a low voice, “but I will not tolerate any violence.  Not here, not anywhere, not between the two of you!” I now barked with authority for this was my domain.  Even if we were presently not on base, it was close enough in my eyes.

“Our two Arms” my brother was prompt to correct me in reminder.  “Collin Tristan O’Reilly, you are Brotherhood, you are Order” Aidan adamantly tacked on.  Funny how he seemed to only bring that up only when it held convenience for him.

Closely regarding the Members I felt torn in two – although I had no idea why I should feel this way.  Aside from the fact that these men were sworn enemies, of course.

“I promised Aaron my companionship this afternoon” I told my brother, who now grew disconcertingly still.  “I’ll catch up later, Aidan” was my decision, which sounded like the world’s biggest brush-off.  Then, unnervingly, I could sense Aidan’s fear skyrocket – again, his fear for me.  To ask him why, right there and then, was not wise option – but I would drill him later.

Bowing to Aidan, my way of conveying that he was dismissed, I now turned towards Aaron, but my brother had other ideas, it was clear.  Quick he was to again take hold of my arm, which pissed me off, and so in anger I spun about to confront him.  However, to my amazement, Aaron came to my aid and what happened next both surprised, confounded and terrified me as well.

As soon as Aaron had hold of Aidan’s arm to force him to release his grasp on me, my brother fell to his knees.  Yet, he refused to let go and I could feel that now I wasn’t the only one who was terrified – so was my brother!  He could not hold out, however, and in letting go his grasp of me, Aaron then let go of him.

In shock I leveled Aaron a black look before dropping to my knees beside my brother.  Drawing to draw my arm around his shoulders I became aware, much to my dismay, that Aidan was shaking.

“Aidan?” I called to him and catching his breath he was now quick to look up, glaring at Aaron.

However, my brother was speechless.

And so was Aaron – but for vastly different reasons, I’d wager.

“And you believe this Member harmless?” my brother put to me, sounding much like a man who had the wind knocked out of him.

My brother had only been trying to protect me, after all – but hadn’t Aaron been trying to do the same?

The question looming large was why?  My Brother’s interest in me I could well understand – he was my brother, but Aaron’s was another matter.  Although I did feel Aaron had my welfare at heart, I deemed that he had a separate agenda where I was concerned.

As Aidan searched my eyes he abruptly got a clue that his brother here wasn’t so surprised that something transpired when Aaron touched his person.

Reining in my temper, I now looked to Aaron who, discerning my immense displeasure, got down on both knees – a gesture not lost on my brother.

“Aaron, I will speak with you later – please leave us” I politely requested of him, partly because I was afraid of what he would do should I piss him off.  The man had a temper, although he normally kept it under control – better than I did most times.  However, he was a true Member and not a joke of one like I was.

“Certainly, milord” was his unsettling address of me – unsettling in more ways than one.  Getting to his feet, he bestowed one very low bow and then turning on his heel he was gone, heading back in the direction from which he had come.

“Are you alright?” I inquired of my brother who, to my distress, was still shivering.  “Should I call for Seamus?  Or Ryan?” I suggest and now sharply he shook his head in refusal.  Fuck that, I thought – he needed help, but as soon as I reached for the PDA in my pocket he shot out a hand to take hold of my wrist.

“No one can know of this” was his breathless demand.  “You didn’t look surprised” he now accused.  “Tell me that you have not discussed this with another soul, Aaron’s – talent.”

“Of course not, my officers would think me a loon” I laughed in discomfort.  “Would you care to tell me just what the hell is going on?  You don’t look so damned surprised yourself, by the way” was my accusation in return.  Holding my eyes, I could see my brother was warring with himself.

“You must Reaffirm, Collin” the broken record again harped on me.  “It’s the only hope I have, We have, of protecting you” he now continued to scare the crap out of me.  “There’s a lot more going on in this world, Collin – more than just the Quest for the Cup” my brother told me and then tightly shutting his eyes, he released a shuddering breath.  “So much is possible, was made possible – so that it will be impossible to discern the Truth.  Aaron may very well be proof of that right there.”

“Do you think the Unspoken have – done something to him?” I posed the question I would venture was on both our minds.  To my dismay, my brother actually shrugged.  “What… what did he show you?” I laid out my cards – no sense dancing around the issue.  I would lay odds Aaron showed my brother something when he made bodily contact.

Deciding if he should tell me, Aiden then spoke.

“A place I have no desire to ever visit, but one inescapable for me” he revealed and so rose my level of concern.  After all, I wasn’t going to see those pearly gates, either.  Not with all the sins I had committed during the course of my lifetime.  “What has he shown you?” my brother asked for reciprocation – like in kind, after all.

But was I willing to share?

Getting to my feet, I walked off several paces while I debated.  I turned back around to give him my answer.

“The Passion” I laid out for dissection, wondering if he’d think I was crazy.

He didn’t.

However, alarm now spread across his face and in a heartbeat he was on his feet.

“What I want to know is why does Aaron kneel to me?  And call me milord?” I raised the question that had been nipping at my heels ever since I had met Aaron.  “It’s starting to freak me out” I grumbled.

“I promised Sierra I would have dinner with her” my brother now artfully dodged as he turned and headed back towards the base.  Quickly falling in alongside him, I took hold of his arm, bringing him up short.

Casting his eyes to the ground, my brother released a weighted sigh.  This was about as unraveled as I could ever before recall seeing him – and this small detail was scaring the shit out of one rather dismayed Commander-General.  My brother was cold to the touch and yet he was still sweating.

“It’s a good thing Sierra will have an Attendant during her stay here” my brother now muttered and blinking for a moment I then understood.  The female assassin, Kelly.  “I think someone either had foresight, or we are being maneuvered – the former, I believe, though” he decided.  “You need to Reaffirm, Collin – I can’t keep you safe if you don’t” he yet again reiterated.  “When will you take Aaron to AFA High command?”  Good question there – one upon which I had yet to make decision.  “I’d put that off as long as possible if I were you.  No Member would openly walk into the waiting arms of AFA High Command – and I don’t care from which Arm, either.  Unless that Member had an ulterior agenda – one contrary to The Brotherhood.  Trust me on this one, brother.”

“I don’t like what you are implying” I returned in a low voice.  “And what about Seamus?” I just had to poke a stick at Aidan.  “He’s AFA, if you have forgotten?”  With a slanted grin Aidan then grunted a laugh.

“Yes, and what about our Brother from The Legion?” he spoke in a low voice.  “No matter how hard you try to get away from The Brotherhood, there always seems to be at least one of us within your intimate sphere of influence.  Don’t you find that a little odd?”

“And here I thought you often visited because you cared” I complained, now stuffing my hands in my pockets to then glare at him.

“I might be the only one who truly does” he was pleased to postulate.  Standing there we held each other’s eyes, and for a long while.  Neither willing to bring up the next topic.

“Why here?  Why now?” I threw out the opening volley.  “And why us?”

“You think Aaron a Messenger of God?” Aidan supposed, not quite calling a spade a spade.

“If you mean an angel” I voiced it for him and then shrugged – which was a contradiction to the way I felt.  This had been my gut feeling, and from the get-go, about Aaron Michael Gallagher.  “Honestly, I don’t know what to think, Aidan.  You can’t deny that he is the other,” I reminded him, “nor that he has visited upon each of us some rather extraordinary visions.  Do you truly believe that the Unspoken could have… what?  Engineered this ability into him?  I know firsthand that they have the means to make things happen, but c’mon – the ability to make us see things when Aaron touches us?  That’s a bit much to swallow, don’t you think?”  Mulling over my words, Aidan nodded.

“However, the alternative is even harder to choke down” was his take.

“Why?” was my challenge.  “You and I, we are chasing down the Cup of Christ and why?   So It and Its powers will not fall into the wrong hands.  We don’t question that, not one iota.  So why should it be any different to accept the very real possibility that Aaron is a Messenger of God?  Maybe he’s come to aid us in finding the Cup?” I threw out there for consideration.

“Has Aaron… told… you as much?” was my brother’s very cautious inquiry.  “I thought so” he grunted and now I went on the defensive.

“Well, not in so many words” was my defense but my brother only lent me a flat look.

“One doesn’t need to be all that familiar with you, Collin, to see just how open you are to suggestion” he slammed me, but then I understood it wasn’t really meant as such.  “You embrace every mystery that comes your way, latching on until you’ve unraveled every last thread in the weave.  This is a good trait, brother – but one that can also get you in a lot of hot water.”  Boy, and didn’t I know that, I thought, for Aidan was right – it had in the past.

“You’re in over your head right now, Collin – and not only with this Messenger of God situation” my brother informed me.  “You need to lie low for a while, you need to stay away from AFA High Command if at all possible.  At least until I can unravel for myself a few more threads in the weave.”

“And what about my brining Aaron to AHC?!” I demanded.  “I can’t just disobey orders” was my terse reminder.

“Why not?  Never stopped you before” Aidan brought to mind with a slanted grin.  “Pawn it off on Jonesy, make him take Aaron to AFAHC – use the excuse of Sierra and her pregnancy.  The poor thing doesn’t look well, does she?” was his suggestion, but one based in fact.  Carrying twins was taking a toll on her body – the woman wasn’t sleeping well, had lost her appetite, was fatigued much of the time and did her fair share of fainting.  Most all normal given that she was pregnant – but that could be built upon.

“You are the master of persuasion, after all” Aidan now reminded me.  “Whether you believe it of yourself or not, you are a big player in this game we call the Time After.  Don’t underestimate the ambitions of others, Collin – heed my advice for once in your life.  It might just save your tail.”

Standing there blinking at him, I had a very un-warm and un-fuzzy feeling.

“You are saying that I should not get so cozy with Aaron” I surmised and so he nodded.

“Or anyone else for that matter” was his dark caution.  “There are those who would make you their pawn, Collin – I refuse to let this happen.  You have my Word on this” and now I was back to being scared shitless once he had voiced this assertion.  Aidan knew way more than he would ever tell me, and even if I Reaffirmed, I would never know the whole story.  However, I would have access to a lot more pieces of the puzzle – and this was an irresistible call to me.

There was nothing else to say – at least, not right then.  With a nod of affirmation, I then turned again, back towards the base, with my brother falling in alongside me.  Putting an arm around my shoulders, my brother sought to comfort me – as always, my protector he would be.

But who, I wondered, was going to protect my brother?

If I had wanted to lay out my cards on the table, then I had just done that.  So strong was my conditioning to protect Collin that I had, without thought, revealed myself to his brother.

And Aidan had revealed something of himself to me in the exchange.

The Order’s Head of Assassins was a blank slate.  This I had ascertained when I laid hand to the Assassin – and the experience had left me overwhelmingly disturbed.

I could not read the Commander’s brother!  Granted, I did have a certain sense of Aidan, when he was near at hand to me – but upon bodily contact with him I should have been able to read much, much more, volumes to be exact.

However, no – the Assassin was literally a blank slate, devoid of any writing, devoid of even chalk dust.

This was a puzzle that I needed to work at – long and hard, no less.  Granted, it was part of Elite-Assassin training, that of training one’s soul to become unreadable – but this was in defense against mortal men!

And I was no mere mortal.

As I approached the entrance to the base, upon looking up the path I was disturbed to see Sierra standing there.  Arms wrapped about her torso there she was, and not exactly looking at me with any amount of warmth.

As much as I disliked her, so she felt the same towards me.

No love loss there, I considered with an inward laugh.

Near at hand to her stood the woman, Kelly – an Attendant who Aidan had brought here to this AFA base for the purpose of guarding Sierra.  The timing smacked of collusion, the arrival of this woman, but at present it was only conjecture.  Not to mention the fact that The Order did not Sanction female Members, but without a doubt the woman was, or rather had been, Brotherhood.  The signs were unmistakable.

As I now drew near, Kelly repositioned herself – to protect Sierra, naturally.

“Where are Collin and Aidan?” Sierra asked me right off the bat, her impatience clear and present.

“Hello to you, too, Sierra” I pleasantly enough returned in greeting, having no desire to tangle with her or her petty concerns.  She was a spoiled little brat and that was that.  “They are on their way back from their run” I told Sierra, bowing to her and to the other woman, out of respect for their gender.  Glowering at me as I walked passed Sierra dogged me in my wake.

“Something’s wrong” the midget began her badgering with a declaration.  “What did you do, Aaron?” she hounded and so I now stopped in the middle of the cavern entrance, turning round to face her.  However, I didn’t respond right away, rather instead letting her stew for several heartbeats.

“What makes you think I did anything at all?” I wanted to know, curious as to why she should make such an assumption.

“Woman’s intuition” the pipsqueak returned, now shuffling her feet and looking downright ill at ease.  The creature was amusing – I had to hand it to her creators.  An endearing source of amusement Collin had most certainly found her to be.

But not me, however – she was nothing more than a fly in my ointment.

Having no desire to egg her on, I did an about-face to continue on my original trajectory.  However, this apparently piqued the woman’s temper and so with haste, as well as quite unexpectedly, Sierra grabbed hold of my arm.  And just as swift as she had been to latch onto me, she was now equally swift to let go.

Stopping in her tracks, the woman actually recoiled from me.  And in all honesty?  I felt like doing much the same.

“I know who you are” the woman now hissed at me.

“I beg your pardon?” I made an attempt at recovering but Sierra didn’t say a word, instead continuing to back away from me.  The Attendant, Kelly, who had up until then just been observing, drew an arm around Sierra.  In protection as well as comfort, I took note.

Abruptly Sierra then turned tail and fled – running out of the entrance with Kelly in tow.  This left me standing there to stare after her.

I now knew who she was too – and she wasn’t just some quasi-clone who had been designed to keep Collin’s company, destined to become his friend, his mate, his wife.

Long I stood there making an attempt to reel in my emotions.

After all, my Father in Heaven Above didn’t reveal everything to His Servants.  He never showed all His cards, as it were – and here was one trump card of His that had just been played.  One which rocked my world, as Collin would have espoused.

As if I hadn’t already had enough about which to worry without the interference of a contemporary!

This day had started off on the wrong foot with Aidan showing up, unannounced – and it had been steadily tanking from there on out.

So much for a quiet and leisurely Sunday, I considered in frustration as I now turned back around and headed for my quarters.  I had more than a bit of praying to do, or beseeching was more like it.  All my communications with God these days were distressingly one way.  I had always believed that when my actions pleased my Master he would once more Grace me with His Presence.  However, it had been so long now since He’d given me an audition that I despaired of it, and on a daily basis.

You cannot petition the Lord with prayer, I thought to myself as the words of a long dead lyricist came to mind.  However, this didn’t keep me from petitioning Him on a daily basis – which was exactly what I was about to do.  Again.  Multiple times a day no less as of late without so much as a single indication from my Lord that He had even listened.

Feeling abandoned and disheartened, I went to seek solace in prayer.  If nothing else I knew it would calm my soul.

I wasn’t certain how much time had passed while I knelt there in my quarters reciting a litany of prayers.  I would have gone on into the night but a knock at the door disturbed me.

“Come in” I called over my shoulder and then drew in a deep breath.  I knew it was Collin, naturally, for I could sense his presence.

“Am I disturbing you?” the Commander asked of me, and rather respectfully at that.

“Your attitude towards me has changed” was my assessment as I now got to my feet to face him.  And this was Truth, I could discern.  The man was looking at me with something akin to awe – awe combined with a smidgen of repressed anger.  “Forgive me” I implored, thinking I should drop to my knees but that habit needed to die and quick.  It was troubling to Collin, this much I had already figured out.  He had always wanted to be king while at the same time being Joe Sixpack.

Closing the door behind him, and with a bit of reluctance I sadly took note, he then stood there facing me, hands stuff in his pockets.

“What happened out there?” the man cut to the chase.  “Why on God’s Earth would you think I need protection from my own twin brother?” he wanted to know.  Well, that wasn’t exactly the question at the top of the list of ones I had expected him to ask.

Considering him at length, I wasn’t sure how to answer – but an answer Collin damned well expected.

“How much time do you have?” was my wise-ass response, delivered along with a shrug.

“You are funny” he grumbled and then running a hand over his face he let it linger there for a moment.  Hadn’t his cousin warned me not to put Collin in a position where he’d have to choose between me and Aidan?  What I had allowed to happen this day took a giant leap towards that eventuality.

And make no mistake, it would come to that – not now, not tomorrow, but rather instead years down the road.

And it would not be Aidan that he would be choosing, this much I knew without doubt.  However, that was the future and this was the present – and there were many miles to travel betwixt the two.

Crossing over to the couch the Commander now sat down.  Elbow to armrest, palm to chin he held my eyes, searching them.

“To appease my brother, and ease his mind as well, I will not be accompanying you to AFA High Command” he now told me.  “Colonel Jones will escort you.  I… it’s nothing personal, Aaron.  There are times when it is best advised that I listen to my brother.  This is one of them.”

“I see” was all I said in return – there was no point arguing with the Commander.  This was his domain, after all.

“If you lay one single finger on my brother ever again with intent to do harm, then you will have more than just me to answer to” he now moved beyond his last edict, and on to something yet more puzzling.  “Make no mistake, Aaron Gallagher – my brother is Head of Assassins for The Order.  If you’d like to make sure that the sole surviving Member of The Ascendancy doesn’t evaporate as fast as dew in the desert – then you need to give my brother one very wide berth.  Do I make myself understood?”

“Clearly, milord” I could not stop myself from saying, any more than I could keep from lowering myself to both my knees.  I needed to eat a considerable amount of crow to get back into his good graces, I deemed.  After all, my affront had been on a member of his family and one thing I did know about the O’Reillys was that they were an extremely loyal Clan.  They, just like The Brotherhood, took care of their own.

I thought for certain that Collin would again ask why I addressed him as such, and why I felt a need to kneel before him – but he didn’t.

“Would you care to have dinner together?” the man now blew me away.  “We can discuss our pending trip to Utah” he even went one further as he now got to his feet, and so I followed suit.

“I would like that, Collin” I accepted, bowing to him.  “Thank you.”

“Fine – my quarters at nineteen hundred hours, bring your appetite” he joked with a grin.  Hot and cold this one ran, I considered as I suppressed the urge to laugh.  “Until then” Collin said, heading for the door.  Taking hold of the lever, he paused a moment.  “And by the way, I can take care of myself” was the Commander’s caution, his way of telling me to butt out.  Glancing over his shoulder at me, I nodded in acknowledgement and then he made his exit, shutting the door behind him.

What an interesting exchange – and not one word about the obvious.  Chances were he was saving that discussion for dinner, but no – something told me he was going to leave sleeping dogs lie, as that old saying went.

Collin had a strong hunch what I was, if not who.  In the face of the fantastic, the man would solemnly accept what he wagered to be Truth.  To me this meant that there was far much more depth to the Commander than I had ever suspected.

Well, I had to argue with him on one point, though – the man could not take care of himself.  Or at least, not be able to protect himself against those who would see him removed from this world.  This was the battle that was waging in certain camps – not the frenetic search for the Cup and who would be the first to capture the flag.  There were those who demanded the script play out for this Time After, and those who sought to derail it once and for all.

Everyone involved was running under the assumption that Collin was a contrived being – and therefore could never be the real deal.  This notion had not entered into their heads, not once, not even a glimmer.

Even his brother did not believe Collin to be the genuine article – I’d stake my life on that.  Although, I could never wholly be certain, due to the disturbing reality that to me Aidan was a blank slate.  In touching Aidan I could not read him at all period.

And back to the beginning I found myself.  What did this mean?  Never had there been a soul upon whom I had laid hands that I could not read.

Suddenly it struck me – the answer was to be found in my ruminations.

The man didn’t have a soul.

Sucking in my breath, the ramifications of my summation were staggering.  If Aidan truly didn’t have a soul, then Collin’s brother was an Empty One and thus this Brotherhood belief was indeed Truth.  That those conceived in vitro, or by any unnatural means, possessed no souls, unless Touched by the Hand of God, as had been Collin.

And any man without a soul was Satan’s spawn, at least in my book.

Too much to consider, too much to debate – too much good fortune.  If I had needed ammunition against The Order’s Head of Assassins – well, then it had just fallen into my lap.

However, it would need to be Confirmed before it could be of any real use.  After all, by Brotherhood Law, an Empty One could not attain the Station of Grand Head.  As Head of Assassins, however,  it was highly desirous to have an Empty One hold that Station.  After all, Empty Ones were not accountable to God for their actions, for the very reason that they possessed no soul.

Grand Head, though, was the Station coveted by Collin’s brother, and rumor had it he was actively campaigning towards a coup.  If I wanted to derail his campaign, then all I need to was provide proof that Aidan was not a naturally conceived human being.

With a million possibilities if one roiling around in my head, I now set about the task of getting washed up and dressed for dinner with the Commander.

And as I predicted, Collin did not raise the question of what I was.  Dinner was a pleasant affair, the conversation as enjoyable as the food which Collin had catered.  Conversation strayed to many topics, some of which were of particular interest to my host.  Collin had missed his calling in life, I sadly considered.  The man was an excellent statesman of exceptional talent.  Why he had chosen to stay with the military his entire life was a mystery.  Formal structure was, to Collin, like that proverbial thorn in one’s side, while at the same time appearing to be that without which he could not live.  It was almost as if he needed someone to tell him what to do, even though he loathed the very notion.

Somehow, though, he had managed to bend even a large military institution to his will – in small things, or for his pet projects.  In this he had found a comfortable spot in which to curl up amidst an environment which inevitably ran thick with testosterone among its upper echelon.

This wasn’t to say that Collin didn’t have any balls for the man most certainly did.  However, his strength was in his words – a natural born leader he was, and thus why AFA High command had slammed the door in his face when it came to a promotion.  Or so I would wager.

And who could blame them?

On equal footing with his superiors Collin would then be clamoring for the rank of Supreme-General in no time flat.  One could not be long in the presence of this man and not get drawn in by Collin’s charisma.  He could, with ease, influence the most hardened of adversaries and yet leave them feeling as if their turnabout in thinking had been of their own volition, and not of Collin’s.

That I had studied the Commander during the Time Before, as well as in this Time After, would be an understatement.  He had been easy to follow, to observe.  His brother on the other hand?  Mr. Ex-CIA?  Another matter altogether.  The CIA assassin lived up to his reputation of being nothing more than rumor on the wind – and most times he was even more scarce than that, if possible.

And this had troubled me then as now – and greatly.

“You are so unlike most Members I know” Collin said as he leaned back in his chair at the table in his personal ready room.  A glass of wine in hand, he smiled at me.  Conversation during our meal had been light and jovial, full of chatter about subjects near and dear to our hearts.  However, now that we had eaten our fill, I was of a mind that the discussion would turn somewhat somber.

“I’ll take that as a compliment” I graciously accepted and then dared a toast.  “To friendship” I offered as I raised my glass.  Collin did the same, and without hesitation.

“To friendship” he returned and then taking a sip he released a weighted sigh.  “I’ve friends in many camps, have dealt with being on opposing sides of multiple fences all my life” Collin told me something I already knew about him.  “With my closest of friends, though, they have always had to learn tolerance when it came to my brother.  Aidan will always be an important, irreplaceable, part of my life – and he never hesitates to make it known when he disapproves of my friends.  Not to me, and not to them, either.”

“I’m not afraid of your brother, Commander” I told him and now his mood was swift to shift.

“No kidding – not with your talents, eh?” he put to me, his eyes becoming dark as their emerald hue now turned a stormy sea green.  “Regardless, to be my friend is to accept Aidan along with me, the whole package, as it were.  Take your cues from Eric and Greg – they are fierce friends but learned long ago to stay out of my affairs with my brother.”  What was I supposed to say to that?

Nothing, because I disagreed with him.  However, to get into the reasons behind my convictions would be to disturb one very volatile hive of hornets.

“You disagree” Collin now put to me in a low voice.  “That’s fine by me, just don’t get involved.  What made you want to become a priest?” the man now changed lanes without signaling.  Apparently, he was through serving one last warning about interference where he and his brother were concerned.

“It was decided for me” I admitted for this was Truth.  Nowhere along the line had God directed me to enter the priesthood or even express an interest.  Actually, He had given me little direction in regards to how I should carry out my mission for Him on His Earth.  “Although, I can’t say that I didn’t have a desire to do so,” I now added, “and I did embrace the process with fervor.  It was my parents dream from the day I was born, and naturally, wanting to please them, I let them decide the direction of my life.

“Becoming a Jesuit then became as important to me as it was to them” was my concession and now he raised an eyebrow.

“So that much is Truth, then?  You truly are a Jesuit?” Collin said and naturally, he would have by now uncovered just about all there was to be known about me.  After all, intelligence gathering was the primary function of most personnel on this IntelliCore base.  “How far did you take it?” was his next query and then suddenly I felt rather uncomfortable.  The Commander-General’s intent this night was to interrogate me and how would I stand up against his disarming tactics and God given charisma?  Already during our short acquaintance I had been in a position where I had told him far more than I ever should have told him.

Something there was about Collin that compelled me to be honest with him in all things.  A dangerous notion, for us both, but there it was.

“It is a lengthy process with many levels” the man now pressed on and so I would answer him.  I had nothing to hide – well, almost nothing.

“Indeed it was – and I made it through all levels, thanks to the Guiding Hand of God” I told him.  “It was during my schooling at Georgetown that I developed a keen interest in journalism, although I received my Masters in it from Loyola.  There are many ways to Serve, commander – but I needn’t point this out to you of all people, I believe.”

“Truth” he concurred, taking another sip of his wine.  “The article you wrote on the man who was my CFO in Pre-Time was a masterpiece.  Funny thing is, I might forget a name, but I never forget a face” Collin started going down the one path where I wished he wouldn’t have chosen to tread.  “That morning when Aidan and I were having breakfast – you were there as well, having a get together of your own with my CO.  Why is it, Aaron, that I don’t recall your face?” the Commander inquired, and quite casually at that along with a hint of a smile.

“You were too busy being transfixed by the Latina beauty in your company?” was my response, since Mira had been there with them, all three celebrating the brother’s birthday on that Summer solstice day.  “As I recall, Bryce appeared rather smitten with Ms. Mendez.”

Collin, however, said nothing, and gave no indication of his thoughts one way or another.

“Why don’t I recall your face?” the man asked yet again and how was I to answer?  It had not been my wish for him to have memory of my face – and now I was wondering if he had asked his brother if he had any recollection of me that day as well.

What a tangled web we weave, I thought, fighting the urge to swallow hard.

“It was not my desire back then, for you to know of me” I tried on, which would lead the way to other topics that were best avoided.

“Funny, though – Aidan doesn’t recall your face either” Collin informed me in a low.  “Now, I never forget a face, and neither does Aidan, so I thought he was just jerking my chain when he said he could not put together the name and the face.  But, no – Aidan might be a lot of things, Aaron, and he might be a master of omission,” he grunted, “but my brother would never openly lie to me.”  Of course not – Members did not lie, after all.

“So, would you care to tell me what that was all about, then?  Are you who you say you are?  Or some clever lookalike?” he pressed and then downing the rest of his wine he now leaned forward to pour himself another glass.  “More?” he asked of me but I just shook my head – I was in deep water as it was and didn’t need the help of alcohol to drown myself.

“I would not deceive you, Collin – I am a Member of The Brotherhood” I reminded him but he did not appear overly convinced in that moment.  Leaning back with his wine glass refilled he just looked at me.  I knew what he was thinking – it wasn’t ESP, per se, but I could feel what he felt.  “I am not some spy crafted by the Unspoken, if that is what you are thinking” I told him in a low voice – the very notion of which made my blood boil.  The look on Collin’s face was an easy read – it said, convince me otherwise.

His smug appearance caused my temper to get the better of me and so now I was up out of my chair.  With speed I reached out to take hold of his wrist and closing my eyes as I bowed my head I now proved to him that I had been there that day.

In a flash I conveyed the entire scene, replaying it for him from my point of view, as seen by my eyes that day at the Ocean Diner.  Only a moment it took and when I let go Collin abruptly gasped for air.

Dropping to my knees I then waited, head bowed with my left hand clenched to a fist and pressed to my chest.  Collin didn’t say anything, but his breathing was so labored I was compelled look up and as I did his labored breathing suddenly turned into heaving sobs.  At first I was confused, but then I realized that through my eyes he had experience a living, breathing Miranda for the first time in the decades since she had passed!

And so had I and thus now I understood his pain, albeit after a different fashion.  One of my duties here on God’s Earth had been as guardian angel to Miranda, and her death had been a tremendous turning point in my life, and not just Collin’s.

This was when my Heavenly Father had, for lack of a better term, excommunicated me as punishment for my having failed Him.  Not only Him, but having failed Collin as well.

Despair had ruled our worlds after her passing.  Miranda was the one who was to have journeyed with Collin into this Time After.  The woman was intended to be the Eve to his Adam – and not this Sierra creature who had captured his heart.

Sierra coming on the scene had been a contingency plan after-the-fact.  And apparently, God had seen fit to get involved with this new mate for Collin, and on a much higher level.  Where Miranda had been, like Collin, Touched by The Hand of God, Sierra, it was clear, embodied one of His Servants.

A thought which made my blood run ice cold – it was a message from God to me, one which spoke loud and clear.  Never send a man to do a woman’s job.  Sierra was a Lesser Servant, that much I could sense when she had touched me, but beyond that?  A complete and utter mystery.

Not to mention whose side she was on, for that assumption should never be made.  The phrase God works in mysterious ways wasn’t just some worn out adage with nothing to back it up.

It was Truth.

Even to the point where his Servants often had difficulty trying to decipher His Wishes.  Then again, presume not to know the Mind of God didn’t just apply to mere mortals.

And I was convinced that I was guilty of having committed just such an affront on Our Lord, and on more than one occasion indeed.

Reaching up, I pressed my palm to Collin’s neck and was alarmed to feel his how fast his blood was coursing.  Still sobbing the man was beside himself – and it went well beyond just the memory of the loss of his greatest love.  It was a physical reaction, I now understood.  All because the woman had been removed from this world didn’t mean that the affect she had on him had also disappeared.  This synergy, chemistry, whatever humans wanted to call it – it never died, unless they themselves died, of course.  However, with the advancements in genetic engineering during the Time Before it had been assessed that the synergy between Miranda and Collin could be recreated if the woman was resurrected.

Needless to say that wouldn’t fly, to clone Miranda, and thus Sierra was born.  As close to Mira as they could get without raising a whole lot of unsolicited suspicions.

“Milord?” I now addressed Collin but he was too far gone, lost inside his world of heartache and pain.  What an abomination Collin’s creation had been!  If not but for the saving Grace that God Himself had given this creation of man a soul, making Collin a child of God.

Receiving no response from Collin, I now drew in a deep breath and placed a hand on his forehead.  I didn’t want to knock him out, I only wanted to calm him – which would be a difficult sensation to transfer since I myself was anything but calm.  However, I was able to pull it off and thus the Commander now began to settle, much to my relief.  Resting back on my heels, I then waited.

After a while Collin drew in a deep breath as he sat back, lifting himself off the table.  Drawing a hand across his eyes he let it linger there for a moment as I waited with trepidation.

“I was there” he finally spoke in a hoarse voice as he dropped his hand away from his face so to hold my eyes.  “Mira…” he began but then fell to silence, releasing a long, low breath.  “And I thought I could not possibly miss the woman more than I already do.”  The pain in his words rent a hole in the fabric of my heart.  I had failed him! I thought in complete distress.  Had I done the job I had been sent here by God to do, then Miranda would still be alive.

And in that moment I had never felt more like a failure during all of my lives here on God’s Earth in His Service.

“Thank you… for showing me” Collin now said, offering up a smile.  I prayed he didn’t think I was going to make a habit of that – it wasn’t productive for either of us to relive the life of his Mira.

Collin’s addictive personality was one thing his creators had made far too strong.  Granted, it had been a great aid to him in his career, in his ambitions – but in his personal world it was like the weight of a stone hung round his neck.

“My only intent was to prove to you that I am who I claim to be” I told him.

“You are a bit more than just that, Aaron Michael Gallagher – I think we both understand this” he quietly decided but then thankfully left it at that.  After all, I was not permitted by God to reveal myself, who and what I truly was.

Picking up his glass of wine, the man now downed it all at once.  That was one not so little vice, one which needed to be curbed, I considered.  His drinking binges were legendary – and most often induced by states of personal flux.

“Tomorrow we make the journey together, just you and I, to investigate that ancient writing of yours” Collin now told me, much to my delight.  “After which, upon our return, Colonel Jones will then escort you to AFA High command.  Our trip together, you and I – it will be one strictly off record” he explained.  “Pack for a road trip – we’ll not be flying in.”  This suited me fine – he and I needed some time alone, to bond.  He and I needed to get to know one another, again – my personal hope was for him to remember me and what I had once been to him, and of his own volition.  Granted, I knew all about him in this incarnation, his life before and after the Apocalypse – but those were just facts.  I needed to understand this man that God had laid His Hand to – personally.

“Understood” I now returned, bowing my head as I knelt there, left fist pressed to my chest and holding my pose for a heartbeat.  Then I got to my feet, sitting down once more at the table, the two of us, was we had been.

Collin now surprisingly compartmentalized the whole ordeal, tucking it away for future consideration, I predicted.  Our conversation now continued, minus his interrogation of me, thankfully.

Once the second bottle of wine was polished off it was late and so we parted ways to get in some sleep before the morrow’s journey.

Bowing to Collin before I made my exit, I could see in his eyes a mixture of comfort and despair – a rather disturbing combination and thus I held concern for him.  Understanding that he was a private man, I did not voice my concern, instead holding my tongue as I then took my leave.

I needed to clear my head as well as my heart and so headed outside for a brief walk.  In Truth I had not been prepared for what transpired when I showed Collin what I had.  Mine had been to prove to him that I was who I was, but wrapped up in that had been arrogance.  I had been appalled that he should think I had lied to him.

In my showing him that day through my eyes, I had touched his heart.  Collin had been able to see and hear Miranda once more.  I had been rather infatuated with the woman myself and I would defy any man to have looked upon her and not feel an erection coming on.  As I had touched Collin’s heart, though, my experience in return had left me saddened in my own way – I too mourned the death of a long lost friend and brother.  Collin had not just touched my heart, he had touched my soul.

And this, more than anything else, gave me considerable pause.  Would he ever recall who he was?  The man whose body had once carried the soul that his own now did?

I had no data either way, for or against – only time would tell.

As I walked in the dark of the desert night, following the jogging path which circumscribed the base, I was admittedly preoccupied.  Such to the point that I never saw that was coming next.

In less than half a heartbeat I was brought to my knees, and upon glancing up I now saw who had delivered the blow.

Aidan.

How could I have not been aware of his presence?  Because you were so wrapped up in yourself you were oblivious to all else, that’s why, I now reproached myself.

“Like in kind” the Assassin told me in that hypnotic voice of his as he now crouched down in front of me.  “There’s something to be said for the subtle finesse of two well placed fingers” was his desert dry humor taking the stage.  Rage now welled up within me, but Collin’s command prevented me from acting out and doing something stupid.

“You are not without weakness,” Collin’s lethal brother now informed me, “regardless who or what you are, Aaron Gallagher.  Good-evening” he now politely concluded, getting to his feet and with a nod he then literally melted off into the night, without a sound.

Leaving me there to kneel and feeling very much ill at ease.

Aidan, apparently, had not been the least bit surprised by my talents, and more disturbingly, not the least bit concerned.  Oh, he obviously viewed me as a stinging fly, but not much beyond that – I was just one more pest that needed to be swatted dead.  Tenacity was a word which fit Aidan to a t – and Collin as well, unfortunately.  Either brother would be tough to maneuver or dissuade, if that was even at all possible.

Feeling as if my grasp was slipping on my Mission here on God’s Earth, even more so than it had previously been, I now bowed my head and began to pray.  I needed to reflect on the day’s events, assessing my actions – not only outward ones, but those of my mind and heart as well.  Under a blanket of brilliantly sparkling stars, there in the deep of night of God’s desert world, I first and foremost begged His forgiveness.

And something told me it would be long before sleep would find me this night – if at all.

What the hell did I know anyway?

I was just a geek.

Keep telling yourself that and you might actually one day believe it, Wong, I laughed to myself – out loud no less so it was a good thing I was alone in my office.

The question was, how much longer could I dodge the bullets?  It wasn’t like me to not be able to decrypt something.  Granted, it took time and perseverance, but not that long.

Getting to my feet I now grabbed my laptop, stuffing it in my backpack, and then prepared to head off for another of our Commander’s performances.  His weekly status meetings had resumed in full force now that he was hanging around the base and not wandering out in the desert.  Sierra was here, naturally – so he was sticking close to home.

As I was about to leave there was a knock at the door, followed by the entrance of Colonel Jones.  The prick might at least knock, but he’d never wait for an answer.

“A word before the meeting, if I may, Captain Wong?” was his uncharacteristically pleasant approach.

This, of course, meant he was disgruntled.

“Hey, Eric – whatcha need?” I asked in return, being as informal as possible, which tweaked the Colonel to no end I could tell.  However, he knew he could catch more flies with honey than vinegar – at least, that’s how he’d start off.  Threats would surely follow if the man felt his inquiries were being side-stepped.

Which I had been doing.

“Please tell me you have made progress on decrypting those files” Eric asked in an even tone.  With a sigh I just shook my head – no.  “Kevin, Kevin, Kevin” he now returned, affably enough, but when he closed the door to my office, I knew the beast was about to emerge.  “Are you trying to tell me you need more manpower to finish this task?” he put to me in a low voice.  “Or perhaps someone with more… talent?”

I wasn’t in the mood to be cowed by Collin’s Second, or to take his abuse.

“Is Collin riding your ass?” was my cocky summation, but I strongly suspected the opposite.  Our Commander had other things on his mind, and other merchandise to sell so wasn’t in a hurry for something else to peddle.  Naturally, if Collin had known the directory names of some of the data Sierra and I snagged from the and old DoD database – then he would have been hot for the decryption.

But he didn’t – thank God for small favors, after all.

The question was, did Eric?

No answer there, but I thought not since he had surrendered his copy of the flash drive to General Hastings.  And he hadn’t had the presence of mind to ask me what data Sierra and I had snagged.

Not that I would have told the dude if he asked.  That would have been a question Eric would have to put to Collin, who would then in turn tell me to release the information to his Second.

Or not.

“It doesn’t matter what Commander O’Reilly wants” was the Colonel’s cool response.  “I want them decrypted, Captain Wong – and I have a sense that in this you are dragging your feet.  Am I hot or cold here?” he wanted to know and hot was the answer but I just offered him my game face.

“You know what, Colonel?  You’re right – I need more manpower” I now agreed with his earlier postulate.  “If you can req some more talent I’d be thrilled to death.  Our TechStaff is shorthanded as it is, so until that changes certain things have to go on the back burner – unless Collin makes them a priority.  Why don’t you bring it up at the meeting, sir?” I suggested as I now walked out from behind my desk, ready to get my butt to the Circle Meeting so I could then take abuse from Collin as well.

“I believe I will take you up on your suggestion, Captain” Eric decided and then turning on his heel, he opened the door and made his exit.

Great, I thought in dismay as I stood there.  Eric wasn’t the only one after me about those files.  Captain MacNamara was, too – and Greg was a lot harder to snow than Collin’s henchman Second.

Taking a deep breath I now headed on out of my office and on to Collin’s executive conference room.  I hadn’t gotten far when my Palm chirped and so fishing it out of my pocket I looked at the screen and speak of the devil.

Greg wanted to see me in his office before the meeting.

With everyone at me for something or another, the fact was – TechStaff was woefully undermanned here at this IntelliCore base.  I might have been the IT head of this division, but I essentially did what all my techs did, in addition to the upper level stuff that only I had the skills to tackle.  I did double duty all the time, but had no room to complain.  It sure beat the hell out of being stationed at AFA High Command, which was where I had been until Collin won me in a poker game with his CO.

That made me smile, since it was like pure poetic justice.

If not but for the fact that somewhere down the road Collin, for a brief time, had turned me into an exchange hostage with The Order.

Life could suck more than it did and I had the experience to back up that summation.  And so, I just thanked my lucky stars that I was where I was and that Collin had personally promised me he would never farm me out ever again.

Of course, there were no absolutes in this game but that was about as close as one could get.

I now altered my trajectory to swing by Greg’s office.  Collin’s Third was a good guy, but he very much looked out for the interests of our Commander, who was also a lifelong friend and comrade of his, since Pre-Time to be exact.  I had to dance around Greg, just like I had to dance around Eric – but just not in the same fashion.  Greg’s mind did not work like everyone else’s.  He had a freaky ability to solve puzzles from only a handful of scattered, disassociated pieces.

And this was what had me worried in regards to the files that he and Eric wanted to see decrypted – like yesterday.

Actually, the decryption hadn’t taken me all that long – what had, rather, was trying to dechiper the files, since they were indeed written in code.  The key had been included, which was the only reason I had been able to ferret out their contents.  It wasn’t easy since I wasn’t a cryptographer – but breaking code was like breaking encryption to a degree.  And I was so intrigued by what Sierra and I had hacked out of the DoD data repository that I kept after it on a daily basis. I kept chipping away at it almost nonstop – thinking about it even when I was about other business.

Only to my complete horror once I had finished the task.  After which my new worry was how to keep my silence – or rather how long I would be able to.  It was just a matter of time before either AFA High Command or The Order decrypted and decoded the files – although I’d wager that they would both take considerable more time than I had.

And during this gap of time I needed to decide what to do, and time would soon be running out.

Arriving at Greg’s office, I took a deep breath before I walked through the door.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.  Greg, who was neatening up his desk before leaving for the meeting, motioned me to take a seat.  One thing Collin demanded of everyone on base was neatness – no ifs, ands or buts it was a must.  The dude would say that this was a military establishment after all, but we all knew better.  The Commander could not stand any state of disarray, whether it was his own office or quarters, or someone else’s.

And any newcomers to this IntelliCore unit needed to learn that aspect of their new CO – and fast.

“Close the door” Greg now instructed and like, ok – here we go.  How many people were going to dog me this day about those files?  Doing as he asked I shut the door and then sat down, waiting.  There was a chance this might be about something else, but something told me not.

“General Hastings approved your req for more help” he began as now turned off his laptop and then leaned back in his chair.  “I know you put in the request eons ago now, but we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.  He even sent a list of candidates for your review.”  Ok, so that was good – but I was thinking it was just a different trajectory.  “You’ll have more time to devote to decrypting those files.”

Yup – and there it was.

But damned if I kept my mouth shut.

“Or at least have more time to do whatever it is you do instead of decryption?” the Captain finally called me out on the carpet.  I only held his eyes but gave no indication either way.  “You know, Eric has a valid reason for being pissed off, but like you, I want to keep him out of the loop.  At least, until Collin orders me otherwise” was his interesting statement.

However, I continued to hold my tongue since he wasn’t asking me any direct questions, and he hadn’t ordered me to say or do anything.

Not yet but he was coming to it.

“Look, Kevin – in Pre-Time I did a lot of research on the Plan and Its Furtherance” he now bowled me over.  “For all I uncovered, I never was able to track down the cipher.  Now, if you have cracked those files, and there is a cipher included in those directories, then I don’t need to guess that you have unraveled something that rocks our world.”

How right the dude was!  The Plan had laid to rest ninety-nine percent of the population of this planet – and then some.  The Apocalypse had been no accident.

“I would have been clueless about any such planned atrocity,” he now carried on, “if not but for Collin joining The Brotherhood and The Order.  Any social club that Aidan would actually invite his brother to join?  Well, that just smacked of something extremely unsavory.  That’s how I got hooked on peeling away the layers of the onion that is their dark fraternity of men – because Collin is my friend and I had a hunch he’d gotten himself into some very deep shit.”

Falling to silence, Greg closed his eyes, bowing his head.

“We don’t need another war” he now spoke up followed by a weighted sigh.  “And the AFA doesn’t need one more reason to wipe The Order off the face of the earth.  Believe what you may, but The Brotherhood, they really aren’t the bad guys here – at least, not what now remains of them after the Apocalypse.  They are just fighting to survive, like the rest of us.  All because I don’t agree with their warped and twisted Ways, that doesn’t mean I want to see The Order get exterminated.

“Now, how long do you think it will be before AFA High Command decrypts those files, Captain Wong?” he directly asked me.

“They are having a tough go of it” I told him – this much I had been able to uncover.  “I know who they have working on it and the guy isn’t half bad, actually.  But I can’t say when he’ll break though.”

“In short, we don’t have infinite time” Greg mumbled.  “Can we put aside our game of dodge ball?  I believe you understand that I have the best interest of our world at heart.  Granted, Collin is my CO, my comrade, my friend – but that doesn’t mean I tell him everything.  May I please have the decoded files, Kevin?  Or just show to me their contents?  Time is running out.  Eric isn’t going to stop until he has an answer – so we really should start looking for a way to get him off our backs.”

“I’ve already been thinking about that,” I told him, “but, you know – Jonesy is sleeping with the devil.  It will only be a matter of time before he finds out from other sources what’s in those files.  And you know the prick wants to see Aidan and his Brothers exterminated.”  At this supposition Greg just blinked at me.  Did he previously suspect that Eric wasn’t on the up and up?  I wasn’t certain, but now at least he knew that I had reservations.  And I wasn’t one to idly point fingers, either.

“You know, Greg – I dunno what’s going down in this world, but I sure as hell am pissed over what someone did to the last one” I expressed my feelings, keeping my voice controlled or trying to at least.  “And if the wrong people find out, then there pretty much won’t be any world.  I wanna kick some ass myself, but I’m just a geek.”  At this Greg now smiled, and then he actually laughed.

“You’re more powerful than you can ever imagine, my friend” he told me.  “Men with your talent are in short supply, and by design, if my hunch is correct about The Plan” the man now knocked me off my chair.  Was he looking for confirmation, I wondered?  What I had read in the Plan and Furtherance read like that fabled Noah’s Ark story – except instead of animals lining up it was people with different skills – and notably not technology skills.  Farmers, healers, midwives, husbandry men, carpenters, potters, masons, alchemists and the list went on.  But programmers, electrical engineers, physicists, anything that was tied to the technology of our Pre-Time world – those trades were strikingly absent from the list.

And so Greg was right – I was in short supply, and by design.  Sad thing was, women were in an even shorter supply since something had gone horribly wrong once the Plan had been executed.  Women took a huge hit when the plague went rolling through – didn’t matter if they had been vaccinated or not.  So Sierra was a true rarity, and an extremely valuable and coveted one at that since she was not only a woman, but a hacker as well.

“Our technology infrastructure is a tenuous thing” Greg now reminded me.  “Wouldn’t take much to bounce us back to the stone age in that regard.   And you have the ability to do just that, so for all the badgering Eric does, trust me – the man knows you are a perilous tool.  However, he also believes you to be just a hapless geek whose not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.”  That was a true statement, since this was what I was doing.  I just tried to do my job and not rock the boat – I wasn’t about to give Collin any reason to transfer my tail back to AFA High Command.  If he did that?  Well, suicide was going to be the order of the day, I knew that much.  He rescued me from that bleak life and I could never thank him enough.

“Well, information in the wrong hands can be a very bad deal” I grumbled.

“Yeah, especially since The Brotherhood could not have pulled it off alone, The Plan” he now postulated and I was inclined to agree.  The Unspoken had to have had a big hand in The Plan, and they were happily ensconced under Area 51.  Snoozing away, or so it appeared.  The Masters under Groom Lake, that was another name for this shadowy group of men.  Oddly enough, both monikers were ones that we had adopted from The Brotherhood, since that’s how they referred to them.  Both were accurate, too, it seemed – even if they no longer held sway over The Brotherhood.  At least, that was the gut feeling I had.

“It’s just a matter of time” I muttered.  “If I was able to decode them, then someone else will too and who knows how many copies were made, or how far they have propagated” I made note.  “It’s just the ticket AFA High Command needs to openly declare war with The Brotherhood” I pointed out but Greg just shrugged.

“I half believe that myself, but you have to wonder, though – are there prominent men in the AFA who were, and still are… Conspirators?” the man now drove home another run, using a term right out of The Plan.  “Look, much of what I uncovered in Pre-Time read like a work of fiction.  Never in a million years could I have dreamed that it was real and might actually come to pass.  However, it did – and I’ve been patient with you about those files.  I know that it would not have taken you this long to decrypt them, and so something else is holding you back.

“You know, Kevin – what you’ve uncovered is more burden than one man should ever have to bear, alone” he said in a conciliatory tone.

“Sometimes I think it just has to be a sick coincidence, you know?  The Plan and the world checking out” I said but then shrugged.  “But like Collin is fond of saying, if it looks like a, walks like a, talks like a…” I trailed off.  I was unsure what to do, but he was right.  It was eating me up inside what I had read.  And what really kept the wheels in my mind turning was just who it could be that the Plan had cast to play the part of the Second Son?  This was a central figure who, along with the proverbial Eve, was supposed to lead us from the rubble of disaster to a world of peace and enlightenment.  A world where mankind lived in harmony with nature.

That this Second Son was someone in The Order I was certain, since The Brotherhood prominently figured in The Furtherance.  The notion that it just might be Collin’s brother Aidan made my stomach do flip-flops.  After all, he was the one who had found Sierra, and that the woman had been roaming the desert for the seven years after the Apocalypse without a single clue that anyone else had survived?  That was a tough bite to swallow – and one that Collin seemingly chose to ignore since he was so smitten with her.  And Aidan appeared to have done the very same.

With my head reeling from all the questions that now broke loose like a stampede, I released along, low breath as I hung my head.

“Let me share the burden, Kevin.  Between the two of us maybe we can either validate or invalidate The Plan and its Furtherance” he suggested and I knew he was right.  I had the skill, but he had the knowledge.  Together we should be able to rule it in or out, and with some deductive reasoning define who the players were as well.

But that still wasn’t going to prevent others from uncovering the same.  It would probably take a lot longer for them than it had for me, but it would happen sooner or later.

“If Collin finds out, he’ll go ballistic” I know spoke up.

“No kidding,” Greg grumbled in return, “especially since he had a sampling of this in Pre-Time.  If he should ever find out that the flight of fantasy I had told him about in Pre-Time had indeed become a reality, well – I don’t think we need to go there.  Now, ask me if it has crossed Collin’s mind?  Probably, but he’s been too busy to ferret out the Truth.  AFA High Command keeps the pressure on him, to find the Cup – and in order to do that, Collin needs his brother and The Order.”  I always had to bite my tongue, and hard, when talk would turn the Cup of Christ being found so that it might be used to save our species.

The notion that drinking from this ancient relic was going to make us immortal was just so damned ludicrous that every time I considered it I wanted to split a gut laughing.  And to make it even more humorous a notion than it already was, our Commander and his brother Aidan, The Order’s Head of Assassins, were on opposite sides of the fence.  Collin wanted to spirit the Cup away so no one could dare blaspheme it, and Aidan wanted to possess it so that the Cup could extend the lives of men and women, giving us a chance to get our collective feet back on the ground, since there were so few women left in the world.

And AFA High Command had sided with The Order on this one – and so Collin was the odd man out.  He had aligned himself with The Blackguard and its leader Antonio Abruzzi, who, like Collin, wanted to protect the Cup.

“Kevin?” I now heard Greg prompt and so looked up.

“Sorry, wandered off there for a bit” I said and then got up.  “We better get to Collin’s meeting – it’s almost time.”  Collin did not tolerate tardiness any more than he did untidiness.

“Will you unburden yourself to me, Captain?” the guy now asked again as I laid my hand on the door latch.  Hanging my head, I just nodded.

“Yeah – let’s talk when we can spend some time together and not raise the wrong eyebrows” I told him and then made my exit.

With the door now closed behind me, I drew in a deep breath and then hurried off toward Collin’s conference room.  I wasn’t sure that showing Greg what I had decoded was such a good idea, but I had way too many questions to ask, ones that I couldn’t even begin to answer – one that Greg probably could.  And if not?  Then he’d find the answers.

For good, bad or sideways, I wasn’t certain – but one thing I did know.  Being in the dark sucked and a little illumination, regardless the source, would be sure as shit be greatly welcomed.

That my protégé had a wicked sense of humor was a given.

However, his present joke wasn’t in the least bit humorous.

Bryan had requested to meet with me, clandestinely, which meant out in the middle of no man’s land.  Not so unusual, but as soon as The Order’s Head of IT had arrived at our rendezvous location, immediately he dropped to his knees at my feet.  After placing his Palm and a flash drive on the ground, he then pulled out his knife.  Holding it aloft over his bowed head, he then waited.

And waited and waited.

The young man needn’t speak a word for his actions spoke clearly enough – he had decrypted the files that my brother’s geek had appropriated from the old DoD data repository.

And the revelations contained therein were very bad news indeed, then.  To the point that my protégé understood once having laid eyes upon the contents that he should not be allowed to continue his existence.  Had he not been one very vital and irreplaceable tool then I might have been inclined to agree.

I trusted his judgment, after all – implicitly.

“William” I spoke to him by his given name for Bryan was, instead, his middle name.  However, such had been his career in the Time Before that I could not risk certain parties discovering his true identity.  William Bryan Smith was his full name and he had been a Navy SEAL, as well as being involved in Naval intelligence – this was one fact I was determined that my brother Collin would not uncover.  And given that The Order had little interaction with the AFA, and virtually none with the Blackguard, then the chance was slim of anyone recognizing my protégé.

Bryan did not look up right away, but when he did in his eyes could be read his resolve, along with his anger.  Anger over whatever those files contained I would wager.

Now bending to one knee, I laid hand to his blade, prompting him to lower it.

“Do you know of these, Aidan?” he now voiced suspicion.  “The Plan?  The Furtherance?  The extent of them?”  Holding my breath was required for to breathe in that moment would surely have caused great pain.

“Of them?  Yes.  All the particulars?  No” I was honest with him for we Brothers did not lie to our own.  “I will need you, your skill – you are too valuable a tool for me to erase” was my reminder.  “It will be only a matter of time before Kevin also decrypts the files and my concern is – what will he do when he does?  Of all our Brothers, you are the one who knows Captain Wong in a way few can, having faced him on the battlefield of cyberspace.”  Settling back on his heels, he now thoughtfully considered my question.

“He will protect the delicate balance of our world, as well as protect his new friend who is under the influence of the AFA, and protect his Commander as well,” was his prediction, “and so it is my belief that when the time comes then Kevin will… obfuscate when reporting his findings to Collin” was his dry humor, since my brother was the master of this, obfuscation, and likely where his IT geek had picked up this talent.  “Kevin has no desire to see The Order wiped off the face of God’s Earth, even if The Brotherhood is heavily implicated in these documents.  Forgive me, my Lord, but those files, they read like a book of science fiction.  I can hardly believe what I have read if not but for the fact that so many pieces now fall neatly into place.”

“Indeed” I grunted in return.  “My knowledge of The Plan and its Furtherance has been limited, but even for what I knew, back in the Time Before, it seemed unconscionable, if not unbelievable.  However, I agree – the more that comes to light here in this Time After, the more pieces that fit.  Regardless, all that has taken place could be nothing more than sheer coincidence.  The question is, how do we prove it one way or another, coincidence or no?  That is the greater challenge.  It is safe to assume that you possess no other copies beyond these?”

“That is correct – it is only on the flash drive,” he returned, “I’ve wiped them from my Palm device, but should you remove me from this world, then you will need the information contained in my Palm to decode the contents of the flash drive” my protégé explained.

“Did you indicate to Master Quade when you would return to him?” I now made inquiry.

“Yes, milord – I told Master Quade I would return to him when Lord O’Reilly was damned well ready to release me” was his arid retort.

Smart ass, I considered with an inward grin but else wise said nothing.  He was like a son to me, Bryan – literally, which was in turn unhealthy for me to let my Brethren possess this knowledge.  In my bid for Grand Head I would be most careful to protect those closest to me.

“Ok, then – if you are done with your noble display, then put up your blade,” I instructed him, “and show me what you have.”  I intended read through it all right there and then, under the light of God’s day, after which I would decide what to do with the flash drive.

“Certainly, although we may need to remove each other from this world once you have finished” was his assessment, no dryly couched humor in this, I took note.

And so as the dawn wore on towards midday there I sat, reading the details of The Plan and The Furtherance.  As Bryan had said, like a twisted tale of some science fiction novel it read, and distressingly so since not all, I could discern, was being told within the confines documents.  They were but a draft of things to come, and I could not imagine who would have stored these files there in that dusty corner of the DoD data repository.

“No author?” I asked at one point, glancing up but Bryan only shook his head.

“No – nothing to betray who had created the files or if they had been modified, and no evidence of who stored it” he explained.  “They squeaky clean, not to mention ingenious.  The need for different keys along the way to decode the cipher, and the way in which it is done, pure genius – and whoever placed them in that repository, the intent, to me, speaks of a need to safeguard them from their own authors.

“Since all the components are present for decoding the text, I would venture that there must have been an effort underway, to eradicate all traces of The Plan and The Furtherance just prior to the Apocalypse” was his take on things and I had to agree.

“Indeed – but who was doing the cleanup?” I wondered aloud.  “The good guys or the bad guys?  Those who had created these diabolical scripts by which the world would be coerced into play-acting – these men could have well started a cleanup just prior to the execution of The Plan, which in essence was the execution of ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the world’s populace.  I agree with you, though – a conscientious objector is the likely explanation as to who would have stored the files in the DoD repository – and at the last moment.”  Now looking up, I voiced this question.

“Was there an archive date?” I put to him and so slowly he nodded in affirmation.

“Just prior to the outbreak of the plague” Bryan confirmed my supposition and so with a heavy sigh, I went back to my reading.

Whoever had left this incriminating breadcrumb had done so in hopes that someday those responsible would be brought to justice.

Of which I was one, unfortunately.

Grandiose in is design, complex and thorough, this script for a rebirth of the world and mankind was simple in its deployment.  No one participant had known all of the others who were to be involved, either in the Time Before or in this Time After – and it was kept this way at all but the uppermost echelon of The Brotherhood and those who would conspire with them.

A part I had had to play, but I never knew towards what I had ultimately been working.  This had, back then, troubled me – greatly.  However, it had been so deeply ingrained into me, as a Member of The Brotherhood, to obey without question – but the same could have been said of me when I had been an assassin for the CIA.  I did what I was told and didn’t ask a whole lot of questions, if any.  After all, one of my job requirements was lack of conscience.

The closer The Plan came to its execution, though, the greater the rumblings of the underworld.  These rumors were ones to which I could not turn deaf ear, and by sheer coincidence it was that a certain snippet of knowledge came by way of my ears.  A key piece of the puzzle whose pieces had, up until that point, made no sense – but suddenly, an image had started to emerge, and thus the part I had been commanded to play clicked into place, even if it still hadn’t been crystal clear.

And what this blurry image had portended rocked my world, as Collin would have said, and to the core, no less.

Because it involved my own flesh and blood – my brother.

As Bryan worked through the files with me, with the use of the Codex, by the time the sun was sinking in the sky I had finally finished.

I was sick to my stomach, and this was Truth.  Of all the horror and death I had seen during my tenure as a CIA assassin, and had precipitated by none other than my own hand, these gruesome images paled by comparison with the reality I had just read in those files.

“Whoever secreted away these documents,” I began, thoughtfully, “he was not privy to all, I’d venture, but enough as evidenced by this draft.”

“Information leaks out all over,” my Head of IT saw fit to point out in reminder, “you know that.  Although, I agree it less likely given that this was a Brotherhood driven plan, even if those behind its creation were not” he stated.  “We are one extremely disciplined military organization – we follow a code of honor which could have been lifted straight from that of the Samurai.”

“Yes, but it would have been the Greater Good Way which prompted some high level player to hide these files” I countered and so he nodded in agreement.  “Often times, Greater Good is a personal interpretation, one which may not coincide with that embraced by the Whole” I made point.  “With too little evidence, conjecture is meaningless.  The armed forces in the Time Before were crawling with Brothers, so we cannot even predict who was the man responsible for tucking away these files in a DoD database.”

“Who says it was a man?” my protégé suddenly challeneged and I could only blink.  Mine was a fairly sexist statement, admittedly.  “And who is to say that it was someone from the Department of Defense?  Who hid these files in that DoD repository?” he posed and this troubled me.  “Forgive me for what I am about to suggest – however, when Kevin and Sierra were raiding that cache of files, who was it that first sighted these particular directories?  Kevin or Sierra?  Kevin would have driven the direction of the search I’m certain, being told what to look for by Collin, but had Sierra… Klaatu… diverted Kevin at this point along the way?  Knowingly, perhaps?”

My heart now plummeted right down into the pit of my stomach.

Coincidence was no stranger to God’s World, after all.  However, far too many of them had taken place in too short a time since the discovery of Sierra

“Destroy it” I now decided as I rose to my feet with Bryan following suit.  “Can you keep Kevin distracted?  Moreover, can you shadow him?” I asked and so he thought a moment before answering.

“I can distract him, most certainly” was his confident response.  “Track him with any success?  Doubtful, but I will make a concerted effort, milord.”

And I knew that was going to have to do.

We then built a fire which consumed the flash drive and its damning contents.  Once it had melted beyond any hope of retrieval we put out the fire and then parted ways, leaving behind the remains.  It was a warning, leaving the ruined flash drive there in the midst of the fire pit – since I had no doubts that Assassins from The Legion would come upon it.  In ever greater numbers The Legion was amassing, following the movements of The Order, and everyone else in the Americas as well.

And having just read what I had, I knew without a doubt why they were here.  The question was, instead, when would they make their move?  This was unclear and so, back to work – for us both.

“Thank Master Quade for his patience” I said in parting to Bryan.  He then bowed to me in return and that was it – off he went, melting away into the gathering dusk.

To say that I did not have a warm and fuzzy, as Collin would say, would have been the gravest of understatements.

“Aren’t you breaking some kind of law?” I asked Bryan, feeling rather uncomfortable about our face-to-face unsanctioned meeting.

Unsanctioned by either side, no less.

The dude just looked at me with that typical assassin game face, which was a complete blank.

“Uh, you know – not traveling in pairs?” I clarified, since it was obvious that our clandestine meeting was already breaking more than a few rules – on both our parts.

“Called in a favor, Captain Wong” was his response, which meant he bribed his partner to look the other way.  On the heels of this, I thought – what kind of bribe could he have offered a guy the likes of his partner Quade?

I was pretty sure that I didn’t want to know.

It was apparent, however, that The Order didn’t trust their own.  That’s why their Grand Head must have come up with the commandment mandating that Elite-Assassins adopt the buddy-system.

Nervously glancing about, I couldn’t be so sure that I wasn’t being watched, either.  I’d taken every precaution when arranging to meet with my counterpart from The Order.  I had some new equipment to set up in the middle of no man’s land and it wasn’t a big deal if Bryan knew where.  It was going to be a public access point so big whoop.  We all did that, though, here and there – me and my counterparts.  Kind of an understanding we had, to help each other off the record.

The bluff we were on gave us a good view of the surrounding desert so it would be hard for anyone to sneak up on us – and impossible since I had an Elite-Assassin in my company.  Nothing ever got by one of these guys.

I just continued working on what I was doing – after all, it was Bryan who had initiated contact with me and not the other way around.

“It’s your dime, dude” I grumbled and now he decided to crouch down, considering me at length.  If The Order had wanted to off me, then this was the perfect time and place – however, this was between geeks and we protected our own.

“I’m here about your girlfriend” Bryan began.  Stopping mid-twist with a nut-driver, I paused.  After a heartbeat or two, I looked up.

“Fellow IT professional” I corrected which won me one seriously wry grin.

“Whatever Klaatu is to you, fine” he accepted in a low voice.  “How long do you think it will be before AFA High Command decrypts the files as well?” the prick put to me.  How could he have known that Eric had given General Hastings’ the flash drive that Sierra had had in her possession at the time she got snagged?

“Don’t look surprised, Kevin – and no need to confirm or deny” Bryan actually chuckled.  “I do know that you would have at least made two copies, one for each of you, in addition to uploading the files to one of your drop-kill servers before making your exit.  Don’t waste your breath trying to tell me otherwise.  You gave Aidan your copy, and so it would follow suit that Sierra coughed up hers to the AFA.  Is it safe to venture that it was used as barter for her release?”

What was there to say to that?

“You decrypted them?  Cool – can I have the cipher, dude?” I asked, my poker face firmly in place.

“How do you explain it?” he zoomed right on by my query.  “The calling card found in the directory, the one from Klaatu?” Bryan dared and ok, I was now on my feet, as was he.  The guy had decrypted the files and this was proof right there, his knowledge of the calling card.

“I can’t, but look, Bryan – really, the contents of the files are way more disturbing than finding a calling card among them from Klaatu!” I tried to steer him away from Sierra and her possible involvement in Pre-Time, or even Post-Time for that matter.

“No kidding” he grumbled under his breath.  Turning to walk off a few paces he then spun about to face me but then shrugged.  “Too much fits, even if at the same time it doesn’t, and I’ll also venture that it was you who expunged images of Klaatu from the old internet.  You got sloppy, dude” was his arid witticism.  He’d been spending far too much time with Aidan, that much at least was evident.

“Has it ever occurred to you that the calling card is a plant?” I posed something blindingly obvious.  “Along with all the contents of those directories?”

“To what point?  Is that what you’re about to ask?” he beat me to the draw.  “Well, this is where I get off the boat – that’s my Lord’s forte, after all, and not mine.”  His Lord, I thought, trying not to swallow hard.  Yeah, his Lord was none other than Aidan – assassin extraordinaire of this Post-Time world and I better not forget that.

“I don’t suppose you can tell me Aidan’s take on the Klaatu thing?” I challenged, figuring it was wasted effort but why not?  I found it hard to believe that the dude would have risked that much in coming there just so he could razz me.

“No” was his simple reply as he now started to circle, like a vulture, but then stopped, locking his eyes on mine.  “I… omitted… that particular detail, that of the calling card” Bryan now flat out shocked the shit out of me.  In this simple revelation I understood that he was handing to me something to hold over his head – and handing it to me on that legendary silver platter, no less.  If Aidan was to discover that Bryan had been disloyal then enough said – my IT counterpart would be deader than dead.

In return I made my own offering, since The Brotherhood was all about like-in-kind.

“Matt’s done some serious digging on Klaatu” I let him know as I stuffed my hands in my pockets.  The Blackguard’s IT guru hadn’t been idle, either.  “And he’s gone way beyond what Aidan’s been told.  I think he might have found the Holy Grail, so to speak” I made an awkward joke but it fell flat.  Not funny, then, since this was what Bryan’s boss and my boss sought with serious impatience.

“Look – I don’t know where this is going, or why, but… I guess the question is how much time do we have?” I now got right down to it.  “You were able to break my encryption, but the AFA doesn’t have anyone who can do the same, excepting myself, of course,” I proclaimed, “at least, not with the speed you did.  What does it matter, though?  General Hastings has probably had that flash drive data replicated a million times over by now if once.  And you know what that means.”

“Infestation” Bryan mumbled in return, looking away for a moment before again giving me his attention.  “Or, perhaps not – your Commander’s master could have destroyed it.”  With this, I just gaped at the guy.  The implications of his supposition were nothing short of radical.  A supposition which mirrored my own no less – this being that Colonel Jones was minion to General Hastings, and that General Hastings was one of the Conspirators.  And if this really was the case?  Then General Hastings would protect The Furtherance, and its perpetuation, with his life.

“What do you know about General Hastings that I don’t?” I asked as I now took a couple of steps closer to this deadly opponent of mine.

“When you stumble across it for yourself, if you haven’t already, then you will know” was his cryptic response.  “I’m not certain myself, but there’s something very much not right with your Elite-General Hastings.”  No shit – T.C. was always gunning for Collin, so much so it stuck out like a sore thumb.  That Collin was the General’s favorite whipping post was known throughout the AFA and beyond.  It was almost like the dude was overcompensating for something.

“I’m of the opinion that he is not a team player,” he added, “or at least, not on team AFA – and if that is indeed Truth, then the question would be, on whose team is the General playing, hmm?” he simply put to me, giving me something to chew on.  “By the way, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of nano-technology” was his advice and with that, he then turned on his heel.  Without another word my counterpart then proceeded to melt off into the surrounding scrub brush, leaving me to stand there in his wake, blinking.

And what did this whole exchange mean?  I wasn’t sure, but I had gotten a sense that Bryan hadn’t been trying to derail me or lead me astray.  Some of what had prompted him was, in reality, concern for Aidan.  The Order’s Head of Assassins was more than just mentor to this Elite-Assassin, but I had pretty much sniffed this out during my stint at The Order as an exchange hostage.  The fact that to Bryan, Aidan was like a father and that Aidan in return regarded him as a son.

Scarier than shit but there it was.  So, it wasn’t like Bryan was worried about his bread continuing to be buttered by his holding the favor of Aidan.

Scarier yet was the fact that Aidan had fallen in love with Klaatu.  Now, did this mean that Aidan would put Sierra before all else?  Not on your life – Members clearly separated the professional from the personal.  Greater Good came first and that was the order of their universe.

Pun intended.

However, if this was the case, then why did Bryan not tell Aidan about the calling card left by Klaatu?

Releasing a long, low breath, the result of pent up anxiety, I shook my head and then went back to work.  The sooner I finished my job there on the bluff the sooner I could get back to base so I could nose around in some new directions, thanks to Bryan.  His prod regarding nano-technology was curious and so I was eager to start digging.

With the day growing old, I set about my work and before I knew it I was on my way back to the base.  I wouldn’t get there until the following morning, but that was cool.  I needed some time to just ponder my meeting with The Order’s Head of IT who was, in addition, protégé of The Assassin.

By the time I did make it back, I was exhausted because I hadn’t bothered to take a nap anywhere along the way.  No matter, I’d get cleaned up and then nap in my office after taking care of business – or somewhere during the course of it, most likely.

Dropping the Jeep off at the motor pool, I now began my walk to main entrance.  My slave driver CO didn’t allow anyone excepting himself to drive straight up to any of the entrances, at least those of us on regular business.  It wasn’t like the walk was long, but it was just long enough for Collin to impress upon us that this was his domain and that he would bend us to his will – like it or not.

The dude could be a major prick at times.

Trudging along the dirt road, it wasn’t until the last second that I felt eyes on me.  When I looked up at the entrance, there was the brown-noser himself.

Colonel Eric Austin Jones.

Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back, he tried to paint the same picture Collin would.  Problem was, Collin could pull it off since the Commander, at least, wasn’t an ass-kisser.  When Eric would assume that posture it spoke to everyone else that he thought himself on the same level with Collin.

Not.

“Hey, Eric” was all I said as I kept on walking – right on by, hopefully.

“Pardon me?” he prompted and so not wanting to make things any worse for myself then I already had, I stopped.

“Good-morning Colonel Jones” I now got all formal.  “What can I do for you, sir?” I inquired and then began walking once more but didn’t get far.  The Colonel shot out a hand to grab hold of my arm.

“Has it ever occurred to you to report in once in a while?” was the dude’s rather sarcastic inquisition.  Standing there I just looked at him, fighting to keep my tongue from saying what I really wanted to say.

Sanity prevailed, however.

“Has Commander O’Reilly been trying to contact me, sir?” I asked, knowing damned well not and so Eric held his silence.  “Has he expressed displeasure with me of which I am not aware?” I pressed on, which also served to press his buttons.  I reported directly to Collin, unless he was out in the field or unreachable – which he wasn’t.  With Sierra nearing her third trimester he was sticking close to home these days – even if Aidan was not.

Aidan was a mystery all the way around.  Shortly after he had been healed of the arrow which nearly took his life, he was off again into the desert.  The guy left Sierra behind, and the chick was distraught to no end.  Not so much by him slithering off, but rather because he didn’t come back nearly as often as she felt he should.  As smart as the girl could be in so many things, in this she didn’t get it – Aidan had a job.  Collin’s brother had, in essence, spoiled Sierra by being with her out in the field for so long – she thought that was the norm for Aidan, to just mosey around the desert with her playing Adam-and-Eve, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her uh-uh.  And to make matters worse, Collin was now spoiling her himself by staying put – he was trusting to other tasks he normally wouldn’t, but only if these tasks required him to go off base.

As I waited for Eric to say something, I couldn’t help but yawn – and this simple reflex made him set his jaw.  The guy despised me, there was no denying.

“Captain MacNamara tells me you have yet to decrypt those files” the turd began his interrogation.

“Did Collin sick you on me?” I now snapped as fatigue finally got the better of my tongue.  “If not, then I’ve got work to get caught up on and I need to check in with the Commander… sir” I tacked on and then jerked my arm free of his hold.  Continuing on my original trajectory, I prayed that I could make it through the main cavern without him calling me out on the carpet.  Dis’ the asshole in private?  Sure.  In public?  No way – I knew better than that.

Luck wasn’t taking my side that day.  I’d only gotten halfway across the cavern when the Colonel called out to me.

“Captain Wong” he bellowed out across the cavern and since there were men crisscrossing through it, I was forced to stop.  Turning to face him I waited.  All I knew was that the guy had better just assert his dominance and get it over with otherwise in the mood I was in I might be tempted to slug him.

“Commander O’Reilly is unavailable at present” Eric was all too pleased to inform me.  “You’ll tender your report to me, Captain Wong – within the hour” the asshole made clear, which meant he was going to grill me again about the encrypted files when I gave him my report.

“Yes, sir” I returned, offering a bow of confirmation and yet again tried to make my escape.  Which this time I did – with Jonesy boring holes into my back with his frigid ice-blue eyes.  One of these days he was gonna push it too far and then I might just spill a few of what he thought were closely guarded secrets about himself.

As Collin would always maintained, but I would never confirm, I had dirt on everyone.  Use it?  No, but I was kind of like a ground squirrel.  I’d hoard it just in case the weather got rough, and I learned this from the best, and that was none other than the Commander himself.

Once free of The Inquisitor, as we not-so-lovingly referred to Colonel Jones, I now made my way to my office.  In passing I thought to go to my quarters first, but instead just trudged along to take care of business.  No rest for the weary, naturally.

Yawning as I pushed open the door to my office I stopped in my tracks.  Sitting there behind my desk was Sierra.

My first thought was – what was she up to?  My second thought was how could I be so suspicious of her, of my friend?

Because you have damned good reason to, Wong, that’s why.  A hacker’s guard was always up, after all, as well as my sixth-sense when it came to all things IT.

Looking up at me I was troubled to see that she looked about as tired as I felt.

“Hey, girlfriend – what’s up?  You making trouble?” I made light, offering her a smile but she wasn’t being talkative.  I had forgotten how fun it could be around moody, pregnant women – but I didn’t care.  Sierra was my dream woman if I had ever had one, and if she were mine I wouldn’t care what mood she was in.

Try to tell Collin that he should do the same, though?  Not.  The man had no tolerance for anyone’s mood swings but his own.

With a sigh, Sierra looked at me with those big doe eyes of hers.

“I’m just trying to stay out of Amanda’s way” she mumbled and then got up out of my chair.  “Sorry to intrude.”

“Nothing to be sorry about sorry about, girl – you’re welcome down here any time” I assured her as I now dumped my gear on the floor and then plopped myself down on the couch.  “Just so long as Collin doesn’t mind, then you know I don’t.  Still not getting along with Amanda, huh?” I voiced the obvious and now the woman grew dark.

“Yeah – Kelly has to play referee a lot” she told me along with that sexy pout of hers.  “How did it go out there?” my friend now asked but I just shrugged.

“Just another day in the salt mines” I joked.  “You staying out of Aaron’s way, too?” I wanted to know, since those two were also like water and oil.  Sierra didn’t like that Member one iota.  Me, however?  I didn’t have much of an opinion one way or the other about Aaron.  He was a Member, after all, and that pretty much said everything right there in a nutshell.

“He took off” she was pleased to report with a broadening grin.  “One down” Sierra now laughed.  “Too bad I can’t get rid of Amanda, though.”

“Where’d he go?” I inquired out of curiosity, having more interest in this Member wandering off than Sierra’s ongoing feud with Collin’s daughter.  Collin and Aaron had become tight friends, after all.

“Dunno – looking for this religious trinket or that, I suppose” was her summation, one that kind of made me wonder.  “Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll fall into a sinkhole or something.”  Ok, she loathed the dude – what else was new?

Yawning, she now rubbed her eyes.

“Well, I guess I’ll go take a nap” she decided, heading for the door.  “I’m glad you’re back, Kev – nice to have at least one friend around” she told me, breaking my heart, and then quickly disappeared through the door, closing it behind her.

The girl held the love of two very powerful men in this Post-Time world and yet she felt she had few friends.  It was an equation which boggled the mind.

Both Aidan and Collin would kill for her, of this I was fairly certain – I would do the same, come to think of it.

Releasing a heavy sigh I now pushed all thoughts of the sexy little hacker out of my mind, or at least tried to, and then set about my work.  My Senior Tech brought me up to speed on the general health of our network.  Everything was running as smoothly as could be expected.  Per usual, mostly end-user induced trauma had taken place while I was gone.

Feeling satisfied that everything was in order, I fielded some of the higher level concerns.  Once the immediacies were seen to, I then sought out Greg.  As I expected, he was in his office – being Collin’s Third he made himself as accessible as possible.  Unlike Collin, Greg was reachable round the clock.

“Hey” I said as I popped my head in through his office door.  “Got a minute?” I asked and now he laughed, motioning me to come inside.

“Shouldn’t that be the other way around?” was his counter.  Closing the door behind me, I then took a load off.  Sitting down in a chair in front of his desk, I then put my feet up.

“Yeah, no rest for the weary, after all” I complained.  “Got a question for ya – what do you know about nano-technology?” I asked him and so raising an eyebrow he now leaned back in his chair.

“Where’s this coming from?” was his shrewd inquiry, but I wouldn’t tell him.  What I had discussed with Bryan had been off the record.

“Just something I’ve been tossing around” I told him, getting on my game face.  “You know, they are basically the world’s smallest computers – they can be programmed.  Or at least, back in Pre-Time they could, not sure if there’s anyone around who can do that now, except maybe the Unspoken.  If you think about the Plague in terms of the Noah’s Ark theory, then nanos would make a hell of a lot more sense than a virus, you know?  Vaccines aren’t that reliable and there was way too much at stake to trust to a vaccine then survival of those selected to live” I tossed out there for a reaction.

Greg didn’t have one, though – which meat he taking me seriously and so his mind had gone into analyze mode.

“Just suppose that everyone in the world had been infected with nanos – and long before the Apocalypse” I began my theory.  “Once established, the nanos could propagate like a virus, from person to person, from mother to child, it would be an ongoing cycle, you know?  Then after the Architects decided who was going to be on their Noah’s Ark, a command could be sent to the nanos, starting a chain reaction – killing off everyone whose DNA did not match those chosen to survive by the Architects of The Plan.”  Granted, it was a wild theory, and one I never would have considered without Bryan having mentioned the technology.

“And what about women?” Greg asked, since they had taken a much harder hit than men.  “I doubt the Architects would have scripted in so few women.”

“Yeah, I thought about that” I began, chewing on my lip.  “What if someone who was a major mover in The Plan, or had been at one point, or a conscientious objector or something along those lines, interjected some code of their own before the nanos were given their orders?  Like editing the list of DNA sequences of those who were to be spared  The women in particular?” I suggested.  “That would have left us with the world we have now, one with a serious battle over women going on.  The Furtherance is not going according to plan – we’ve pretty much already figured out that someone had been trying to derail it before it had even begun.”

“So, you are saying the nanos were programmed to exterminate everyone except a selected few?” he fed back the bare bones of my theory.  “Well, one thing would make sense, then – if someone edited the list of DNA sequences, they wouldn’t have deleted women DNA chains, that would have been too obvious.  If they changed some chromosomes here and there in those sequences…” Greg now thoughtfully pondered.  “This could, in part, explain rarities, like you.”  Yeah, it sure would, since woefully few technology geeks like me had survived.

Greg and I just sat there, looking at each other.

“And this… idea… just came to you?” the Captain-Major probed but I only shrugged.  “Well, regardless the source of your inspiration, it’s an interesting theory and it would not hurt to explore it.  What about the standard explanation?  About the virus that caused the Apocalypse being one of those created by Ryan?” he now brought to mind.  Amanda’s husband had been a biologist in Pre-Time, one who worked for the DoD creating rather nasty little pathogens.

“He’s never confirmed that, or denied it” I reminded him.  “And since he’s Order, well – that’s a little too convenient… or so I have always thought, anyway.  It would be a good excuse to wipe out The Order because one of their Members was involved.”

“It’s never held any water, that one about Ryan” Greg agreed.  “There may be a grain of truth in it, though – hard to tell.  What he could have created instead was the delivery system for the payload of nanos” and here we had something that made more sense to me, at any rate.

“As far as we know, no one survived outside the Americas” I now shifted.  “Well, at least that’s what we’ve been told, but we know otherwise – at least, when it comes to The Legion.  Who’s to say there isn’t a pocket of planned survivors elsewhere?  Secreted away somewhere, maybe even one that has tons of women?  You know, we keep knocking around inside our own little box over here, accepting that a worldwide search has been underway.  How do we even know that’s the truth?  We never hear any rumors about those searches, except that they have turned up nothing.  Granted, that might be the case but we’d have to hear something through the grapevine about those who have participated in the searches.  None of those personnel have ever come through this base, and I never ran across any at AFA High Command when I did my stint there.”

“You would think with that being the case then everything regarding the searches would be hush-hush,” Greg now posed, “including the searches themselves, instead of official reports stating no progress.”

“Yeah, I don’t care how classified a thing is – there is always something that slips out and yet?  Not one frigging peep.  You would think AHC would plant a few false rumors, just to keep up appearances.  I’ll bet they aren’t looking at all, and that’s because they damned well know that no one was meant to survive outside the Americas.”

“I’ll bet that The Order is looking, however” Greg now shocked me.  “I am thinking that in Pre-Time the Plan was Brotherhood executed because they had the discipline to put everything into play, without question – but I doubt they were the ones who scripted it.  I’ll wager, though, that Brotherhood Members who survived the Apocalypse, except for a key player or two, didn’t have a clue about the Plan, much less its Furtherance.”

If they didn’t before, then they did now because Bryan had decrypted and deciphered the files.

Was I about to tell Greg this?  No way – that was a matter between Bryan and me.  We geeks knew when to keep our mouths shut.  I would no more tell my superiors that Bryan had broken the code than Bryan would do the same to me with his Master.

“You know, when Aidan vaporizes for lengthy periods, I’ll bet he goes sailing” Greg supposed as he now leaned back in his chair, and so I just blinked at him and his assessment.  “And I doubt it’s for leisure, either – although pleasure he most certainly would get from it.  What?  You didn’t know that Aidan is a seasoned sailor?  That he was on a two winning teams for the Americas Cup?  Even did the globe solo not once but twice?  It’s an O’Reilly tradition, that of seafaring.”

“But Collin hates water” I was quick to counter and now Greg laughed.

“Yeah, well – he’s the exception and not the rule” he informed me.  “Our Commander swims like a fish, surfs like a pro, put him on an ocean bound vessel and his face turns as green as his eyes.”  This made me laugh.

“Well, as much as I’d like to hear more stories about the twins from hell, I gotta go file my report with Eric” I complained.  “Where is Collin anyway?  Eric said Collin’s not available so ordered me to give my report to him instead” I told him as I now took my feet down from his desk so I could stand up.

“He’s out running, if you want to take your chances” Greg told me.  “North circuit, about an hour ago – but you didn’t hear that from me, naturally” he said with a straight face but then grinned.  Yeah, he knew I would go to any lengths to avoid giving Eric my report.

“Thanks – I’ll see if I can catch him.  Tough choice, but I’d still rather give my report to Collin than Eric” I told him and then we both laughed.  “I’ll catch up later – I’m sure I’ve given you enough food for thought to chew on.”

“Thanks, I think” Greg grumbled and then got back to working on his laptop.

Leaving his office, I now set out to find Collin.  The north circuit meant that today he’d be coming back via the main entrance.  That was a rare event, since I knew he preferred his private entrance.  But what I also knew was that his personal trainer, who doubled as his unofficial public relations officer, had advised Collin not to be so sparing of appearances among his men.  Granted, the Commander was a private guy, but he was also our leader – and Rory, his trainer, told Collin to get his butt out there and remind everyone why he was in charge.  For his age, Collin had one hell of a physique – damn, he put to shame men half his age.

Rory was right, though – men needed a strong leader, one who was physically strong.  Collin certainly fit this bill.

Needless to say, Rory liked to talk – and he was my personal trainer as well.  Actually, it was my impression that Rory had a thing for Collin but that was still kind of a verboten topic to openly discuss in the military – being gay, that was.  Didn’t matter that women were in such short supply, either – the stigma of gay soldiers still stuck like glue.

My timing could not have been better, I thought as I looked out into the distance.  I hadn’t gone all that far down the path from the main entrance when I saw Collin approaching.  Correction, Collin and another man, one whom I recognized as a Warden.  Since when did Collin go running with anyone else?  Except Eric, and also Aidan when he’d pop up for a visit.

“Commander” I said as he approached, and I even remembered to bow to the man, but wasn’t sure what I would do beyond that.  His new friend had kind of put a kink in my plans.

“Captain Wong, good to have you back” Collin began, which translated to him having had software application trouble while I was gone.  Collin was kind of fussy about that – he’d only deal with me for tech support, and so the Commander truly was glad I came back.  Lucky me, I considered with an inward laugh – assisting Collin with technology was like a nightmare from which you just could not wake up.

“Thank you, sir – do you have a few minutes?” I now politely inquired.  “If I can give you my report now, it would save me some time” I explained but Collin was one sharp cookie – he wasn’t fooled.

“Do you know Harrison?” the Commander instead asked, motioning towards the Warden with a nod of his head and I could only blink.  First name basis, then?  Collin had me badly confused now.

“Lieutenant-Captain Cromwell?  In a roundabout way, yes sir, I do” was my answer but I still wasn’t sure where this was leading.

“Good, good – this Warden is my new shadow” Collin informed me, waiting for my reaction but I knew better than to make him look bad by asking questions.  “What’s this about a report?” he now switched back to the other topic and so I decided it would be best to just give my report to Eric and take my lumps.

“Nothing sir – it can wait, sorry to have disturbed you” I apologized and as I was about ready to bow and split, Collin stopped me.

“A moment, if you would, Captain Wong” he said and then turned to the Warden.  “That will be all for now, Lieutenant” he dismissed the man who curtly bowed and then did as he was told.  Once the Warden was out of earshot, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“It is my brother’s wish,” Collin now revealed to me, “that of my taking on an Attendant.”

“Well, if you’ll pardon my saying so, sir – it just isolates you even more from the men than you already are” I put in my unwanted two cents.  After all, Wardens were basically Elite-Assassin equivalents and pretty much gave the rest of us normal guys the willies.

Collin, however, didn’t say anything in return.

Which, surprisingly enough, meant that he agreed with me.

“You can pass on giving me your report, Captain – and you can still tell Colonel Jones you delivered it to me, personally” was his dead on assessment of the whole rouse.  “I trust to Eric to make sure this base is run like the military establishment that it is expected to be” he now went on, even though he owed me no explanation.  “I’ve commanded him to do this for me because I don’t want to be bothered with such trivialities, and so this is what Eric does – even if he does take it to extremes at times.

“I am aware that you and he don’t get along, but I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to circumvent my Colonel.  No one in their right mind would knowingly make an enemy of my Second, correct?” Collin asked, but I knew it was just a rhetorical question – or maybe not, since he didn’t continue his monologue.

“No, sir – and that’s not my intent” I tried to defend.  “He’s just always after me nonstop.”

“Well, give him the contents of those files, Captain Wong, and he’ll leave you alone” the Commander said in an icy voice and so I knew that I was screwed.  “Or give me the contents of those files and then I’ll tell him to go fuck off.  So – which will it be, Captain?  It’s one or the other – and if not, then I would say a court martial is in order.”

And now I knew that this had been a very bad decision indeed, seeking out Collin so I wouldn’t have to give my report to Eric.  I should have just let sleeping dogs lie!

“Might as well make the court martial a party, since I’m of the mind that you’ve dragged my Captain-Major into this whole conspiracy” the man now went one further and although I was donning my poker face, I doubted it was good enough to not implicate Greg by my reaction.

“I’m fucked” I grumbled under my breath, briefly looking away, and then realized I had spoken it out loud instead of just thinking it.

“Excuse me, Captain Wong?” Collin returned in a controlled voice.  He was moments away from blowing up I knew, and I didn’t have a clue how to thwart his temper.  “Who are you and Greg trying to protect, Kevin?” he now abruptly made it personal.  “I know it can’t be little ol’ me here” he grunted a laugh but he was wrong.

Looking down as I desperately tried to gather my wits I took a deep breath before once again facing him.

“There’s a lot I’m trying to protect, Commander,” I told him, “not just people, although yeah – I am trying to protect you.  I owe you that much” I told him.  “Greg’s got nothing to do with this, though – it was all my doing, sir.  The stalling, that is.”

“Well, as you were trying to protect me, the Captain-Major was also going to bat for you” he told me.  “When Greg defers to someone else, consistently, it means he’s protecting someone or something – not so hard to figure out there.  I know you, Kevin – you’ve never stalled or dragged your feet about anything.  And to be honest?  I’m afraid to audition what you have decrypted and that’s the God’s honest Truth.

“Give me one very good reason why you and Greg have committed such a grave offense against your Commander and perhaps I’ll just forget the court martial” he now offered but how could I sum it up in ten words or less?  Actually, I could – but I really needed to speak with Greg first, but if I put off Collin then he’d know I was running to Greg for advice.  Sure, his Captain-Major had committed a grave offense, but Greg shouldn’t have to pay for something I had started.

Of course, keeping my silence was always an option.

“If you are thinking about holding your tongue,” my CO began in a low voice, apparently having become a mind reader now, “ask yourself this question.  What will the others do when they decode those files and thus possess the information as well?  Would you prefer that I not be in the know?” he put to me and no, that was the last thing Greg and I wanted – but we still were not any closer to ruling in or out the validity of The Plan and The Furtherance.  Sure, we had a whole lot of theories but they were just that – theories.

Collin now reached out to grasp my shoulder, his way of encouraging me to come clean.

“That’s not it at all” I answered him.  “I was trying to validate what I uncovered, sir – and that’s the truth of it.”

“Don’t you think that should be a decision to be made by the commanding officer of this base?” he gravely put to me.  “Or have I truly become nothing more than a figurehead here?”  That was getting closer to the truth every day but I wasn’t about to agree with him.

Fact of the matter was, if my hunch was right, then General Hastings wouldn’t do squat with the decoded files, and the guy he had working on the decryption would probably disappear shortly thereafter the decryption.  However, that was just a hunch and without certainty then I was required to walk on eggshells.

“Kevin, you are one of my most prized tools” he now told me something I knew but obviously had let go to my head.  “And although this is fact, I cannot allow any insurrection, no matter how minor, to be perpetuated on this base.  Do I make myself understood, Captain?”  Yeah, he sure did – what he really meant was that he wasn’t going to fuck around with this anymore.

“Three of my officers are playing cat-and-mouse with one another,” Collin now went on, “and if that isn’t disturbing enough, then my Second, who never has to request that I throw around my weight in order to assist him in carrying out my orders, has recently done so, and in regards to two of my most trusted men.

“Please tell me my trust in you and my Third hasn’t been woefully misplaced?” the Commander solemnly prompted.  I’d damned near give Collin anything, such was the huge debt I owed him.  However, wouldn’t giving him the information just set off his already volatile temper?  Collin was a righteous man and for him to find out that The Brotherhood had a huge part to play in the downfall of our world as we had known it?

I didn’t even want to go there or anywhere near it, for that matter.

But in all reality, there was nowhere else to turn.  Bryan had decrypted the files, and so Aidan already knew what was contained therein.  It was wrong to continue keeping Collin in the dark.

As I was about to answer, I saw Collin glance past my shoulder, back towards the base.  If I had thought I was in a tight spot before, then I had been just plain wrong.  Here came Colonel Jones, looking for my report, no doubt.  An hour had come and gone since he had ordered me to render it to him.  Turning back round to face Collin, I swallowed hard.  Piercing me with his emerald green eyes, I understood that I needed to just come clean and take full responsibility as well as suck it up and accept the resulting fallout.

“Captain Wong – you’ve failed to meet my deadline” Eric said with an evil grin as he now joined us.  Hands clasped behind his back he rocked on his heels in expectation.  Collin just stood there with his arms folded across his chest, waiting.

“Here’s your opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Captain – the contents of those files?” Collin prodded me.  Looking back and forth between the two men I knew without a doubt that he was going to backup Eric.  Colonel Jones was his Second, after all – and I was just the base’s tech geek.

I knew a slaughter when I smelled one coming.

“The Plan and Its Furtherance” I now told my Commander and then held my breath.  He didn’t say anything right away, rather instead just holding my eyes for several heartbeats.

“Not those damned fairytales again?!” my CO finally barked.  “Oh, for the love of God, Captain!  You’d risk court marshal and your career to protect me from some vicious contrivances concocted by Pre-Time extremists?  These tales are the stuff of pure fantasy, Captain.  Fine – now everything makes sense, at least.

“Captain – let’s reset the clock.  One hour, deliver to me the contents of the files as well as your report.  Dismissed” he snapped, and so I was quick to bow low to each man in turn, before I then made my get away.  The quicker the better since the smug look on Eric’s face was making me seriously wanna hurl.

And so it was with my tail tucked between my legs that I went back to my office to write my report and put together the translations of the files for my Commander.

The whole while which I spent in a daze because I could not believe that the Commander would just write off The Plan and its Furtherance as bullshit dreamed up by maniacs.

And actually, in that moment, I wasn’t so sure that I didn’t believe Collin’s determination myself.  However, if I knew one thing, then it was that truth often was stranger than fiction.

“We cannot ignore the facts” I reminded my brethren who had bravely gathered in secret to attend this unofficial session of The Order’s High Council.

“The facts or the history?” Roland put to me.  “There’s a difference, Aidan O’Reilly.”

Tell me about it, I thought, understanding that mine was an uphill battle.  Believe in myself I did, but to win over the others?  Not just a battle it was, but an entire war – or, jihad, anyone?

This was into what The Brotherhood would be running, headlong, if we were unable to head it off.

“The history supports the facts,” I evenly returned, “and vice versa.  We cannot ignore the… plague… which has breached our shores here in the Americas” was my reminder.  “The Legion will see to it that The Furtherance be carried out in the wake of The Plan.”

“Rumors, The Plan and The Furtherance!” Maxwell now spoke up as he got to his feet – an unprecedented move.  To break before our business had concluded was bad form, even if this was a clandestine affair.  We were gathered in an old bunker deep beneath the earth and far from prying eyes and ears.  The setting was as somber as the topics we were about to dissect.

“The files my brother’s geek appropriated from the old DoD database confirm our long suspicions” was all I said, lending this Brother my own challenge.  With eyes locked for several heartbeats, Max now sat back down.

“So you are saying that Bryan has broken the encryption?” Wesley now spoke up and so I nodded in return.

“There were those in the Time Before who strongly believed in the existence of The Plan and its Furtherance,” I reminded them, “to the point of actively trying to thwart it.”

“I think we can all agree that did not go as planned, eh?” was Max’s dour commentary on efforts for derailment.

“If that was unstoppable, The Plan,” Quade now chimed in, “as was predicted, then the intent was to at least derail The Furtherance” he made clear.

“Derail?  By what means?  The assassination of one woman?” Roland now challenged, making a sharp chopping motion with one hand.

“She was the Eve to their Adam” I stated.  “A pair with a unique relationship, a… symbiosis, if you will” I put to them.

“Of which you believe your brother is this Adam” Max grunted a laugh, shaking his head.

“It was said that each would be unable to live without the other” Quade spoke my mind for me.  “If you feel that Aidan is too close to Collin to be objective, being his brother, then I can testify that after Miranda was removed, Aidan’s brother lost it” was his staunch declaration.  “The stalwart Army Colonel went sub-level to the tune of a three month drunk – excluding from his life everyone, except Aidan.  Collin was never the same after her passing.”

“And so?” Max prodded.  “Everyone deals with grief each in his own way, so who among us is to say we would be any less affected?”

“I’d be the first to agree, Max – however, my brother began his downward spiral when I stole Miranda from him and made her my wife” I laid out the facts.  “Collin continued to be tormented by the loss of Miranda long after her death, a loss which haunts him to this day.  In the troubled dreams of his slumber, he still calls out her name.  My brother had always been a man with singleness of mind – at least he was until Miranda strayed into his life and she then became his sole obsession.”

“He’s done a fine job of getting what he wants” Wesley mused.  “His conquests for the AFA have well rewarded him.”

“Perhaps” Quade returned for me.  “However, since Sierra has crossed his path in this Time After, the fabric of his life is once more beginning to fray.”  With this assessment, a hush fell over the group.  A taboo had been tossed on the table.  The question was – would we autopsy it?

“The Unspoken have the power to make such beings a reality” I now cut to the chase with one very grand supposition.

“Have you proof, Aidan O’Reilly?” Max made demand and no – I didn’t.  Not yet.  A little DNA test would prove that, however.

“Collin has done time under Groom Lake” was my only answer.  “He but scratched the surface of what goes on in the bowels of Area 51.”

“Again, have you proof?” he countered.  “Coincidence is part of God’s world!” was Max’s adamant reminder and although I could not argue the point, in this instance I was inclined to go with the if-it looks-like-a-duck mode of postulation.

“Miranda had been my wife” I refreshed their collective minds.  “There is so much about Sierra that one cannot just brush off as mere coincidence!” was my strident ascertainment.  “Sierra’s being very much embodies that of Miranda” I stated, carefully selecting my words.

“Clones, don’t have souls,” Wesley interjected, “neither do those beings conceived via in vitro” he tacked on for good measure, in a way bringing to mind our legend of the Empty Ones.  These were humans whose conception had not been natural, and so therefore these beings did not possess souls.  On the surface this would appear rather damning.  However, an Empty One who was born male was coveted as a great Warrior for without a soul this being could not be held accountable by God for his actions.

Fairly out there this would seem to those who did not Belong – but to those of us in The Brotherhood it was an intensely ingrained and deeply entrenched Belief.

“We have no proof either way,” Roland rolled the dice, “that either Collin or Miranda were engineered, just as we have no proof that the same can’t be said of you, Aidan, or on a lesser account that your conception was in vitro” Max made note, but this was in my favor for if it could be proven that I was an empty one?  Well, then I would not be allowed to become Grand Head of The Order.  I would be an Empty One and Our Ways were clear – no Member who was an Empty One could ever attain this Station.

“Ryan” I said in a low voice, pausing after the name was spoken.  “Provide him with the equipment, time and isolation – he will be able to determine if Collin and Sierra are contrived beings.  It is implied that their molecular structure is somehow… different.  I’ll wager that Ryan has the ability to ferret this out, given adequate time.”

“Are you forgetting he is Bonded to your niece?” Wesley piped in.  “Wouldn’t it look a bit suspect should he be sent off, leaving behind his wife?  For who knows how long?”

“Long assignments are not a rarity in Service to The Brotherhood” Quade brought to mind.

“Granted, but Brother Van Der Graf’s wife is no simpleton” Roland stated.  “She clearly has inherited her father’s IQ, among other things.”  That was a mouthful, I considered, biting my tongue.

Amanda had caused me quite a bit of trouble with her incessant ferreting – so much so to the point that I had actually been grateful, in a way, when she became an exchange hostage to the AFA.  There at my brother’s Northern Desert base she could snoop to her heart’s content and not uncover anything earth-shattering.  After all, IntelliCore was an essentially clueless adjunct of AFA High Command.  Collin and his men pushed virtual paper all day every day in the pointless pursuit of that which they would never be permitted to procure for their AFA masters.

“If I were to banish Ryan, a Censure resulting from some contrived protest of conscience” I began but then sighed.  “He will do my bidding – regardless.”

“And what about this other pet your brother has acquired?” Maxwell now abruptly changed the subject.  “Have you any more information regarding this Member?”

“Aaron Gallagher claims Ascendancy” was my straightforward response.  Everyone understood the implications of this.  They were the Keepers of the Alternate Faith – which was every bit as controversial as The Plan and its Furtherance.

“Can we prove or disprove this?” Wesley now wanted to know – which was a loaded question.  One with an even trickier answer.

“Short of asking Dmitri or the Grand High Council?  No, but there might be another way besides plying these.  However, it would compromise one of my brother’s powerful tools within the AFA,” I explained, “which is one high ranking Warden Officer.  I met this man face-to-face when Collin and his comrades had come to my rescue.  Colonel-Major Elijah Robert Wasserman is the name he goes by in the AFA – but I know him by another, I knew of him as Legion” I now revealed, stunning my Brothers to silence, and for one very long time indeed.

“And I would venture to guess there are more Brothers in the AFA than we can well imagine” I tacked on in suggestion without making it a statement.

“Where does this leave us?” Max threw out the question – a good one, but one without any solid answers.

“What of the Alternative Faith of The Ascendancy?” I suddenly brought up but no one was inclined to touch it.

“Stick to subjects you best know, Aidan” Roland offered opinion.  “Such as… extinguishing life” he then augmented and the disdain in his voice for what I was?  Unmistakable.  Although the others didn’t say as much, I knew they were in concurrence.  Would they have preferred a pastry chef as their Head of Assassins? I could not help but wonder with an inward chuckle.

Fact of the matter was – they needed someone to do their dirty work, like as not, and so my assassins and I were a necessary evil.

“Well, you’ll pardon my predilection for curiosity, then” I began in an even tone.  “What if they are right?” I now practically blasphemed.  “What if there is to be a Second Son of God who comes to lead us from dark to light?  And not a Second Coming of Christ as the bible foretells?” I put out on the table, so to speak, and now everyone appeared thoroughly uncomfortable.

“The Plan and its Furtherance clearly lifted their modus operandi from this Alternative Faith” I went one further.  “However, what if?  That’s all I’m saying here – none of us will argue that God works in mysterious ways.  If we should shun The Furtherance, based on conviction that it, as well as the Second Son, is a sham – then we would be doing all of God’s Children a grave disservice should we be wrong” I opined and then held my breath.  “Shouldn’t we validate or invalidate this possibility?  That’s all I’m saying here – for what it is worth.”

Having said my piece, I now waited.

“It is said in the Alternative Faith that he who is of God will find power in The Relics” Wesley pointed out, which was the exact path I wished them to travel with me.

“And you just happen to have some handy?” Max grumbled, bringing to mind how a little thing like the world abruptly coming to an end could make such relics all but impossible to track down.

“I think that we have an obligation to pursue this” Quade now backed me up.

“Well, that might be in order if we had a clue who this Second Son was supposed to be!” Max argued.

“Why do you find it so hard to believe that Aidan’s brother could be the one?” Quade shot back with a chopping motion of his hand.  “As unlikely a candidate as you might think him, there’s a lot more to Collin O’Reilly than you see on the surface.  He’s loyal to a fault, he can forgive the gravest of offenses and then get beyond them with surprising ease, and he is righteous without even realizing just how much so.

“I’ll deny it if it is ever repeated, but Aidan’s brother has one of the most noble hearts you’ll ever run across” was Quade’s most unexpected laud.  “He demands justice for all, temperance for all.  Collin O’Reilly can mediate like no other, and when it comes to resolving disputes, whether in the political arena or amongst his men?  Such is the man’s skill that neither party will walk away with a sense that one was favored over the other.  They will have experienced his justness.

“Aidan’s brother can be conciliatory and extremely understanding when it comes to the plight of others – but often times he tries to cover with bravado this quality, which he believes to be a weakness in himself.  His closest friends know him in one very different light than do we, and Aidan knows him as can no other man.  If he thinks Collin might be the Second Son of which the Alternative Faith speaks, then I say we put our efforts into exploring this” my friend said in conclusion.

“This sole surviving Member of The Ascendancy, obviously you feel he believes the same?” Max supposed and so I nodded once in affirmation.

“From what I have heard, this Aaron Gallagher frequently kneels to Collin, even going so far as to call my brother milord,” I revealed, “and I do not believe this is merely out of respect for my brother’s rank.  Bryan has uncovered some interesting information regarding Brother Aaron – he is Jesuit” I tossed out there, stunning them to silence.

They well understood what this meant.

“And how to you propose to prove or disprove that Collin is the… real deal?” Roland carefully inquired.

“The Titulus Crucis” I answered and now everyone stopped breathing.

“You know of its location?” Wesley inquired, unable to believe that I might hold this knowledge, which meant that I had purposely withheld it from them all.  It had been known for ages that where this Relic was said to reside had been put forth as merely a distraction.

In the Time Before it had been absconded by parties unknown and the same now held true of its subsequent resting place – unknown.  However, if it hadn’t been for a vivid childhood memory then I might have concurred with the current assumption – that the Titulus Crucis was hopelessly lost.

“I believe I do” was my answer after several long, protracted moments.

“Between us” Roland now spoke up, looking round to each man present as he reaffirmed our agreement for these meetings.  Ones strictly off the record.  “You know what needs to be done, Aidan O’Reilly” he told me, but I wasn’t so sure I wanted to find out if Collin was of the Divine.

Either way, it would destroy the life of my brother, and, in essence, destroy him as a man as well.

We now all got to our feet and without a word we melted off in different directions, heading towards different exits.

In silence Quade and I made our way through the tunnels until we emerged under the cover of a new moon night.  Standing there I raised my eyes to the heavens considering my plight, one shared by my brother Collin even if he didn’t yet know it.

I felt a hand clasp my shoulder and so now I released a long, low breath.  His was a gesture which spoke that we needed to be away from this place and I was in agreement.

Jogging back to where we had left our horses, I made an attempt to clear my mind.  An impossible task this night – as Roland had told me, I knew what I needed to do.  Knowing was one thing – doing, though, was another matter, entirely.

The horses were still where he had tethered them, not so patiently waiting, either.  I didn’t like the idea of doing leaving them like this but it was either that or one really long hike through the wilderness.  The dusky stallion, who was a new acquisition of mine, pricked up his ears as we drew near, nostrils flaring wide to drink in our scents.  Now knowing who we were, his apprehension gave way to excited fidgeting and so I could not help but smile.

“He’s sure taken to you, that one” Quade made note and so I nodded.  This stallion was no re-tamed beast – which made me wonder who had been his unfortunate master?  No man would have willing set free this fine animal – this much I did know.

Horses readily took to me, trusted me, and I could read them as well as they could read me.  And this one was a keeper – no two ways about it.  When I had first laid eyes on the beast the stallion had been rushing at me, in protection of his small harem of two mares.  Or so I had first thought until, to my complete surprise, I realized his body language spoke as if he were running to greet a long lost friend.  It was one of the stranger experiences in my life, and would have thought it nothing more than the stallion thinking me to look like his past owner.  However, horses were sentient beings, incredibly smart creatures – they could with ease tell the difference between one human and another and by scent alone.

“And me to him” I told Quade in return as I took hold of the stallion’s halter to then stroke his nose.  “If only there was time” I complained as I now glanced at my friend – he understood what I was getting at.  So many pursuits I had dreamed, lived, during the course of my life in the Time Before.  Here in the world of the Time After, however?  Chances were between slim and none that any of us would ever live long enough to see a new civilization rise out of the ashes.  One where we weren’t all trying to polish off the other, one where we could resume pursuit of those long faded dreams.

My final ambition had been that of becoming a horse breeder and trainer after retiring from the CIA, a retirement never realized.  However, who knew what the future would bring?  And so the hope persisted, and with it the dream – however dim it might have been at present.  This stallion kept my dream going, however – he was a one in a million equine.

“I need to disappear for a very long while, but not until after I see Bryan Bonded to Kelly” I told Quade as he walked up to me with his own mount in tow.  “I will go alone” I then added.

“And you are going to clear this with Dmitri, how?” my friend wanted to know but I held my silence which meant I wasn’t.  “The Grand Head isn’t so happy with you as it is, Andy” was his blunt reminder.  “If you vaporize right now?”  Quade didn’t finish the thought – but I had to take the risk.

“Ok, let me rephrase – what kind of spin do you expect me to put on your… absence” he grumbled.  “You’ll be Censured this time for certain, you know – you can only stretch Dmitri’s patience just so far.”

“Tell Dmitri it is a Matter of Faith” was my suggestion, which was no lie and could be interpreted in many ways.  After all, as The Order’s Head of Assassins mine was to defend Our Faith.  “Call it a Pilgrimage.”

Quade just looked at me.  It would not be a falsehood he would be telling – especially since I had no intent of revealing to him the details of my sojourn.

“It’s not wise to go this alone” he countered.  “In this I agree with the Grand Head – travel in pairs.  At least take Ryan with you when you go” Quade advised me but Ryan, like Bryan, was too precious to The Order to risk loss.

“Alone” I reiterated.  “I will need to see Dasan” I told him as I now mounted the stallion.  “The Chief of the Navajo is a valuable encyclopedia” I reminded him.  The knowledge this powerful man held was in his head, and his alone.  Well, that wasn’t quite true but might as well have been.

The Navajo never wrote anything down, after all – theirs was an oral tradition.

This was in my favor, however, for any knowledge they held no one else would be able to glean from the internet.  One would have to be an intimate of the Chief in order to pick his brains.  And even then this old Navajo was a tough nut.  However, some peyote and a sweat lodge went a long way to loosening Dasan’s tongue.

“When you do leave, I’ll cover for you the best I am able” Quade told me as he now mounted his own horse.  “In retrospect, it was one hell of a fortune for us that both Bryce McMasters and you had cultivated a strong relationship with the Navajo” he opined and he was right.  Bryce, who in the Time Before had been Collin’s Army CO, General McMasters, spent most all of his free time making reparations to the Navajo on behalf of the white man.

This came by way of the General’s harmless hobby of collecting Navajo sacred objects – ones which he would just turn right around and give back to their rightful owners, which were the Navajo and other native peoples.

In this Bryce had sought to buy an alliance, in hopes they would reciprocate someday.  After all, the Knights Templar had paid many visits to the Americas in a distant past, and we had both suspected these Warriors of God to have placed many Relics into the hands of the Navajo for safe-keeping.

The Titulus Crucis wasn’t one of them, I was certain, but other even more important Relics of Christianity I surmised they held in their safe keeping.

And one in particular which we were all seeking with desperation.

“Thank you, Brother” was all I said to Quade who then nodded in return.  It was then we went our separate ways, at least for the time being, and mine would be along a path where I was destined to be accompanied by a heavy heart.

“I’ve got more monitors in place than you can shake a stick at” I told the Commander but then shrugged.  “If Sierra gets super determined, I dunno what she’ll be able to do, and given the controversy over who and what she really is…” I trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.

“You don’t trust your friend, Captain Wong – this is what you are saying” Collin put to me as he leaned back in his chair, considering me with those fierce tiger-green eyes of his.

Ones that made a dude feel like a deer mouse cornered by a cougar.

“It’s not quite that cut and dry,” I argued, now placing Sierra’s Palm on his desktop.  “It’s rather – well, like I said, dude… she doesn’t match up with what I know about Klaatu from Pre-Time” was my argument.  “And let’s face it, this wouldn’t be the first time that a woman has been used to put one over on a whole bunch of men.”  There.  I said it.  Sexist though it was, it was the truth, and given the scarcity of women these days?  More need not be said, I supposed.

With a grin like that fabled Cheshire cat, Collin slowly nodded.

“Well, Captain, she can put one over on me any day,” he conceded, “but I take your meaning.  You’re security has always been the tightest, although I’m sure it is now even more so.  However, Aidan had expressed that if Sierra has no useful distraction then we are begging for trouble.  What is your comfort level?  This is what I will accept, regardless how the woman feels.”  And there he went, turning her into an object – which is what he would do when there were hard choices to be made.  In our conversation Sierra would now become something instead of someone.

“I’m prepared to give her access to the safe subnets on the base intranet,” I told him, “but, I am not comfortable giving her access to the internet, or any other pipeline out of this place.  Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying she won’t figure out a way, but I’ve done all I can, put into place everything that should deter her or let me know when she is sniffing around where she shouldn’t be.  Some of the apps I have running will shut her down cold if she decides to get nosy.  That’s all the assurance I can give you… sir” I tacked on since I was getting the impression that Collin wasn’t too pleased with my level of familiarity.  Fine line to walk there, that much I knew.

“Very well, Captain – that will have to do” Collin accepted.  “I will tell Sierra, at least the basics – so if there is flack it will fall to me.  I’ll have her discuss the details with you, however.  Dismissed” he said with a flick of his hand and so I got to my feet.  Remembering to bow to the great man, I then got my butt out of there.

One down, one to go, I thought as I breathed a sigh of relief.  Collin seemed preoccupied with something, which worked for me.  This meant he wouldn’t waste time on me pontificating, which when he did would just about make me want to hang myself.

As I made my way to Colonel Jones’ office, I tried to collect myself so my attitude wouldn’t get me in trouble.  The guy needed a new Palm; he was using his backup one because his primary one had taken a dip in the pool.  That alone was going to make him ugly, and I was afraid I was going to say something to him like, well – that’s the hazard of having perks.  Collin never invited me to use the pool of course – I just had to look at it with longing anytime I was in there fixing or replacing the access point.  The moisture from the salt water was unhealthy for electronics so visits were frequent.

Eric was in seventh heaven after Collin had chewed my ass out about those encrypted files, having threatened me with court martial over concealing the content.  On the flip side, though, Eric was also madder than a wet hen because I got to give the files in detail directly to Collin.  Now, did Collin reveal the complete contents to Eric?  I couldn’t say, but I had a hunch not.  And like Bryan had done with Aidan, I left out the detail of that calling card left by Klaatu.

And speaking of Bryan, today was the day – we were having a real live Brotherhood Bonding Ceremony right here on base.  It still boiled my blood, as well as blew my mind, that my arch-rival had been handed a woman!  Well, at least The Brotherhood knew how to treat their own, I considered, feeling downright disgruntled.

Whatever.

The Ceremony had been arranged and every detail seen to by Collin’s cousin, Finney.  All we needed now was the groom and his party to arrive – and of course, Aaron.  The guy had been a priest in Pre-Time and so was going to officiate.  It would be a laugh, at least, to watch him and Aidan try not to strangle each other.  The loathing between those two Members was extremely palpable – you could feel it in the air any time those two got within each other’s line of sight.

I couldn’t help but think of Sierra’s Attendant, though – Kelly.  She was a nice girl and to think she was being married off to Bryan, well – that just made my stomach turn.  She deserved better than a shark, but then I had to laugh.  All Members were sharks, really – except for our commander and his cousin, although I knew there was a lot more to Finney than met the eye.  He was an Elite-Assassin just like Aidan and Bryan, but at least Finney didn’t scare the crap out of me the way Members of The Order did.

Even Aaron gave me the willies, and he was a priest.

Arriving at Eric’s office I knocked and then entered when he granted permission.  The man looked fairly well distracted, reminding me of the mood Collin had been in, and this wasn’t at all like The Inquisitor.

“Sit” was his one word command, paying me no attention since his eyes were trained on his laptop screen.  Typing a few hasty words he then gave me his attention.

“You should be ready to roll in a second, Colonel” I said as I pulled the new Palm out of my pocket.  “May I see you’re the other one?” I asked as politely as possible, not wanting to piss him off.  Sliding it across his desk to me I took it and ran a backup on it, saving it to the network, and then shut it off.  I then started up the new one and pulled the backup config, ran it, then restarted the device.  After a moment of testing I then handed it to him.

“Here you go, if you have any issues, let me know” I said, handing the Palm back to Eric.

“Thank you Captain” he said in return but then paused a moment.  “Have you made preparations?” Eric now asked and I understood what he meant.  I supposed he was just doing his job, but I had to wonder at times.

“I’m not expecting Bryan to try anything while he’s here” I told him but then shrugged.  “I’m always on alert in that area anyway, Colonel.”

“Good, good” he said, now leaning back in his chair and damned if he wasn’t weirding me out.  He was being far too polite.  “Did Collin approval ‘net access for Sierra?” the man wanted to know and although I felt like telling him to go ask Collin himself, I knew better than to start a fight.

“Limited at best, the Commander agreed to defer to me” I told him, which made his eyes darken.  How he couldn’t stand the fact that his friend had so much faith in me!  “I’ll be watching like a hawk, sir, even when I can’t personally be looking over her shoulder.”

Eric said nothing, instead turning his attention to the new Palm.  He was putting it through its paces before he would dismiss me.  That was fine by me, though – I’d rather get it all out of the way now and not have to come back later.

Glancing up from the screen, he held my eye for a second.

“There are some new enhancements I made to the OS and I added some features to existing apps, I thought you’d like to try them out” I explained, since I could tell that that he sure had noticed the difference.  “You’re being a power user and all, sir” I tacked on and now he slowly nodded.  I did listen when end users complained or made requests and although I usually ignored Eric’s wish-list, Greg had had the same requests on his so it killed two birds with one stone, I supposed, addressing these items.

“Keep a bug record, if you would, sir” I made polite request and although he didn’t acknowledge, I knew he would comply.  He was super anal about stuff like that, if for no other reason than the fact he reveled in catching my mistakes.  I like to see him crawl through thousands of lines of code and catch stuff the stuff I did.  I couldn’t catch everything though – all because a program successfully complied didn’t mean it was flawless, after all.

“That will be all, Captain” the Colonel finally dismissed me, but not before knocking me off balance.  “Thank you, Kevin – fine job you’ve done.  I know you don’t often hear that coming from me, but the caliber of your work has always been of the highest.”

Blinking like an idiot, I bowed before making my exit.

“Thank you, Colonel” I said and then practically scrambled to get out of his office.  Feathers duly ruffled I took flight down the corridor away from the Admin wing and Collin’s suspiciously pleasant Second.

I hurried off towards the datacenter, intent on getting as much work done as I could before the Bonding Ceremony.  I had been on the list of Attendees, amazingly enough – and if there was one thing I knew, when Collin threw a party he threw a party.  There would be a Grand Reception afterwards and out would come the booze.

Booze was strictly verboten here on base – unless there was a special occasion.  This wasn’t to say that Collin and his Senior Officers didn’t imbibe, for they did – wine, mostly.

Collin was another matter, however – I knew for a fact that he always kept a bottle of tequila on hand in his quarters.

Just for medicinal purposes, it was supposed to be, I knew better than that.  The man always had one seriously sharp edge to him round the clock, so a little nip here and there smoothed over that edge a bit.  Gratefully so, I now laughed to myself, given that I had to interact with Collin a lot.

After taking care of crucial business in the datacenter, I then made the rounds, constantly looking at the time on my Palm.  The Ceremony was set for twilight – outside against a backdrop of red cliff faces.  Initially it had been arranged for the Ceremony to be at the waterfall, but for some strange reason Collin changed the location.  I had a hunch that it had something to do with Sierra.  The waterfall had kind of become special to her, and I knew that she had been troubled that neither Aidan nor Collin had asked for her hand.

So smart the little hacker could be about a whole lot of things and just so bleeding dense about others.  It blew my mind day after day, and that was no lie.  I suspected that Sierra, with so much free time on her hands, had been doing a lot of daydreaming the closer it came to Bryan’s and Kelly’s Bonding Ceremony.  One of Sierra’s daydreams, I was sure, involved her wedding either one of the twins from hell.

Suddenly a shiver ran down my spine – the girl was better off not becoming wife to either man, Aidan or Collin, and that was the sad truth of it.  Regardless, from the day she had been told of the impending Bonding that was to be held on base, Sierra had grown quiet, the girl had kind of turned inward and there wasn’t a hell of a lot I could do to cheer her up, either.

Then again, she was pregnant and there could be no reasoning with her for the reason of hormones alone.

As the morning crossed over into afternoon and then some, I was about ready to call it quits and get some coffee when I ran into Sierra on my way to the mess hall.

“Hey, Kev” the girl said in greeting as she stopped, waiting for me.  The poor thing looked as depressed as depressed could be.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready?” I asked as walked up to her.

“I don’t think I’m invited” she complained and so I just gawked at her.  That was the stupidest thing I had ever heard.  “Never got an invitation or anything” she tacked on thinking  like she needed to clarify that dumb assessment.

“You’re kidding, right?  You think you need something on paper?” I almost laughed in her face.  Paper was a rare commodity these days and we only used it when absolutely necessary.  “Haven’t you been talking with Kelly and Amanda about this?” I asked, finding it hard to believe that it hadn’t been the topic of conversation all damn week – a week during which preparations were being made on a daily basis.  Especially the cooks who were rumored to be outdoing themselves for this shindig.

Biting her lip, Sierra just looked away, sighing.

“Coffee?” I now offered and so she nodded.  “C’mon, I’ll buy you a cup” I laughed as we now both headed for the mess hall.  “Trust me on this, girlfriend – you are expected to be there.  I can’t believe Collin hasn’t asked you what you intend to wear” I remarked and so now she stopped up short, offering me a curious look.  “The man is all about appearances, Sierra.”

“Yeah?  Well, pretty much every color goes with black after all” was her dire complaint and then she again set her feet into motion.  I guess Collin hadn’t spoken to her about it, because if he had then she would have known he would not be wearing black.

Black-on-black was sanctioned wear only for Elite-Assassins and this being an official Brotherhood Bonding Ceremony their dress code need apply.  Collin was a Member like as not so had to play by Brotherhood rules.

“You know Collin’s been busy, he’s always working as it is, but then all this” I told her, trying to make her feel better.  “He wants to make sure this gets done up right, girl” I assured her as I pulled out my Palm and tapped away on it, sending a message to Greg asking him to broach the subject of Sierra’s attendance with Collin.  It would take only a few minutes of Collin’s time to put her mind at ease – and I was certain that it had just plain not crossed his mind during the week to do so.  He assumed that Sierra understood she was to attend.

“Uh-huh” was her only response as we now crossed the arch into the mess hall.  We both got coffee, but I made sure she had a snack in addition – it was kind of an unwritten law that we were all expected to look out for Sierra.  The more she worried, the less she ate and so it was becoming a challenge to get food down her throat these days.

In silence we sat there – she just need a friend to be with was all.  However, I needed to get ready for the Ceremony, and she did too – even if she didn’t think she was invited.

“Got a secret for you” I said in a low voice, making an attempt to cheer her up.  “Don’t tell anyone, least of all Collin… but… he said it was ok to give you access to some intranet resources” I told her with a big smile.  “He’s got your Palm; I gave it to him this morning.”  The girl practically burst at this news.  “Just keep that under wraps, ok?  It won’t be much longer now before he gives it to you, just be patient, girl.  The man’s got a lot on his mind” I told her and so she nodded, not so dark now that she had something to look forward to.

However, on the flipside of the good news would be some that wasn’t so good.  And having a hunch no one had clued her in to certain realities, I supposed it was up to me.

“Uh, dunno how much you been told about Brotherhood Bonding Ceremonies,” I began, “but, uh – they aren’t festive events, really.  They are carried out more like business transactions” I fibbed.  They weren’t like business transactions – they just plain were.  “With a lot of boring religious rhetoric thrown in” I tacked on for good measure.

“Are you trying to make me feel better about not being invited?” she wanted to know and so I shook my head, slowly.

“Uh-uh, not at all – and you are invited, you know.  Trust me on this” I assured her.  “I just wanted you to be prepared is all.  Aidan will be business-like today, at the Ceremony, so I don’t want you to get all twisted into a knot over it.”

“How cum I never read about all this in what you gave me, about The Brotherhood?” Sierra asked in a low voice and now I had to bite my tongue so I would not laugh.  How The Brotherhood married off its Members wasn’t exactly important when it came to combating the enemy.

Not bothering to answer her question I instead just shrugged and concentrated on my coffee.  I was damned if I did, damned if I didn’t, I decided.  Thankfully my Palm chirped to my rescue and so fishing it out I read the incoming message.  With an inward groan I stared at the screen for a few moments before tapping away in answer.

Now Collin was interested in Sierra – and what she was going to wear.

“Hey, Collin is looking for you” I told her as I stashed my Palm.  “Have you seen Aidan yet?” I asked, wondering if her dark mood could have been induced by the black knight.

“He’s here?!” the woman snapped sounding downright indignant.  “How cum no one told me?” she grumbled, and I knew what she was thinking – that she wasn’t important to Aidan, and all because he hadn’t made it his priority upon arrival to seek her out.

“I told you, girl – he’s here on business” I reminded her.  “That comes first, so – just go with it, ok?  Now, go see what Collin wants before he gets tweaked – don’t forget, he’s got something for you.  I’ll catch you later” I said and then downing the rest of my coffee I got to my feet to make a speedy exit.  With a wink and a smile I then got my tail out of there before I fell victim to more of her hormones.

I needed to get ready for the ceremony myself – and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to getting into my dress uniform either.  Granted, the uniforms were damned stylish when compared to those of the Pre-Time military, I laughed to myself, but that didn’t mean they were comfortable.  Then again, anything more formal than khakis and a polo shirt was uncomfortable as far as I was concerned.

Making a beeline for my quarters I ran into Greg going the same way, on the same mission I would bet.  Still tapping away on his Palm as he went he didn’t notice me until I had caught up to him.  After the threat of court martial, levied against both of us by Collin, Greg and I had been avoiding being seen together.  At least, there were no more closed-door meetings.  I was sure that Greg had smoothed things over with his friend the Commander, and probably Eric as well – but that didn’t mean he was off the hook, I’d bet.

“Hey” I said, falling in alongside him.  “Ready for the festivities?” I asked with a straight face but it only won me a seriously wry look in return.  “Don’t worry, I’m sure we won’t be seated at the same table at the Reception” I laughed under my breath.

“Yeah, well – too bad” he grumbled, now stowing his Palm in his pocket.  “Tales to tell” was his cryptic remark, one which meant he had uncovered something of interest I suspected.

“You know, might just be easier if we included the Commander” I said under my breath but Greg didn’t say a word.  “He thinks it’s all bunk, everything, so…” I trailed off leaving the thought unfinished.

“Don’t be so sure, Kevin” was his caution.  “I’m inclined to just leave sleeping dogs lie with this one” was his fib, even if at heart he felt that way – but Greg was like a dog with a bone.  Once he’d start working on a problem his brain just could not let it go, even if ordered by his CO to do so.  As I was about to protest, Greg cut me off.  “We both did a bang-up job of betraying his trust – if we were Order, we’d be dead” he grumbled, giving me a sideward glance.  “Let’s not give the Commander further reason to threaten us with court marshal.”  Apparently Collin was holding a grudge against him as well – although I would have thought that Greg, being a life-long friend of Collin’s, would have already been forgiven.

Not, I supposed.

“He’ll get over it in his own time” Greg now said in a low voice, reading my mind like he usually did.  “There are just some topics that are off-limits with the Commander and that’s the end of that – no matter how damning the evidence that is piling up” he told me, which said a lot right there.

Greg was still actively digging, although since our ass-reaming by Collin, he’d been keeping his findings to himself.  Did this bother me?  No – essentially it wasn’t my game to figure out if The Plan and its Furtherance had any validity.  Give me an assignment, ask me to find some ancient data and I was all over it.  But the wherefores and whys of all this heady shit?  That’s where I was of little help.

At the end of the day I was just a geek, and one who had sorely overstepped the bounds of his responsibilities.

“Some people just don’t want to be educated” Greg now remarked as we reached my quarters.  I stopped but he just kept right on going.  He was talking about Collin, naturally – and the Commander was one stubborn man.  Right or wrong Collin never wavered.

The thing was, what affected Collin would affect Sierra as well – the good and the bad alike.  And if Collin was this Second Son of which The Furtherance spoke?  Well, that was just plain bad news all the way around, for him as well as Sierra.

Maybe we couldn’t educate Collin because he wanted us to all to just piss off, but I was damned if I was going to stand back and let Sierra get swept up into the whole mess.

Releasing a weighted sigh I now entered my quarters and set about making myself presentable for the Ceremony.  The afternoon was going to be interesting to say the least and it would be ok so long as I managed not to gag when it came my turn to congratulate my arch-rival Bryan on his nuptials.

If you don’t stop being a brat, Sierra, you’re gonna get yourself in a world of trouble.

I kept telling myself this but was I inclined to listen to my own sage advice?

Uh-uh – no way.

Kevin was probably right, though – everyone was busy preparing for the Ceremony so I shouldn’t be surprised that no one was giving me a second thought.

Much less a first one, I considered with an inward grumble, but was then quick to recall that this was a base full of men.  I seemed to keep forgetting that one important detail.  Naturally they weren’t about to sit down with me and shoot the breeze about the upcoming festivities.

Especially since Collin had put the fear of God into them where I was concerned.

Suddenly I found myself caught off guard by a tear and a sniffle – I was damn certain that God hadn’t meant for me to feel so frigging alone.  Even when before I had rejoined civilization I hadn’t felt so isolated.

Drawing in a slow, deep breath I then held it before just as slowly releasing it.  I now finished the rest of my coffee and went off in search of the base Commander.  Kevin said Collin wanted to see me but he failed to mention just where the man was.

No matter.  I had nothing else to do.  Kelly and Amanda were sequestered somewhere, preparing for the Ceremony, and everyone else either was busy with preparations as well, or busy minding their own business.

Moping along while I went to track down Collin, as I crossed through the cavern at the main entrance, I glanced up to see a group of men standing near the archway.  I had to do a double take as I stopped in my tracks.  My first thought was, who are those guys?  And then it started to sink in – the men dressed in sharp black-on-black uniforms were Members!  And most of them I knew, no less – but barely recognized that’s how well they cleaned up.

They were having a quiet conversation and now I was wondering just how fast I could get through the cavern without being spotted.  I tried my damnedest but no luck – Aidan’s radar never failed him and so sensing I was there, he turned round to see me.

It took all my strength not to drop my jaw – and I had thought Collin to be the most handsome man I had ever seen?  Well, today it was a tie.

As much as I wanted to run to Aidan in greeting, I just stood there with my feet rooted to the ground.  Excusing himself from the others, Collin’s brother now crossed over to me and damned if I didn’t back up a step or two.  I had no idea why, but I just did – maybe because in his dress uniform the man was one damned intimidating figure.  This was no scruffy desert warrior who now approached me, I mused.

“Sierra” he greeted in that ethereal voice of his.  “Why aren’t you yet dressed?” the man asked and so now I leveled him an aggravated look.

“Hello to you too” I mumbled, shifting my weight as I wrapped my arms tightly about me.  “I never got an invite” I was quick to follow, biting my lip and then looking down.  Aidan, however, didn’t say a word – at least, not right away.  And when he did, he made me laugh.

“Well, I suppose that’s what happens when one assumes” he mumbled and as I looked up at him I saw that he was actually smiling.  The man needed to do that more often, I thought.  “Why on God’s Earth you should think that you are not invited leaves me perplexed – but I suppose we can chalk it up to hormones” Aidan now actually laughed.  “I have missed you, Sierra” the man told me in a low voice.

“I’d give you a hug but I don’t want to get any lint on you” I complained in return.  “You look amazing, Mr. Assassin, I’ve got to hand it to you there.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, then” he chuckled.  “I suppose that you and Amanda still aren’t getting along, hmm?  She should have spent less time with Kelly and more time with you in preparation for this day.  Please tell me that you at least have something… presentable to wear?”  Glancing away, I didn’t want to tell him no, because if I did he was probably going to get pissed off and then I could kiss his good mood good-bye.

Instead I shrugged as opposed to answering.

And now a rarely seen sight – Aidan pulled out his Palm and started tapping away.

Didn’t take a clairvoyant to know he was messaging his brother.

Apparently I had my eyes riveted to the device and so after he was done Aidan waved a hand in front of my eyes, breaking my concentration.

“Still no Palm?” was his inquiry and so I shook my head.  As I was about to complain Aidan’s Palm chirped.  After reading the screen he then pocketed the device.  “Did you know that Collin is looking for you?” he asked and now my testiness shown through in brilliant colors.

“Yeah, but I have no frigging idea where the man is!” I snapped.  “Everyone seems to forget I have to use seventeenth century communication methods here” I complained, stomping my foot.

“Have you thought to try his quarters?” Aidan put to me with a slanted grin and I was shocked that his good mood hadn’t completely abandoned him.

“Uh, yeah – well, that’s where I was heading” I mumbled and unexpectedly my hormones decided it was time to get in on the act.  Tears began to well up in my eyes so I cast them to the ground.  Aidan was now quick to crouch down in front of me, peering up.

“I love you, Sierra” he spoke in a soft voice, pressing his palm to the side of my neck.  “I wish that today was our day, that it could be we who were about to Bond” Aidan told me and the sincerity in his voice, his eyes, his words – well, that was it.  Now the water works really began to flow.  Wiping away my tears, he smiled at me.  “Go see what my brother wants – he’s waiting for you” and with that he got to his feet, leaning over to kiss the top of my head before he then turned and was gone.

Feeling like a complete basket case, I now hurried on off to the quarters of the great man himself.  If Collin busted on me about not having anything presentable to wear I swore I would just scratch out his eyes!

Along the way the image of the Members in their dress uniforms kept sticking in my mind.  The sight drove home just how different The Order was from the AFA.  Apples and oranges in all regards it seemed.

And they still scared the crap out of me, Members did.

Once I got to Collin’s quarters I took a deep breath before knocking.  With his customary one word grant of entrance I let myself inside.  Looking around I found him in his sitting room – he hadn’t gotten dressed yet either.  No surprise there, though – one thing I had learned about Collin was that in he thrived on being late for everyone else’s events except his own.  It was his way of telling others how much power he held in his possession.

“Amanda is in your quarters, waiting for you” he now told me.  “She will help you get ready for the Ceremony.  There you will find some outfits I have procured, rather flattering ones that I suspect you will like.”  I could only blink at the man.  I was beginning to look like a beached whale!  How could anything possibly be flattering on me?

“Uh – thanks” was all I said in return and then shut up before my mouth got me in trouble.  Standing there I waited – hoping for him to give me my Palm, or at the very least for him to dismiss me.

“I have something to give you” Collin now told me and finally!  A bright ray of light.  However, when he reached inside his breast pocket, instead of pulling out my long missed Palm, he withdrew an envelope.  Offering it to me in his outstretched hand, I hesitated to accept it.  Eventually I inched forward to gingerly take it from his hand.

It was a heavy gauge, parchment style envelope addressed to one Supreme-General Aniston Karloff, AFA High Command.  In turning it over, I saw it had been sealed by sealing-wax of all things, and the design of the seal was ornate.  It appeared to be a sword piercing a wreath of flames and underneath it were the initials DAK.  Glancing up at Collin his face was a blank – as unreadable as any Member.  But then again, Collin was a Member, too, wasn’t he?

I sucked in my breath in preparation for bad news as I now opened the envelope and drew out the contents.  As I read the document, I was certain that my jaw had gone slack.  It was from the Grand Head of The Order – a Bonding Proposal!  One which would Bond The Order’s Head of Assassins with a woman who just happened to be a possession of the AFA.

Yours truly, no less.

“Supreme-General Karloff has accepted and negotiations have begun” the man now told me – very calmly, evenly, but I could sense that Collin was not so calm inside as his exterior would portray.

He was devastated.

Well, at least now I knew why Aidan was in such a frigging good mood.

With hands that were none too steady I put the documents back into the envelope and handed them over to Collin.

“It’s only proper, to legitimize your relationship with my brother” he now explained as he tucked the envelope back in his breast pocket.  “You are carrying Aidan’s Unborns, after all.  He will be your escort today for the Ceremony – please try to be on your best behavior.  That is all” the man concluded – so did that mean that I was dismissed?

“Don’t I get a say in any of this?” I now demanded.  Standing there with my arms wrapped tightly about me, I wanted to go to Collin, to comfort him, but thought better of it.

“No more say than I do, Chiquita” was his flat response.  “You do love Aidan, don’t you?” he inquired and it was then that I noticed the color of his eyes.  Most often they were the hue of vibrant emeralds, but today they were a mournful sea-green.

How was I supposed to honestly answer his question without making him feel worse than he already did?

Fact of the matter was, I loved Collin and Aidan – both men, equally, yet differently.  Knowing that this disturbed the heck out of Collin, I was forced to admit that it left me feeling unsettled as well.  One man, one woman – that’s what I had always subscribed to when it came to marriage.  And not just in a physical sense – the physical had to be in combination with mind and heart.  It was a package deal in my eyes.

“It’s a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no answer, Collin” I told him and then releasing a heavy sigh I ran a hand over my eyes.  Shaking my head I then decided to just shut up.  Now was not the time to get into a battle of words with Aidan’s brother.

“Isn’t everything?” he quietly put to me in return.  “Amanda will brief you on the Ceremony today and the decorum it demands.  I wish that you could be on my arm, Sierra, instead of that of my brother – truly.

“Now go on – go get ready” Collin sent me off with a nod, but not before, and quite predictably, I went to him.  Throwing my arms around his neck, I couldn’t help but cry my eyes out.  He drew me into his embrace, stroking my hair in comfort.

“Hey, I know all women cry at weddings, but you’re supposed to turn on the waterworks during the Ceremony, not before” was his gentle reproach, but then let me go on crying all the same.  “I’m… I’m sorry we’ve made you feel so torn, Chiquita” the man now apologized and so raising my eyes to look at him I didn’t know what to say.

No words would come, at least none that could describe how I felt in that moment.

Instead I tenderly kissed his cheek.  When I did he groaned – and so there was that chemistry again between us.  He was thinking what I was thinking – and it wasn’t about attending the Ceremony I was certain.

Backing away as I wiped the tears from my eyes, I now thanked him.

“Thanks – I’m sure the outfits you picked out are beautiful” I told him, and I meant it.  The man had great fashion sense for, well, for a man.  Then again, Collin was all about presentation.

“You are welcome, although I dare say you’ll like this even better” Collin told me and then reaching into his pants pocket he pulled out a Palm.  “Here you go – please do not get into any trouble with it” was his caution as he handed it to me and in a heartbeat I snatched it from him.  This apparently amused Collin and so he offered me a genuine smile.  “I’m sorry it took so long, my dear.”

This gift was deserving of a kiss and so I indulged myself in doing so – which was perhaps not such a good idea.

Collin returned it in kind – and tenfold.

However, he then abruptly broke it off, doing what was sensible, but when I tried to retreat Collin claimed my hand and would not let me go.  So much he had to say! I thought as I held his eyes.  So much he wanted to say but wouldn’t, or couldn’t.

“I need to do what is right, Sierra” the man informed me, still hanging onto my hand, though.  “However, this doesn’t mean that I want to.  Now, off you go – behave yourself” was his caution as he released my hand.  At this point I could only nod since I felt a lump rising in my throat to silence me.

Turning tail to leave, a knock came at the door.  I was praying it wasn’t his brother, but when the door opened, it was much worse than that – it was Aaron.  I knew he was going to be officiating the Ceremony, but I hadn’t run into him since he’d returned from his pilgrimage or whatever it was he had been doing.  The man was not dressed like the other Members I saw earlier; Aaron was dressed in priestly robes.  I seemed to keep forgetting that he was a Jesuit, of all things!

And now my stomach turned a flip-flop – this man was not who, or rather what, he claimed to be I knew this for fact, I could feel it in my gut.

But try to talk against Aaron to Collin?  No way – Collin didn’t want to hear it.  Not from me, not form his brother, not from his officers, not from anyone.

“Sierra, it’s a pleasure to see you again” the priest tried to kill me with kindness.  Swallowing hard I glanced over my shoulder at Collin who was now on his feet – sensing, perhaps, that he might need to referee.

“Uh, hi” was all I said, looking back to Aaron.  I wasn’t about to lie to him, like he had to me – I wasn’t glad he was back, and certainly wasn’t glad to see him.  “If you’ll excuse me, I have to go get ready for the Ceremony” I said and then brushing past him I hurriedly made my exit.

I had done my best to hide from Collin my disdain of Aaron, but it had not escaped the Commander.  He was sharp as a tack, as sharp as his brother, and nothing ever got by him.

I now got my tail into gear and rushed back to my quarters.  I didn’t want to keep Amanda waiting any longer than she already had – and I certainly didn’t want to make Aidan wait.  That man went beyond punctual.

Once arriving at my quarters it was as I figured – Collin’s daughter was waiting not so patiently for me.  With a million apologies spewing forth from my lips the young woman didn’t want to hear any of them.  She was more interested in making sure that I was ready in time for Aidan to pick me up – Amanda wasn’t one to let Aidan down.  She was daddy’s little girl to be certain, even if she didn’t know that Aidan wasn’t her real daddy.

After doing my hair and my makeup, Amanda then brought out the outfits that Collin had chosen and the man did not disappoint.  They were gorgeous, and would even make a pregnant whale like me look not so pregnant.  I wasn’t that far along, but felt like one regardless.

I chose something with varying hues of lavender – it would go nicely with black, I figured, since that was what Aidan was wearing.  Although, in the back of my mind I was also thinking that it would bring out the gemstone green of Collin’s eyes.

Then I remembered how they had turned a mournful sea-green this day, which now really made me feel sad.

“Thanks, Amanda” I said to Collin’s daughter.  “I actually look presentable now” I tried to joke but it fell flat.

“You are welcome” she politely returned.  “Wait here, Aidan will be along shortly” was her command and then that was it – mission accomplished and now she was gone.

And I was actually sad to see her go – if only because I didn’t feel like being alone.  Collin was right, I was being torn between him and his brother.  Each felt they had right to claim me, but Aidan felt he had the better claim since I was carrying his Unborns.

Sitting down at the table near the little window by the door, I looked out across the courtyard, watching and waiting for Aidan.  It wasn’t all that long before he came striding through the courtyard and up to my door, knocking once before entering.

His eyes lit up when he saw me, smiling in approval.

“You look gorgeous, Sierra” he told me as he offered me a bow.

“Thanks” I returned, biting my lip as I crossed over to him.

“Something wrong?” the assassin now asked and yup – I was right.  Nothing got by him, so with a sigh I looked up.

“You could have told me” I grumbled in complaint but it took a moment for Aidan to realize what I was on about.

“My brother can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life” the man grumbled.  “How did he find out?” he wanted to know, but this just served to further aggravate me.  So, he hadn’t first told his brother.  Collin had to find out from the head-honcho of the whole AFA!  That must have really stung him.

“That Supreme-General guy forwarded to Collin the proposal document that your Master sent him” was my rather terse response.  “You could have told him too, you know – personally.”

“My love, it is only in the talking stages” Aidan tried to defend.  “Nothing has been set, nothing has been arranged.  If it had, then I would be down on one knee, right here, this moment, asking you to Bond with me.

I just blinked at him.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” I wanted to know and now he just held my eyes.  I knew he wanted to make some comment about assumption but let it ride.

“I am surprised that Supreme-General Karloff apprised my brother at all” was his flat response.  “At this point, it is a matter between the AFA Supreme-General and The Order’s Grand Head” he stated, but held back the rest.  He was going to make some comment about gossip I could tell.  “Is Collin ok?” Aidan now asked, catching me off guard with his concern for his brother.

“What do you think?” was my arid retort.  “I don’t want to talk about this, Aidan – it… it caught me wholly off guard, that letter.  I… I just don’t understand how things work in your world” I explained, but like – why bother?  It was more than apparent I didn’t have a clue.  And even though I was miffed over the whole thing, I did, in a twisted way, have a warm and fuzzy when I thought about him wanting to ask for my hand.

“You need understand something” Aidan now spoke in a low voice as he reached out to take my hand in his.  “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I did not initiate this Bonding Proposal” he now blew me away.  “It is by Order of my Master, the proposed Bonding between you and I, although I would be lying if I was to tell you that I am displeased by my Master’s Edict.  I have wanted to call you my own from the day I first laid eyes on you – and though they say love is blind, Sierra, I can still see quite clearly how much you love my brother.  I would openly do nothing to hurt Collin” he asserted, and knowing that Aidan did not lie, I had no choice but to believe him.

Now he pulled out his Palm and began tapping away.  I swore I had never seen him use that thing as much as he was this day.

“Finney will explain the situation to Collin” he told me as he finished tapping away to then pocket the device.

“Isn’t that a little cowardly?” I could not stop myself from saying and so now he level me one very black look of disapproval.

“Collin and I will not be able to rationally discuss this” was his surprising admission.  “Any discussion which revolves around you, Sierra – it brings out the worst between me and my brother.  That’s the way it is and will be if there is a woman involved.  Don’t concern yourself with our quarreling” he advised me but how could I not?

Mumbling something less than polite under my breath I now released a weighed sigh.

“Sorry” I meekly apologized and then tried to put my black mood aside.

“Dmitri ordered the Bonding Proposal so that it would legitimize our children when they are born” he went on to inform me, echoing the same thing his brother had said earlier that day.  “It is the welfare of the Unborns of which he is thinking, Sierra.  I would have gone down this road myself if it was not for how my brother feels about you, and what it would do to our relationship as brothers.  In all honesty, I probably would have started the process myself, but not before discussing it with Collin.  The Grand Head just forced my hand with his Edict is all, and this has now disturbed the waters.”

Ok – now I felt like a total heel.  The stigma of the children being born out of wedlock still existed to this day and apparently was of a big concern to one and all.  Except me, of course, because I hadn’t even thought about that, the children being born as bastards.

“Alright, got my tail tucked between my legs here” I said with an awkward laugh.  “I guess we should just get going?” I posed and so he nodded, but before we left he indulged himself in a kiss – one as strongly felt as had been earlier shared by me and his brother.

“I do love you, Aidan” I told him, trying not to get all weepy.  “I… I just don’t understand why I am so damn torn between you and Collin, and that’s the truth of it” I sheepishly admitted.

“I know – but that’s ok” he accepted.  “We cannot see how all paths will end, but we can Witness Bryan and Kelly begin their path through life together, hmm?”  With a nod I agreed and so taking his arm together we head off to the Ceremony.

Although I had thought the Ceremony to be a private one, there were a lot more people about than I recognized.  There were other AFA officers on base, ones I didn’t know, and also other Members.  Two of these Members Aidan now introduced.

“Sierra, this is Elite-Assassin Brennan Dunne – he is my Captain of Assassins” he informed me, and now the man offered me what I suspected was one very proper bow.  “Brennan’s wife is due to give birth shortly before you will.  And this is Elite-Assassin Tremont O’Neill, our Head Priest and Keeper of Our Faith” Aidan introduced the second Member, and it struck me as odd that he should say our faith and not the faith.  This was obviously an important footnote that I needed to puzzle out later on.

I smiled at each of the men but kept my mouth shut – I kind of had the impression that The Brotherhood expected women to be seen and not heard.

Glancing past the men, I now saw some AFA officers that I did recognize – and one of them only after doing one serious double take.  Greg and Kevin were approaching and I had hardly recognized Kevin.  Greg I had seen in his dress uniform, but never Kevin.  I wasn’t sure if I should complement my friend or not – since I had no idea what was proper given the circumstances.

The two men joined our little group and so then bows and introductions were exchanged.  Small talk ensued, during which I was visibly ignored.  The public verses the private I kept reminding myself – this was how Members were, and how Collin was as well, come to think of it.

The more I pondered that brother, the more he seemed to have all the makings of a true Member, Collin did.

After a short while, about the time I was becoming truly bored out of my skull, I looked up to see two more officers encroaching on us.  One scared the crap out of me, naturally this was Colonel Jones – the other was Collin, or rather someone who resembled Collin.  And he wasn’t wearing black.  The Commander was wearing his dress uniform and then it hit me, I’d never seen him wear his dress grays.

The man could make anything look good, I mused – but the dress uniforms of the AFA were pretty darned sharp anyway.

As Collin approached he offered up a huge smile as he greeted his brother.  The two exchanged a heartfelt embrace, patting each other on the back.  I swore I could live a hundred years and never understand how they could separate the public from the private like that.  Of course, the fact that Collin was a master showman didn’t hurt.

While he conversed with the others, Collin’s eyes kept lighting on me here and there, drawn to me like a moth to a flame.  He was subtle about it, but not that subtle so as Aidan wouldn’t notice – I could feel that Aidan indeed did.

Before the two could start working on their persistent rivalry, I shyly tugged on Aidan’s sleeve.  I was tired of being on my feet anyway and figured it would be a good excuse to break up the two before things could get ugly.

“I’m tired of standing” I quietly told him, giving him my best doe eyes and so he returned a smile.

“Understood – Colonel Jones will escort you to the seating area” Aidan told me and so I nearly lost my mind.  What was this frigging horse shit?  Looking up at him with pleading eyes he reached out a hand to stroke my hair in comfort.

“Collin and I are required to attend the Groom’s Ceremony” Aidan explained, which explained nothing at all.

“Members only” Collin now piped in and yeah – I kept forgetting, Collin was a Member.  Reaffirmed or not, he was still of The Brotherhood, and The Order.  “It won’t be all that long, Sierra” he tried to sooth me, but having to sit next to Eric would give me the willies did they want me to deliver early or what?

I wanted to ask why not Greg or Kevin but that would not have been proper.

The Members and Collin now left us, bowing as they did, and leaving me there with Eric, Greg and Kevin.

“Shall we?” Eric prodded and so swallowing hard, I nodded.  We three all headed outside and when we arrived at the seating, Greg and Kevin now parted from Eric and me.  I supposed we rated higher because Eric escorted me to seating up front.  Politely indicating where I was to sit, he motioned me to be seated and then he sat down next to me.

“You’ve have not been to one of these” he now decided to get all chatty on me.  I just looked at him but else wise kept my mouth shut – or tried to.

“And you have?” I just had to go and ask and so he nodded.

“I attended the Bonding of Amanda to Ryan” was Eric’s revelation.  “It will be a long Ceremony, hopefully you won’t fall asleep” he joked, or so it seemed.  Not, I then decided.  “It won’t be long now before it will be your turn, eh?” the scary Colonel probed and I had the distinct impression that he at least would be happy to get rid of me.  But didn’t he care about what his Commander wanted?  Eric was so fanatically loyal when it came to his CO that it was hard to imagine him not wanting for Collin what Collin himself wanted.

As the seating area filled up, I realized just how few people I truly knew in this world, a divided world.  Members on the left, AFA on the right.

Just about the time I felt like bolting, I saw Finney and other Members begin to arrive and take their seat, but no Aidan.  And where was Amanda?  As I began to really withdraw into myself I, I suddenly saw Collin making his entrance and I could not help but think that man sure knew how to carry himself.  When Collin came on the scene he took the stage by storm – eyes were drawn to him it was fact.  And now the handsome AFA officer came over to join us.  I wasn’t sure why he had told me Aidan would be my escort, since the AFA was sitting on one side and The Order on the other.

“Miss me?” Collin asked in a playful tone as he took a load off and so I blushed.  I really needed to find some way to fight that chemistry thing, I thought, since my thoughts towards him in that moment were anything but ladylike.

“Where’s Aidan?” I asked in a low voice and now, predictably, Collin darkened by a certain degree.  To quickly counter this, I took his hand in mine and then squeezed it – and it wasn’t until then that I noticed my hands were shaking.  With concern he long regarded me but didn’t say a word – then he leaned in to plant one very tender kiss on my cheek.

“You look radiant” the man now complimented me.  “You’re going to show up the bride, Sierra, with your beauty” he went one further, speaking softly in my ear.  That’s it, I thought – gonna faint here, I considered with an inward giggle.  He sure knew how to make me feel better.

Leaning back, Collin still held my eyes and I could see some of that vibrant emerald color coming back into them.

“Just follow along with me and you’ll do fine” Collin now told me.  “Don’t worry if you don’t know the invocations, hymns or prayers” the man tacked on and ok, that much was true, then – all the religious ritual.  Collin was born and raised Irish Catholic, after all – he surely would feel quite comfortable with all this.

Still holding my eyes, Collin seemed to want to say something, a lot of somethings I was sure – but he held his tongue.  We probably looked like two lovesick teenagers and so I released his hand and looked down before we started to draw attention to ourselves.

Which we already had, I could see as I furtively glanced about the crowd.

A hush now settled over the crowd as Aaron came on the scene, walking down the aisle and up to the altar, carrying with him a bible.  Bending to one knee before the altar, he softly spoke what I assume to be prayers and then crossing himself he got to his feet.  Now he walked behind the altar, placing the bible down to then open it and now he waited.

I still didn’t see Aidan or Amanda anywhere, but soon it would become clear why not.

Now I saw Bryan, the groom, making his entrance with another man – and that was Aidan.  So he was going to stand up for his Head of IT!  I could not believe it.  I tried not to give Bryan the evil eye, but that man and I already had a rivalry going on – just like there was between Kevin and Bryan.  I had to admit, though, Bryan was one tall, handsome guy who looked outstanding in his uniform.  As did Aidan, I wistfully took note.  Once the two Members were in position at the altar, then Kelly made her entrance down the aisle, on the arm of the Head Priest of The Order, and behind the two was Amanda.  A real family affair it was, I supposed – since it was clear Amanda had been asked to stand up for Kelly.

As the Ceremony got into full swing, I pretty much got lost in all the pomp.  Amanda looked so regally beautiful she almost outshone the bride.  Kelly, who was a petite thing, was stunning to behold.  These Members really knew how to do it up, I thought, all the time feeling that I looked like a blimp.  Collin seemed to sense that I was feeling insecure and so he discretely drew an arm around my shoulders.  The man was a die-hard Catholic, I had to admit – he knew every word that the congregation was required to utter during the course of the long, long Bonding Ceremony.

By the time it was over, I was more than half asleep – but no rest for the weary.  This was when Aidan finally came to me, offering his arm.

“Ready?” he asked and so I just blinked at him.  Oh, yeah – the Grand Reception, I had forgotten about that part.  From what I had gathered, it would last long into the night.  The question was, would I?  Aidan’s no coddling law was still firmly in place so begging off wasn’t going to cut it, I surmised.  Besides, I had to be seen with him, to make him look good.

Shyly nodding in response, I took hold of his arm but couldn’t hold back a sigh.

“It won’t be so bad” Aidan tried to tell me.  “We Members don’t bite, after all” he tried to make light and, of course not – Members just killed.

“I’m just tired is all” I tried to explain.  “I’ll feel better after I get some grub into me” I told him and then realized just how unladylike that must have sounded.  His look said it all.

“Well, let’s hope that’s the case” Aidan said with a straight face but I could tell he wanted to grin.  Why he found me so amusing just then was a complete mystery.

The reception wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be.  Granted, there were a whole lot of people there that I did not know, but thankfully I didn’t have to mingle very long.  The reception was held in the mess hall, which had been magically transformed during the ceremony.  I was pleased that at our table was Collin, although Eric was also with us too and that I’d just have to suffer.  Greg and Kevin, Finney, Amanda and Ryan were also in attendance, and Aidan of course.  It was really odd, though – for the meal there wasn’t any comingling of Order and AFA, except at our table – which was family, I supposed, after a fashion.  In this I sensed that either Collin or Aidan had suggested the arrangements, to make me feel more at ease.

It was a lively dinner, but I held my tongue for the most part, as did Kevin.  We geeks knew when to shut up.  I noticed, though, that Greg was also rather reticent – he wasn’t his happy-go-lucky self that much was for sure.  Something had gone down recently that had soured the mood of not only Kevin and Greg, but Collin as well.

So much trauma in this world, I thought as I quietly ate and listened to the conversation.  Wine was served with the meal, but I passed – even though I really would have liked some.  However, I was pregnant and I wasn’t sure how it would be looked upon if I have even one little glass.

Once the meal was over, champagne was brought out and so the toasting began.  By then I was pretty whooped and just wanted to go to sleep.  Collin came to my rescue, however, making note of my drowsiness to Aidan who agreed it was acceptable for me to now take my leave.

Collin did me the honor of escorting me, for which I was grateful.  This meant I would not be required to watch my p’s-and-q’s.

“Detour?” he now posed, looking down on me with a warm smile.  The man had to be kidding.  “There’s a full moon tonight – it would be a shame to waste it” was his logic and that actually sounded rather tempting.

“Sure, guess so” I accepted and so his detour led us to the path which led down to the waterfall.  It was a magical night, I had to admit.  The moonlight was sparkling off the waterfall which gently spilled into an inviting pool of water.  We sat down on a bench by the water’s edge and just listened to the night.

“I’m going to miss being here” I now told Collin as I reached for his hand.

“If the Bonding comes to pass, it does” the man told me and so I looked up at him.  “Sierra – it is only as far as the talking stage.  A lot can happen – or not.  Nothing is written in stone, you know.”

“Yeah, well – if it does Eric will be happy to see me go” I grumbled.  “He says I’m next on the list” I told him but Collin had an odd look on his face.

“Eric said as much?” he queried and so I nodded.

“Yeah, he said it won’t be long now” I augmented, perplexed by his reaction and then it hit me – he hadn’t told Eric about the Bonding Proposal!  Well, maybe he had heard about it from Finney, but something told me no.

And suddenly I felt really uncomfortable under Collin’s discerning gaze.  There was no way I wanted to get in the middle between him and his Second.  Although, I was intensely curious as to how Eric had found out about the Bonding Proposal, because I was certain Eric’s comments were not purely coincidental.

“I don’t want to keep you from the others” I now tried to divert.  “You can just walk this little whale back to her room.  I’ll be ok.”

“Trying to get rid of me?” Collin asked in a low voice and so I shook my head.

“Not at all, but you were really enjoying the festivities” I pointed out and now he laughed.

“That?  All for show, my dear – I would much rather spend my time here, alone with you in the moonlight” he revealed with an inviting smile, the romantic in him shining through.  “Does that make me a bad host?  Yup – but Eric is well equipped to fill in for me.  I hate these formal affairs” was his complaint as he now loosened the collar of his jacket.  I would not have minded one bit should he take it further than that, though – and there it was again, that undeniable chemistry.  “Maybe you are right not to trust me here with you, alone” the man chuckled but then sighed.  “Why do I feel like I’ve left the school dance with my best friend’s girl?”

“Maybe because you have?” I told him and so he grunted.

“You’re right – and Aidan is my best friend” Collin admitted.  “For all we’ve been through, all we’ve done to and for each other, it goes beyond just being brothers, Sierra.”  That was an odd dissertation, since at times I was certain that each brother disdained the other more than just a tad bit.

“Tell me more about yourself, Collin” I asked him, hoping a good yarn would cheer him up – even if he was the one doing the telling.  “From the Time Before” I clarified for a trip down memory lane would probably do him some good.  “I’m sure you have a lot of great tales to tell from being in the Army” was my prod and so he shrugged in partial agreement.

“Not as exciting as the CIA tales Aidan would tell, though” he grumbled and so now I leveled him a cross look.

“I didn’t ask to hear stories about your brother” I snipped.  This made him smile though, and so he put up his hands in surrender.

“Ok, ok” the man now laughed, open and genuine, as he began to indulge me in my request.  I snuggled in closer, leaning up against him as he drew an arm around my shoulders.  Closing my eyes I listened to his pleasing voice and animated tales on into the night.

And he was right – being there under the moonlight, alone with him, was more enjoyable than being in attendance at any stuffed-shirt affair.

The headache.

Not just a headache, but rather the headache.

That’s what my Commander and friend had right then – a good ol’ head-throbber, as Collin would call it.  I well knew the look.

Sprawled out on the couch in his office the man was still as stone.  It was morning but past the time he normally would show in the mess hall for his daily coffee fix.  So therefore Eric sent me off in search of Collin.

I knew why he was asleep in his office instead of in his quarters.  Although I knew why, this still didn’t mean that I understood it.

“Commander?” I quietly called to him as I set a mug of hot coffee down on the coffee table.  To abruptly rouse Collin was to leave one’s self open to incoming.  Crouching down next to him, I gave his shoulder a gentle shake and now Collin snapped to.

“Huh? Wha?  Oh… uh, hey Brains” he yawned but then groaned, tightly shutting his eyes as he sat up.

“Got hot coffee, sir” I tempted him and now he offered a weak smile.

“You are the best, Captain.  What time is it?” he asked, reaching for the brew.

“Late enough for us to know something wasn’t right” I returned with a grin.  “So, Goldilocks is in your bed, and you are here – what’s wrong with this picture?” I asked with a straight face but Collin scowled at me in return.

“I guess I forgot to tell her that crawling into my bed is a no-no” he mumbled as he ran a hand over his face.  With an exasperated sigh he now took a sip of his coffee.  “Sierra still doesn’t seem to understand that when I’m here I have to follow orders just like everyone else” was Collin’s bitter assessment.

“And that has ever stopped you from getting what you want, following orders, just when… exactly?” I asked with all due seriousness but then a slow grinned overtook me.

“Point taken” he grunted, returning the grin.  “However, since I have previously received a royal reaming for my escapades, not to mention the fact that Sierra is the object of a Bonding Proposal…” my Commander now trailed off, running a hand across his brow and again – the headache.

“Ryan resupplied the headache powders before he left” I let him know.  “Would you like me to go get some for you, sir?” I asked but he shook his head, slowly.

“No, not unless the coffee doesn’t work.  Thanks again, Greg – you really are the best” was his not wholly unexpected laud.  He had put behind him the matter of Kevin’s and my mutiny in regards to bogarting the contents of those encrypted files.

“I will need to have that talk with Sierra, I guess” Collin now decided as he then released a weighted sigh.  “I never expected her to show up in my bed, Brains – I can tell you this much.  It took all my strength to turn and walk away – to the point it actually gave me this wonderful headache, believe it or not.”  Now I was more than just a bit interested, but not for the obvious reason.  My developing theory about Sierra, or more correctly Collin and Sierra, and the stage play that was our Post-Time world, was starting to heat up.  This was thanks to Kevin having decrypted the files he and Sierra had lifted from the old DoD database, new theories now abounded.

And my having had to pull out several teeth to get Captain Wong to fess up, or rather levying a few dire threats.  It was no wonder! I thought with immense disquiet.  However, I had assured Kevin that he needed help concealing whatever he had decrypted because I had a hunch what the files had revealed.  It was too great a burden for one man to bear.

He didn’t have to any more, though, since Collin had threatened him with court marshal over the matter, indicting me as well.  But what did Collin do once told?  He laughed it off, that’s what he did – just as he had in Pre-Time.

The Plan and its Furtherance had been no joke, however.  This horror story was one I had stumbled across in Pre-Time but could never in my wildest dreams believe would ever come to pass.  And although names weren’t named, there were two central figures around which The Furtherance, as it was known, had been carefully, and intricately, scripted.

Placing his coffee on the table, he now reached for his PDA and turned it on.  I wasn’t sure why the man bothered to check it at all.  Eric, Kevin and I fielded most everything for him, and Collin would never leave his PDA on long enough to be of any use in contacting him.

No longer inclined to talk, he now browsed his messages and then froze, holding his breath.  Staring at the screen, he finally released a sigh and then ran a hand over his face, letting it linger there longer than usual.  With a raised eyebrow I looked at him, waiting, and now he passed his PDA to me.  Reading the open message, I found it hard not to laugh.  It was a very terse and snippy taunt from Sierra sent to Collin’s private account which read, What does a girl have to do to get laid around this place?

I lost the battle not to laugh, but Collin wasn’t amused.  As he looked to me, his eyes delivered a clear message which was shut the fuck up.

And so I stuffed a sock in it as I handed him back his PDA.

“Have Kevin further restrict her access” was all I could suggest with a shrug but Collin just shook his head.

“Every time he does that it just pisses her off and so she makes me her target” Collin grumbled as he tapped away.

“You’re not dignifying that with an answer, I hope?” I put to him.  Brusquely he shook his head, though.

“Not” he assured me.  “I’ll respond later – in person.  I’m going to have Kevin shut her down, completely – at least for a while… as reprimand.  No explanation, though I’ll wager she’ll get a clue pretty darned fast.”  Turning off the device, he now stuffed it in his pocket with a sigh.  “Do me a favor, Brains – can you get me some fresh clothes?  Black, please, and kick Sierra’s cute little derrière out of my bed and my quarters while you’re at it, ok?” was his request but it was rather instead most certainly a command.

Now getting to his feet, he began to peel off clothing as headed towards the bathroom.  His office was more spacious than his quarters and had most of the same amenities.  I was surprised he hadn’t bothered to have a bed put in the adjoining sitting room.  However, Collin was a creature of habit when it came to work – he needed a place to go home to at the end of his day and sleeping in his office was an uncommon occurrence no matter how tired he would find himself to be.

“Oh, and,” he began, half turning towards me, “please see to it that corridor 15-E is a ghost town from oh-nine hundred until oh-nine thirty.  Also, if you would, instruct my Quarter Master to tidy up my quarter’s in Sierra’s wake and change the sheets on my bed.  The woman’s scent positively drives me right out of my mind so that I can’t think straight” the man muttered as he continued on his original trajectory.

“Sure thing, Commander” I said, getting to my feet to carry out his orders and pleased with the insight he had just given me.  Sierra was like an addictive substance for Collin – although with the scarcity of women being what it was, this could be said of any man these days, being hot for a living and breathing female, myself not excluded from lusting after one.  However, when Sierra and Collin got near one another, all reason would leave my friend – and the same could be said for the woman.  However, put a little distance between them?  Collin could then at least hear the voice of reason, if not always follow it.

Their interaction seemed as if driven by outside forces although I was at a loss to explain this – yet.  The Plan and its Furtherance, however, spoke of a post-apocalypse Adam and Eve, so to speak – or more along the lines of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.  Could this be Collin and Sierra?  It gave one considerable pause when adding up fact and fallacy alike.

Clocking along the corridor to Collin’s quarters, I pulled out my Palm and sent word to keep corridor 15-E clear of all traffic for the cited period of time.  I fielded a few communiqués and then read one from Kevin asking what the hell was going on now, having received order from the Commander to block Sierra’s local network access.  There was a slew of colorful expletives as our TechStaff Captain ranted on, causing me to broadly grin as I read.

Once through with business, and was now encroaching on Collin’s quarter’s, I stowed my Palm.  Sierra would still be in his bed, sleeping.  She was a late riser no matter how much prodding Collin had done – and Aidan was well, from what I had heard.  The woman slept until she was damned well ready to get up and not one second sooner.

Well – not today.

However, I had a suspicion that this practice of hers was going to come to an abrupt end.  Sierra had pushed the Commander to his limits and the tide would now swiftly turn, or so I was of a mind.

Upon entering I went straight back to the sleeping chamber and of course, she was still slumbering away.  Sitting down on the edge of Collin’s bed, I brusquely shook her shoulder.

“Sierra” I called to her and then waited.  “Get up – now” I barked since she hadn’t responded, now grabbing the covers and pulling them back in one swift movement.  She was naked as a jaybird, as that old saying went, and when Sierra awoke with a start and realized she wasn’t alone, and that her company wasn’t Collin, she quickly reclaimed the bed clothes.

“Greg!” the woman snapped.

“Captain MacNamara” I corrected.  “Now, again – get up.  Get up, get dressed and then get out” I went further and the woman leveled a glare that would have killed had it been a weapon.  “By order of Commander O’Reilly, in case you are about to argue with me.  A word of advice, Sierra – it’s unwise to test the Commander’s patience.”

“And how about yours?” the testy little thing shot back but I just kept my mouth shut.  It was a waste of effort to reason with Sierra when she was in one of her moods.  Just like Collin she was in this regard, I mused at the irony of reality.

I just sat there and waited, eyes locked with the little Latina midget.

“Would you please give me a little privacy?” she asked, more politely now and so I got up, but did not leave.  Turning my back on her I waited, listening to her grumble unpleasant remarks under hear breath as she scrambled for her clothes.  After several moments the rustling died down and so turning around I now saw he fully clothed, sitting in the middle of the bed, pouting.

“I didn’t mean to get Collin angry” she said, now sounding rather demur.  “I… I get lonely sleeping by myself” was her explanation.

“Odd, you seemed to do ok for those seven years alone in the desert prior to your discovery” I returned and so she scowled at me.  “I take your meaning, though.  No harm will come to you here, Sierra.”

“I wanted to… smell him” the woman went further, piquing my interest.  “His scent comforts me, is that so wrong?  For me to want to feel comforted?  I am pregnant, after all” was her reminder and I could only blink.  Had she forgotten just whose children she was carrying?  Collin had revealed to me that he had explained to Sierra the whole ugly tale of him and Mira and Aidan.  Was Sierra deaf?  Or had she just chosen to ignore it?  Either way, her being in Collin’s bed was verboten – by both the AFA and his brother Aidan.  Not to mention that the Order was negotiating a Bonding Proposal with the AFA which, if successful, would then make Sierra Aidan’s wife.

“Go get cleaned up, in your own quarters, and then get something to eat” I instructed her.  “You are not to come to Collin’s quarters of your own accord” I emphasized as I now waved my hand towards the door.  “After you” I said and then waited.  At first she just blinked at me but thinking better of a rebuttal she did as was told.  In a huff she made her way out of the room and to the entrance, but just as she reached for the door, it opened.  It was Collin’s Quarter Master entering with fresh bedding.

The look on Sierra’s face was precious.

“Is Collin that much of a neat freak?” the woman complained, looking over her shoulder at me.  “Please tell your Commander that I’m sorry I intruded – it won’t happen again” she grumbled and then brushing past the Quarter Master, she was gone in a flash.

“Should I ask?” Harvard ventured with a grin but I just shook my head.

“No, not a good idea” I grunted.  “The Commander hadn’t made clear enough the boundaries and limitations of her freedom” I explained.  “Collin didn’t think she’d wind up in his quarters, much less his bed.  He slept in his office last night when he found Goldilocks in his quarters” I laughed and then patted Harvey on the back in passing as he laughed, shaking his head.  “Oh, if you wouldn’t mind, can you please take some fresh clothing to Collin’s office?  He has meetings this morning, so make it black” I instructed and the man nodded in return.

“Will do, Captain.  Anything else?” he asked just in case but I only shook my head.

“No – carry on Sergeant” I returned and then made my exit.

Once out into the corridor, I made my rounds and then headed back to my office for some work.  When I arrived, there I found Kevin, sitting in a chair in front of my desk, and so offered a curious look.

“I’m steering clear of Sierra for a while” he explained, answering my unvoiced question.

“Understandable” I agreed as I sat down and then turned on my laptop.  “Something else on your mind?” I asked, suspecting there was more to his visit besides looking for a place to lay low.  Releasing an aggravated sigh, he nodded.

“Yeah – uh, don’t know how to say this so I just will” he began as he sat up, leaning forward.  “Bryan strongly suggests that we make sure Collin is guarded at all times, round the clock” was his revelation and now I paused, looking up from the laptop screen.  Well, that was a mouthful, or rather the questions that arose as a result – the first one being why we should trust Aidan’s Head of IT at all.

“Whatever his reason for suggesting such a thing” I started to say, leaning back in my chair, “Collin would never go for it – it’s a wonder that he lets Harrison escort him when he’s out running.”  It had blown us away when Collin had actually taken Aidan’s advice and adopted a Warden as his Attendant.  However, it was only when Collin when running in isolated locations that this Elite-Assassin equivalent became his shadow.

“He might listen if it comes from Eric” was his straightforward suggestion that in reality was anything but straightforward.

“And have you come up with a creative scenario to present to Colonel Jones?” I inquired but since Kevin didn’t say anything, I had my answer.  It would be up to me to get enterprising.

“Hey, you two are friends, after all” Kevin finally prodded but I could only laugh.

“Yeah, well – not in the same way Collin and Eric are” I reminded him.  “You know as well as I do that Eric would suspect he was being maneuvered.  And I’m not so certain that our Colonel Jones wouldn’t know why, either.  With all that has come to light, though, it really makes me wonder…” I began but then trailed off with a shrug.

“Yeah, he might be a Conspirator, but I don’t think so, Greg – really.  He’s low man on the totem pole when compared to Collin” was his valid reasoning, but not so valid was the fact that the Plan had not gone, well, according to plan.  Many more had died in the Cleansing than had been intended – and not just women, either.  The first years after the Apocalypse had not gone according to The Furtherance.  Not in any way, shape or form which led me to the conclusion that many of the Architects and Conspirators had perished.

But not all, I would wager – not all.

The Furtherance would just take longer to get back on track, or so was my take on things.  And if Collin was the character for whom we suspected The Furtherance had been scripted?  Then we needed to hustle out butts, post haste.  However, when dealing with a man who had an IQ which was off the charts, such as was the case with Collin?  Great care need be taken and I wasn’t keen on using our friendship in a questionable manner.

After all, if Collin was the Second Son of which the Furtherance spoke the last thing we needed was for him to make discovery of this.  Especially since we did not yet possess all the pieces to make out the bigger picture.

Besides, Kevin and I were taking a great risk talking like this, behind closed doors.

“I’m of like mind – I don’t believe that Eric is, or was, a Conspirator” I agreed.  “However, I suspect that he might be a tool of the Architects or the Conspirators.  His brown-nosing Collin might have a lot more behind it than Jonesy wanting to further his rank.”

Now we just looked at one another.

“Eric does interface with General Hastings one hell of a lot” he made mention to which I slowly nodded my head.  “It’s kind of convenient since Collin usually makes Eric field the personal appearances to AHC whenever possible.  And sure, Jonesy bitches and moans about going, but he goes at a snap of the fingers, though, instead of procrastinating or at least trying to make excuses to get out of it.”

More valid points and they kept stacking up.

“And you would know about that, how?” I asked with an accusatory look.  Kevin was the eyes and ears of our world and that he monitored everyone’s communications, no matter how sensitive, I had no doubt.  He didn’t answer, though, and so I had mine.  “Interesting” I made note and then fell to silence.  I had tons of work to do in addition to playing detective.  I supposed it was a good thing I didn’t need much more than an few hours sleep each night but after a lot of nights like that, it was beginning to wear me down.

“What’s up with corridor 15-E?” Kevin now asked me and I wasn’t sure how to answer that.  I had a hunch but that’s all it was.

“Dunno, Kevin – honestly.  I just do like I’m told” I grumbled.  Rubbing my eyes as I yawned, I now set about my work, getting up close and personal with my laptop.  “Let me think about what you told me in regards to Bryan’s… suggestion.  Although I can’t say I trust him, he is in a unique position, one where his take on The Plan and The Furtherance could be invaluable, if he is being straight with us.  After all, he’s Brotherhood to the max and Aidan thinks of the guy as a son.  His viewpoint interests me regardless being assured or not that he is on the up-and-up.”

“I agree” he said, now getting to his feet and stretching.  “I think I’ll go help Eaton with end user shit” Kevin now decided.  “It will keep me on the move, anyway, and a moving target is always harder to hit.”  To this I chuckled.  He was worried about Sierra finding him, naturally.

“She was pretty ticked off when I evicted her from Collin’s quarters” I let drop, and he did not seem the least bit surprised.  So the rumor mill had already ground that one out it was clear – someone would have seen her sneaking into the quarters of our Commander.  “What you don’t know is that Collin slept in his office after finding Goldilocks in his bed.  So, yeah – the man is not in the best of moods and he’s got a splitting headache so both Sierra and Collin you will want to avoid this morning.”

“You know, Greg, I told the girl not to tease the man,” he mumbled with a sigh, “but she doesn’t listen one byte, nosiree.  That last message she sent, I knew that was going to get her into a world of trouble.”

“Are you admitting that you read our personal communiqués, Captain Wong?” I wanted to know but again, the silence.

“You guys are all so busy watching out for Collin,” he began in a low voice, “that someone has to watch out for Sierra, you know?  You’re toying with The Assassin’s woman, in case you’ve forgotten that small detail, sir?” the guy suddenly got all formal on me.  “Make life hell for her and you can bet she’ll spill to Aidan first chance she gets of all her misadventures here.  Do you follow my drift?”  I certainly did, and understood that in trying to keep Sierra out of trouble with our Commander, he was, in essence, watching Collin’s back at the same time.  In his own way he was protecting his CO.

I needed to talk to Kevin more often about situations such as these, I decided.  He had a different angle on things than did I, or even Collin and Eric, when it came to Sierra.  This was a small detail, as Kevin had labeled it, that I understood I should never forget, since Kevin had also fallen head-over-heels for the woman.

“I most certainly do, now, Captain” I affirmed.  “Dismissed.”  And with a formal bow, Kevin then turned and left, leaving me to sit there for a long time to come.  Staring off into space I now spent the remains of the morning considering all things regarding Collin and his purported place in our world.  All things now – less, great and small alike.

I didn’t have much of an appetite that morning, and this was certainly worrying the cooks.  I had a suspicion that Collin told them to make sure I ate according to Finney’s nutrition plan or else.  His cousin’s diet for me was nutritious and appetizing, but after the rocky morning I had, with Greg kicking my butt out of Collin’s bed and quarters?  I supposed that my appetite had gotten left behind.

“Some eggs, perhaps?” Jake asked.  “An omelet?  Some extra sharp cheddar cheese came in this morning, aged to perfection” was his temping bribe and so I could not help but smile.

“As good as it sounds, I’ll just have some coffee” I requested and now the cook grew silent.  In a heartbeat he sat down across from me in the booth in the back corner of the mess hall where I was hiding with my tail tucked between my legs.

“Uh, no more coffee, miss – sorry” the cook said and I just blinked.  None of Collin’s favorite drug?  There was no way on God’s earth that they would run out of coffee beans and this I knew as fact.  Collin would have had a royal fit.  “By order of the Commander himself” was his apologetic explanation and now I was getting the picture.  First no ‘net access, now no coffee – the Commander was a coward.  He was punishing me without having to get his own hands dirty!

With a sigh of exasperation, I slumped down in my seat.

“I get it – it’s not your fault, Jake, I know” I said with a wan smile.  “Ok, I guess I better eat or else Collin will have you force feed me” I grumbled but the man didn’t comment, which meant those probably were his orders.  “An omelet sounds great – thank you” and with this he got to his feet, smiling, so with a bow he set off for the kitchen.

Once the omelet had been served, the wonderful aroma of Jake’s culinary masterpiece did encourage my appetite and so I ate it all, but that was as much as I was able.  Jake did try to tempt me with a bran muffin but I just didn’t have it in me to eat more.  I did promise him, though, that I would eat extra for lunch and so that seeming to have satisfied him, I decided it was time to leave.  However, as I went to slide out of the booth I saw Collin striding into the mess hall.  Was there time to get away unnoticed?  No, since Jake ratted me out to Collin, pointing towards the back of the dining room.

Great.

With a stride that spoke to his utter confidence, Collin now marched right up to the table, bowing in greeting before parking himself down across from me.

Not a word did he speak, however – instead just holding my eyes which made me nervous as hell.  Was he going to blast me?  Or worse yet, not say a word about my apparent faux pas?

“Good-morning, handsome” I ventured with a shy smile, trying to appeal to the lover in him, but apparently the hard case commander was in full force today.  “I’m sorry if I made trouble” I now tried the apology angle and still nothing.  Drawing in a deep breath, I decided to try once more.  “I promise to behave from now on.”

“Indeed you will” was his response, spoken in a low voice so that only I could hear him.  “Walk with me” Collin now ordered, getting to his feet to then stand there with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting.  Having no clue what he was up to, and not feeling like getting dragged into anything, I just sat there looking at him.  Then I remembered that when the need arose then Collin could play Brotherhood just as well as his brother Aidan.  With Aidan, if he had to tell me something twice, then I was in for serious trouble.

And I had the impression this was going to be the case with Collin right then; that he would bring to mind for me that he, too, was a Member of The Brotherhood and wasn’t about to take any shit from me, a lowly woman.  Lord knew they took disobedience from no one, after all, Members.

Before he would have to reiterate his command, I was on my feet, offering up the best smile I could muster.

“Where we goin’?” I asked but the man wasn’t inclined to provide an answer.  He only motioned towards the entrance of the mess hall with a slow wave of his hand.  Sighing, I nodded in acceptance and then walked out with him.  Leading me along the corridors, I had no idea where we were going – all I knew was that it was part of the base where I had not yet been.  We were in a long, curved corridor that was devoid of anyone and so feeling unsure, I took hold of Collin’s hand.  Unsure, did I say?  Afraid was more like it.  Being on base with so many AFA soldiers had been a big adjustment for me – especially given my wild imagination.

Stopping in his tracks as I squeezed his hand, Collin now looked down upon my upturned face.  The simple act of reaching out to him for comfort warmed his heart – and ten times over I could tell.  The hard case almost melted dead away – almost, but not quite.

Considering me with his intense tiger-green eyes, I could not help but think how outstanding the man looked.  Black was the perfect color for him to wear – it brought out the incredible color of his eyes, and with his coppery-blonde hair?  The man was the most handsome creature on the planet.

The next thing I knew Collin had taken my face in his hands to deliver a kiss, one which betrayed his intent.  Unable to resist the kiss, I returned it in kind as the man now proceeded to back me up against the wall of the corridor, pressing the full length of his body to mine.  Ok, Sierra – see what you started? I leveled myself harsh reproach.  It wasn’t in the act of taking his hand in mine that prompted his lustful kiss, but rather that uncalled for message I had sent him the previous night.  The one about what it would take to get laid and hadn’t Kevin warned me not to tease the tiger?

Yup – he sure had.

Had I listened?

Not on your life.

Once he came up for air, Collin kissed my neck and then spoke in my ear.

“On your knees” was his simple edict and as he pulled away from me I could only blink at him.

“Uh, hate to point this out, but this is a public place?” I began my protest but Collin wasn’t moved.

“Indeed it is” he agreed with a thoroughly wicked grin.  “Now, don’t make me repeat myself” was his only warning.

The man was out of his mind.  He couldn’t possibly be serious, but the look in his eyes said he was, and to back this up Collin now took hold of my wrist, tightly.

“Make it easy, make it hard – the choice is yours, Chiquita” the man informed me with an expectant grin and knowing that I could not escape him I did as I was told.  Reluctantly I got down on my knees, looking up at Collin, pleading with my eyes.  I had gotten the point already and so said as much.

“Ok, ok – I know I did wrong” I began.  “I get it, Collin – no need to take this any further, you know?”

“So say you” he countered and then proceeded to unbuckle his belt.  What was he going to do?  Whip me with his belt?!  Oh, no – not that, I was pregnant after all, but then it came to me his true intent as he began unbuttoning his fly.  Christ on a pony! I thought in complete dismay.  Well, that was one way to put me in my place while demeaning the hell out of me at the same time – especially should anyone happen upon us.

“Oh, c’mon, Collin – really, you can’t be serious” I laughed with awkwardness but again, he was unmoved.

“This is my answer to your inquiry from last night” he evenly returned.  “At least, this will do – for starters” he added with a malevolent grin.  Had we been somewhere private I would not have cared, since Collin was like an addictive substance.  I couldn’t stay away from him, even if I knew he was going to punish me for whatever transgressions I may have committed.  And Lord knew I had committed enough of them since I had come to stay at his base.

“Depending on your performance, I will then consider the nature of your reward” Collin let me know and the dude was serious.  If he didn’t like how I did him, then later if he decided to grant my request to get laid, then he’d make it rough, or so that was my bet.

Gaping at him, I was speechless.

“It’s unwise to tease a tiger, Sierra” Collin passed along sage advice, echoing my earlier consideration.  Advice that I now wholeheartedly wished I had followed when given me by Kevin.  “And this tiger intends to collect, whether you like it or not,” was his firm assertion, “although I dare say you will like it, if you know what’s good for you, hmm?”  Moving in more closely, Collin stroked my hair, bending over to kiss the top of my head.  He then wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, forcing my face closer to his pelvis and his open fly.  Should anyone stumble across us I would never hear the end of it!  Not to mention never be able to walk among Collin’s men without turning red as a beet.

Unable to retreat, I took in a deep breath – and although Collin’s scent had always made me feel clam, just then it wasn’t helping.  The fact of the matter was that I would throw all caution to the wind when I’d get near him, and even though I would have loved to pleasure him in private, which was what had been the objective of my lustful message of the night before, this was neither the time nor the place to get down and dirty!

Trembling with fear, I did what any self-respecting woman would do.

I broke down and cried.

Covering my face with my hands, I sobbed, unable to stop myself.

“Not here, and not like this” I pleaded, punctuated by sobs, begging Collin to listen to reason as I looked up at him.  The hard case was still there, however – arms folded across his chest as he waited.  “Please?” I implored but that didn’t help me any either.  Once again, Collin forced me in towards him, and it was clearly obvious he was immensely aroused by the whole dramatic scene, his cock was hard and erect and waiting.

“No, Collin!  Cut it out!” I balked, trying to retreat.  “What if someone sees us?!” I whined.

“Well, it will just be reaffirmation of what I have long asserted – that I indeed do have the biggest cock on this base” was his boastful assertion delivered with a wicked grin.  “However, since you have said no,” he said and then shrugged, “I guess it’s no, then, eh?” Collin decided as he now buttoned up his pants to then buckle his belt.  “Your loss, though – your reward would have been glorious ecstasy.”  I was no longer sobbing but instead gaping at the man with my jaw wide open.

Now crouching down in front of me, he dried my tears as he smiled.

“It’s my fault” Collin now went on, doing a complete turnabout.  “I have spoiled you, my dear.  Naturally, I wanted you to feel at home here, but instead I gave you free rein and that’s precipitated some issues.”

“Back up a minute here” I hissed out of indigence.  “You mean all I had to do was say no?!” I demanded in a huff and so Collin slowly nodded.

“You do have power, Sierra – even though you are fond of telling any of my men who will listen that you don’t” he explained.  The snitches!  That was all I could think, starting to see red.  “Don’t be angry with them, Chiquita” was his caution.  “I regularly question my men who have interacted with you – they are only being honest with me, as I was hoping you would, also.”  I didn’t know what to say to that, or rather about what he was implying, which I had been that I was less than forthcoming.

“Tell me how to make your stay here more… bearable” he asked of me.  “If I can do this, then perhaps you’ll stop being a tease.  I need to find a way for you to feel that you have some control over your life besides making petty trouble that distracts my men, putting them in rather uncomfortable situations.  I would hate to have to lock you up in your quarters, or send you packing off to The Order any sooner than is necessary” was his idle threat, but I certainly got his drift.

I had been acting like a spoiled brat – that’s what I had been doing.  Even Amanda didn’t get under Collin’s skin the way I did.  And why was I doing that anyway?  Because the fun-loving man I had known from my time with him out in the desert, the one with the devil-may-care grin, had pretty much vanished as soon he arrived back at his base.  Collin turned all business from that point onward, although Kevin had assured me that this was normal – especially after getting his ass reamed by AFA High Command, or so my friend had told me.  He said that the reprimand had left Collin with his tailed tucked between his legs for weeks on end.

And what do I do?  Act like a rotten little kid, testing the man’s patience at every turn.

“I’m sorry, Collin” I apologized, truly meaning it, but like that was going to repair any damage done.  “I’ve been a brat, I know that.  It’s just that I’ve… I’ve missed you” I spoke from my heart.  “I crawled in your bed last night because I wanted to be with you – and if not, at least I could pull the covers around me and breathe in your scent.  It’s better than not being with you at all” I tried to explain.

“I should have myself been more forthcoming” the man now gave back in return.  “I should have told you that, strictly speaking, you are off limits to me” was his revelation.  “I’m not authorized to have relations with you, Chiquita – I never have been, either.  By order of AFA High Command.  So, you understand my need to keep up appearances?” Collin put to me and now I was confused.

“Then what the hell was all this?” I wanted to know.  “What if I was on my knees with your cock in my mouth and one of your men just happened to come strolling along?  That would certainly not be keeping up appearances!” I snapped in anger, glowering at him.  Was he being straight with me or what?

“Oh, well – that.  I handed out an order this morning to keep this corridor free of traffic between nine and nine-thirty” was his matter-of-fact explanation and I could only blink at him.  Not thinking, I raised a hand to pound the man with my fist but he was quick to grab my wrist.

“Uh-uh – don’t start anything that you are not willing to finish” was his taunt, one with a huge smile but I was not amused.  Reclaiming my hand I now sat there pouting.  “C’mon, got something to show you.  It’s not as grand as my cock, but comes close” Collin boasted, getting to his feet.  Extending me a hand, I just looked at it but understood that I had better just play along.  I wanted to beat the living crap out of the man but naturally I was in no position to exact revenge.  Men! I thought in exasperation – or at least this man.  I never had trouble with Aidan, but then again, Collin’s brother never let me get away with anything.

Accepting his offer I let him pull me to my feet.  Once standing he then took my face in his hands to deliver the most sensual kiss that I had ever experienced.  I actually felt flush, not to mention a more than a little faint.  After the kiss had reached its conclusion, he took me by the hand and led me along, with me following like little lamb.  In a few minutes we approached a set of double doors which Collin stopped in front of, grinning from ear-to-ear.

“Close your eyes” was his command as he stood there, arms folded across his chest and rocking on his heels.  He was about as expectant as a puppy.  Here was the man I knew – the mischievous little boy who loved to have fun.  Narrowing my eyes at him I was suspect of his intentions, of course, but played along like a good girl.

Opening the doors which swung shut once we were through, I detected moisture in the air.  Another set of doors awaited us and again he guided me through but this time that hint of moisture was greatly amplified.  Collin navigated me through a narrow corridor which then opened up onto a much larger room and now the moisture hit me square in the face.

“Go on, open your eyes” he finally gave permission and I could not believe what I saw.  A pool!  And not just a play pool, either – this one was big enough for doing serious laps!  Looking up over my shoulder at him, I was certain my jaw was open.  “If you promise to behave, then you can use the pool.  Only senior officers use it and I’m sure they would not mind blocking out some time where you can have it all to your lonesome.”

“Can’t you join me?” I asked, and it was an innocent enough inquiry.  “This is way out of the main flow of traffic” was my observation.  I figured it shouldn’t be too hard for us to get together here.  Considering me, Collin looked uncertain.

“You’d want to be with me?” he inquired and here we go, I thought.  Collin the insecure just showed up on our doorstep – uninvited.  “All those teases weren’t just that?  Teases?”  It was at times like this that the man just dumbfounded the shit of me.

“Uh-uh” I said, tugging on his arm as I walked over to one of the deck chairs.  I then wasted no time shedding clothing and the look on Collin’s face went beyond precious.  “I hope I don’t offend” I apologized, suddenly self-conscious as I sat down to kick off my shoes.  I was pretty well along with my pregnancy and so felt I must have looked like a beached whale.  “Kind of tubby here, with the extra weight for the babies” I explained, biting my lip as I watched for his reaction – of which there was none.  The man was still in shock that I actually wanted to be with him – that and the fact I was doing striptease right in front of his eyes.

Having made up my mind, I peeled off the rest of my clothes and then started on his, first going to work on his belt.

“You gonna help here or make me do it all by myself?” I prodded and then he finally unfroze, taking hold of my wrist.

“No tease?” he asked yet again, letting go of my wrist, and his question pierced my heart.  Reaching up on my tip toes I took his face in my hands and pulled him down so I could kiss him, just as sensually as he had done earlier to me.  As I pressed myself up against him he drew his arms around me and damn if the man wasn’t shaking!  Just what was it with him? I wondered.

Well, he better get over it quick, I decided, since I went back to work on his clothes.

“Wait, wait, wait” he put me off and just as I was about to get pissed and say something unpleasant, he reached into his pocket.  Pulling out his PDA he turned it on and started tapping away.  Once through, he turned it off again and then set it aside.  “Had to postpone a meeting” Collin explained with a shrug, so this meant he was going to stay, much to my delight.  “Pregnant or no, Sierra, you are gorgeous – from head to toe” was his assertion as he swallowed hard.  He was warring with himself I understood, but appeared determined that the officer and gentleman in him would stick around this time if we coupled.  Only once we had made love, long ago, and that had gone so wrong.  This time I was determined that it be a beautiful memory and not an ugly one.

Tugging again at his belt, I undid it and then went to work on the fly.  The man’s cock was damn big, I had to give him that, but not as big as Aidan’s.  However, let on to him about this observation of mine?  No way – not even if I was really mad at him would I ever throw that one in his face.  Collin still had one very delicate sense of self most days and so his ego needed all the protection it could get.

Once he was free of his slacks I then went to work on his shirt, but not before giving his manhood a few delicate strokes, at which point Collin groaned, closing his eyes.  Burying his face in my neck as I worked on his shirt it wasn’t long before I had that off, too.  His body was every bit as beautiful as I remembered it.  I had only seen him naked from head to toe that one time and if I had thought him Adonis-like back then, well – I was wrong.  He was even more so now, but of course – he had been working out daily since he’d been back on base.

“Let me make it up to you, Sierra” he breathed in my ear before pulling away.  Looking down on me, in his eyes I saw pain of regret.

“There’s nothing to make up for, I thought we agreed on that once already?” I argued.  “We had just gotten off to a bad start is all.  Let’s just see if we can get it right this time, ok?” was my hopeful suggestion delivered along with a shy smile and so he nodded in agreement.

“Even if it is wrong?” he prompted and I knew where he was going.

“My body, my choice” I snipped, miffed that we should have to go down this road.  Why he kept basing the present on the past I would never understand.  Sure, he had guilt over the Miranda thing with his brother, but that was ancient history.  However, neither man seemed able, or rather instead willing, to let go of it.  “Besides, like I’ve said before, Aidan and I are not married or anything – I don’t care what your brother thinks about that either!  Until the Bonding Proposal thing gets worked out, I’m a free agent” was my determination and now Collin was trying to suppress a grin, and failing miserably.

“Well, uh… ok, then” he laughed under his breath.  “No matter, I’ll be the one paying to price should Aidan find out, but it would be worth it, dying that is.”

“Not funny, mister!” I exclaimed and then playfully punched him in the stomach.  Feigning pain, he doubled over, laughing.  “You gonna lay me or what, Commander?” I pressed and now he was really laughing, unable to stop.

“Oh, Chiquita – you are a prize!” he managed to say and that was it.  I started hitting him to get him to stop braying and now he took hold of my wrists, forcing me down to my knees as he delivered a kiss filled with urgent intent.

But no sooner had the rut begun, he forced himself to stop.  Groaning, Collin closed his eyes, hanging his head.

“Collin?” I prompted and now the man shuddered.

“You’re pregnant” he muttered.

“Uh, I’m not that pregnant!” was my curt remark and now Collin was quick to whip his head up to look at me.  “You know what I mean” I grumbled, biting my lip.

“Yeah, well – uh, shit” he sucked in his breath.  “Not here, not like this, Sierra – I’m more of a gentleman than that.  At least, I want to be.”  With this declaration I had to bite my tongue.  “Hang on” he now said and then sprang to his feet, disappearing into the locker room to then return with a big spa towel.

“Here” he said, wrapping the towel around me.  Stripping off the rest of his clothes, he then fished around in his pants pocket.  After drawing out a key card, he then gathered me up in his arms.  “Come on – if this is going to happen let’s make it more comfortable, and safer for the Unborns as well” Collin decided and then headed off towards a door near the opposite end of the pool.

Sliding the keycard through the slot, Collin opened the door and now we were in another corridor – more of a hallway, and a short one.  There was one door at the other end and one off to the side – and this is the one that Collin entered after again running through the keycard and then punching in a number on the keypad.

Once through the door it opened up into a small foyer and then gave way to a bathroom – and hey!  This was in Collin’s quarters!  Looking up at him with narrowed eyes as he whisked me down the hall from the bathroom and into his bedroom.

“And you were gonna tell me about this private back entrance just when?” I demanded and now he chuckled.

“A man has to have a few secrets, after all” was his take, burying his face in my neck to drink in deep my scent.  Now placing me down on his bed Collin wasted no time getting hot and heavy but again he abruptly stopped.  Lifting himself up and looking down at me, the pain of indecision was written across his face.

“Collin?” I prompted as I reached up a hand to touch his cheek and that was it, he now sat back, hanging his head.

“I don’t understand” the man now mumbled and like, what was there to understand?  “I get near you, touch you, and I lose all ability to reason” he now explained.

“Maybe it’s that thing called love?” I posed, trying not to sound impatient but lost that battle.  Looking up at me his face now donned a wry look.

“Lust is more like it” was his counter.  Ok, now he was being just plain ridiculous.

“Lust is how men show their love, Collin” I told him and now the man looked downright insulted.

“You don’t believe that any more than I do” was his droll argument.

“Well, if it prods your butt into doing the nasty, then it works for me” I told him while at the same time trying like hell not to sound like a bitch in heat.  “Love starts with lust, Commander – really.  Trust me on this one” I encouraged him but this only caused him to release a weighted sigh.

“I postponed an important meeting” he said and like so what?  “One which was a scheduling nightmare to get everyone together on the same page at the same time” was his explanation.  “I just put pleasure before business – and that’s something I never used to do.  Even with… even back in the Pre-Time I never did that, so you’ll have to excuse me if I’m just a bit rattled.  Just what is it about you in particular, Sierra, that makes me want to throw it all away?”  Well, that was certainly one shocking revelation.

In my heart I wanted to go back out into the desert, to be with Aidan and Collin the way it had been when we all first met.  I didn’t like being on this AFA base, which had pretty much been evidenced by my bratty behavior.  But I knew that wasn’t possible – things were what they were and I just had to make the best of it.  It could have been worse, after all – I could have been living at The Order and although I loved Aidan, his Brothers scared the bejesus out of me.

“You can always just go have your meeting, you know,” I suggested, “if that will make you feel better.  I’m not going anywhere, after all – kind of stuck on this base, being held prisoner by this good looking Commander dude, so I can’t exactly escape” I joked, trying to lighten one very heavy moment.

The man only held my eyes but didn’t respond right away – probably counting to ten since I was betting his temper had just kicked in.

“Now that would certainly make me look like a man of indecision” was his rather dry commentary about the meeting.

“Well, as Commander of this base you don’t have to explain yourself to any man” I now made a weak attempt at bolstering his ego.

“Nice try, Chiquita” he chuckled, no longer angry for now he made another quick lane change of emotions.  Running a hand over his face, he let it linger there for a moment before looking to me again.  “No matter how you slice it or dice it, Sierra – this is just plain wrong.  You’re carrying the children of my brother, for Christ’s sake!  And here we are, about ready to get it on.  Last time we got friendly bad things happened afterwards, if you’ll recall – like doing it was bad juju.  I… as much as I want to do you, I know I’ll be sick with myself afterwards.”

“Well, uh, gee… thanks, Commander” I complained and then sighing heavily, I just curled up with my head in his lap.  I knew Collin well enough by now to understand there would be no maneuvering him.  He had to do something of his own volition or not at all.

Stroking my hair, the man now released a long low breath.

“Is it because of the Miranda thing?” I decided to test the waters and risk his wrath.  I struck a chord there, or at least a note, since I could feel him stiffen.

“Yes,” was his surprisingly candid answer, “and I don’t know what to do about that, Sierra.  She… it brings back some pretty disturbing memories for me, what happened… and as much as I try not to let the past paint strokes on the canvas of the present, in this one thing it does.  Sorry – it’s not you at all, Chiquita.  I still want to bang your brains out, but…” he trailed off with a shrug and a sigh.

Hell of a time for him to decide to be both an officer and a gentleman.

Such was life – oh well.  Although, his cock sure had its own ideas, still being hard and erect.

“I could just sit here all day like this” he now said in a soft voice.  “Just to be near you, Sierra – even warring with myself to be a gentleman, still your closeness brings me comfort.  I’m not sure I’ve ever felt like this.”

Me either, I wanted to tell him.  I was also still hot and bothered, but I felt the same – I would take what I would get and if that was just lying there curled up in his lap then I would gladly accept it.

“Wanna take a nap?” he now offered and so peering up at him I nodded.  We then got under the covers and snuggled together.  Amazingly enough, Collin now seemed at peace, he felt relaxed, even if his cock was reluctant to do the same, and much to his credit he didn’t try to start anything.  His kissing my neck was the last thing I remembered before I drifted off to a wonderful slumber.

Turning off my laptop I now got to my feet, tidying my desk before I left for the day’s round of meetings.  Just as I grabbed my Palm to stow it in my pocket it chirped and so I opened the new message.  It was from Collin, instructing me to reschedule the ten o’clock project meeting.  I just looked at the screen.  That wasn’t like Collin at all, especially since many of the attendees had gone through great pains to make sure they would be on base that day – and he knew it.

Jumping to conclusions, I just knew it had to have something to do with the little female beaner.  That and the fact that he had slept in his office last night instead of his own bed.

With an exasperated sigh, I began tapping away on my Palm.  I would do as commanded and cancel the project meeting until I could reschedule it for my Commander.  Once the task was done I now had free time on my hands – in theory.  There was a slew of paperwork to process for AHC that I should work on – this would make productive use of my newly acquired free time.

However, I was feeling rather unproductive that day and figured if Collin could play hooky, then his Second was entitled to do the same.  Would I ask permission?  No.  Collin never left his damned PDA long enough for it to be a useful communications device.

Heading out of my office, I made my way towards the pool and some much looked forward to exercise.  Some laps, then lunch, and I’d be in a much better mood for the afternoon’s round of meetings.

Along the way I encountered Kevin who looked relieved – one less meeting meant more time for his duties as well.  He was one man with way more work than time available and I had to hand to him – he jockeyed the load pretty damned well.

“Hey, Eric” was his less than formal greeting, but this time I just let it slide.  “Any chance Collin will cancel other meetings for today?” he inquired but I just shrugged as I stop to talk to him.

“No idea” I grumbled.  “Have you seen Sierra?” I asked but he just shook his head, lending credence to my theory about Collin and what had uncharacteristically side-tracked the man from one very important meeting.

“Nope – I’m staying out of her way for a while” he returned and so I offered him a look of curiosity.  “You didn’t hear, huh?  Collin had me pull the plug on her ‘net access.”  Well, that was certainly good news, then.  I personally felt it unwise to let the little hacker have ‘net access in any form, inter or intra, but Collin had a big heart and could not deny her.  However, with her constant badgering of him?  Well – the man could only take so much.

“Can’t say I blame you” I laughed in regards to him comment about avoiding Sierra.  “Collin is MIA for a while, and I’m doing the same.  I’m headed to the pool and some laps, so if I don’t respond to any messages” I explained and now Kevin had an odd look on his face.  “Yes, Captain?” I prompted.

“Uh, you might want to hit the gym instead” he suggested.  “Collin is at the pool.”

“He told you where he was playing hooky?” I put to him but he just shook his head.

“No – a rare ‘net sighting, you could call it” Kevin grinned.  “The message he sent from his PDA – it came via the access point in the pool area.  Sierra is MIA as well, so – I probably don’t need to paint a picture for you.”

No, the geek certainly did not.

So much for those laps, I considered.

“No, you don’t.  Thank you, Captain – carry on” I said and then altered my trajectory.  I’d just have an early lunch and then get back to work – which is what I did, barely.

No sooner had I finished eating when the brushfires started, and so I passed most of them off to Greg.

At least Collin did not miss any subsequent meetings that day, thankfully.  He was there with bells on for the staff meeting at o’ thirteen hundred hours – however, something was wrong with the man.  It wasn’t anything one could finger with ease, but I had known Collin for the better part of my life.  Besides, it was my job to watch him, to watch out for him – I intimately knew the Commander and so was able to sense when things weren’t quite right.

After the conclusion of the staff meeting, and once all had exited the main conference room except he and me, Collin then spoke.

“Close the door, Jonesy” he instructed and so in obedience I did just that.  Sitting back down at the other end of the table, I then waited.  “Has Kevin been able to track down rumor of my brother?” my friend now made inquiry.  Aidan had gone sub-level, and for a long while now no one had had any contact with him.  Naturally Collin had asked the usual suspects, but neither Ryan nor Finney had a clue where Aidan was.  Scratch that.  Ryan might have but he wasn’t inclined to say either way – which meant he had a dammed good idea I would bet.

Collin had even interrogated Amanda, but although it was clear that Aidan hadn’t told her either, where he was going and why, the young woman had begun to show concern.  Apparently, whatever mission Collin’s brother was on, it was taking longer than he had indicated to Amanda.

“Status quo” was all I said in return, and so leaning back in his chair, Collin now folded his arms across his chest.  The man was a study in distraction, this much was apparent.

“Something is wrong, Eric – I can… feel it” he told me, glancing up.  “Aidan is in some kind of trouble and I don’t have one single blessed clue where he’s gone.”

“Is this why you canceled your ten o’clock meeting?” I could not help but ask the question, one which garnered me a rather dry look in return.

“Don’t mess with me Jonesy,” was his caution, “you know damned well that’s not why.  A minor bout of indiscretion, that was the impetus for postponement.  No, over the past week or so it’s been gaining on me, this feeling about Aidan – but you should know that.”

“Ask Aaron to go look for your brother” I dared.  “He always seemed to have a real knack for tracking down you when you and Aidan when you were both out in no man’s land” was my refresher since that had indeed been the case – almost like Aidan and Collin had tracking chips implanted into them and Aaron was tuned into their frequency.

“Antonio and his men haven’t heard rumor of Aidan, either” Collin skated right over my suggestion.  “Granted, that’s so not unusual, but something of magnitude is going on, and for no one amidst our greatly reduced populace to have heard some rumor, any rumor, even an ill wind blowing…” he trailed off and now I took his meaning.  This meant it was probably an internal Brotherhood affair, whatever was going on with his brother.

Aidan wasn’t above their Law and had been known to stretch it to the limit when necessity dictated.  However, that this might be the case at present, that perhaps he had pushed their Laws too far this time, was merely speculation.

As I was about to make a comment, my Palm chirped.  Picking it up off the conference room table, I looked at the incoming – it was from AFA High Command, for Collin.

“You might want to check your PDA” I made suggestion, giving him the chance to read the communiqué before I did.  Automatically I was forwarded a copy of every communication the Commander received, except personal ones – Kevin had set up this routing, at Collin’s own request, since Collin never left on his damned PDA.  And it wasn’t only that reality – it was also a rare occasion that he’d even open up his email when he would be working at his desk on his laptop.

Technology – an uphill battle all the way with Collin.  In this, by the day, he was becoming more and more like a true Brotherhood Member.  The Order only used technology when it benefited their Greater Cause, if not for Greater Good.  Technology, for the most part, was taboo.

“Seeing as how your device is already turned on and in hand…” was Collin’s line of reasoning, delivered along with a nod towards my Palm.  With a shrug I now opened up and decrypted the message.  I read it once, I read it twice.  There was no way to candy-coat this one, and in Collin’s present state of mind the news contained in the communiqué would set him off down one wholly undesirable path.

And these days he was in no position to call out the cavalry, either.

“Elite-General Hastings writes to inform you that the Grand Head of The Order has terminated negotiations in the Bonding Proposal between The Order’s Head of Assassins and the woman Sierra” I just voiced the words and then waited, but Collin didn’t utter a sound.  This was his way, however, of saying I told you so.

On one hand this news would bring him joy, but on the other would incite panic.  For all the less than brotherly things that Aidan had ever done to him, Collin dismiss all these in a heartbeat when his brother ran into trouble.

Not that Aidan was one to regularly allow himself to get backed into one seriously tight corner – but it had been known to happen on occasion.

“Well, now that’s just grand” my friend grumbled, running a hand over his face.  I could only blink at him in return.  “Why did this come from T.C. and not Karloff?” he wanted to know but the answer was obvious.  General Hastings was daring him to do a disappearing act, something of which Collin had been forbidden to do.  At least, in the sense that he was most certainly allowed to get lost, but wasn’t allowed to suck up AFA resources in doing so.

“It gets better” I told him, trying not to laugh for the irony of it all was amusing.  One one hand AFA High Command demanded that Collin build a stronger relationship with his brother, who was The Order’s Head of Assassins.  The other hand, however, and namely by order of Elite-General Hastings, was handcuffed to a steel pole.  “Hastings wants to see you tomorrow morning at AHC, o’ nine hundred hours without fail – and he makes crystal clear that no substitutions will be acceptable.”  With audition of this mandate his Irish temper was quick to flare.  Releasing a long, low breath, Collin now closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose.  The man was counting to ten, I knew.

“I suppose I can be accused of having abused that liberty” he conceded after having finished his count and then he dropped his hand from his face.  “Maybe he knows what happened to my brother?  Hard to call, but given the circumstances this will be one trip I’ll actually be eager to make to AFA High Command.  I’ve looked under all the stones accessible to me, but there’s no rumor to be had of Aidan.  And now this?”

“I would think you’d at least be pleased that the Bonding Proposal is a bust” I put out there and before he could find opportunity to lose his temper with me, I pressed right on.  “Your brother knows how to take care of himself, Collin.  And if its an internal Brotherhood affair, whatever it is that’s causing Aidan to be less uncommunicative than usual, I doubt its anything more than a Censure.  Aidan is too valuable for The Order for them to retire the man” I pointed out.

“Perhaps, unless he finally made his bid for Grand Head,” was his counter, “and lost.”

“If that was the case – then rumor of this at least would have reached our ears” I made my own counter.  “There’s no indication that anything of such magnitude has gone down over there.  Kevin and  Bryan are still playing cat-and-mouse with each other.  I would think that if something happened to Aidan, something that devastating, then I doubt Bryan would have the time or inclination to hunt Kevin across cyberspace.”

Collin was listening, but he wasn’t hearing me I could tell.  The man just held my eyes but didn’t say anything for several heartbeats.

“I doubt that The Order would announce, either openly or otherwise, that there had been a coup attempt” was his determination.  “Remember, they are all about the Greater Good” he reminded me and I had to agree.  They certainly were.  However, even the most clandestine of operations would leave behind a residue, as we would call it.  This residue clung to things, it was inescapable, and never went wholly unnoticed, or if it did then not for very long.

Things seemed to be, as I had made earlier assessment, status quo – except for Collin’s sixth sense when it came to his brother.  This could not be summarily dismissed, I understood.  Often there was validity in it.

“We… I didn’t do what you are thinking, Colonel” Collin now told me, switching to the topic of the hot little Latina number.  “I couldn’t – it would not have been… proper” he explained, and I understood what he meant, if not why.  After all, in Pre-Time Aidan had stolen Mira right out from under Collin’s nose – and naturally, all was fair in love and war, now wasn’t it?  “Given this latest news, it’s a good thing that Sierra and I didn’t do what we wanted to do” my friend tacked on with a shrug.

He was having second thoughts, I could tell, thinking perhaps he should have – however, if he had gotten it on with Sierra then the guilt would have eaten him alive.  At the end of the day, Collin was an honorable man, regardless, and our Commander was particularly susceptible to guilt.

“Please inform Harrison” Collin now went on.  “He’ll accompany me, obviously.”  To this I could only gape.  Was Collin purposely trying to rock the boat?  Or rather capsize it would be a more apt descriptor.  Granted, Harrison, who was his Warden Attendant while here on base, was required to shadow the Commander.  However, Collin only permitted this when he would get lost for a space, which translated to long runs out in the circumscribing desert.  Showing up at AFA High Command with this Warden in tow as his bodyguard would be thoroughly ill advised.

And so without my having to say a word, my friend got my drift.

“If AFA High Command wants me to play Brotherhood, then its about time I started to act the part of one of its Members” was his decision.  I held my tongue, however – when he was in this frame of mine there could be no reasoning with him.  “You don’t agree” he now tested and so drawing in a deep breath, I gave him my answer.

“No, I don’t – but as always, you will do what you want” was my pat answer – without an accompanying shrug this time.  He was in a dangerous mood, my friend, and when he was like this?  Who could predict what he would do.  To say that Collin had been antsy since his return would have been an understatement.  His whole objective that long, drawn out mission in the desert with his brother, one during which he made acquaintance of Sierra, was to get his tail back to base, with the woman in his custody.

And now that he had accomplished this?  Collin had lost his focus; he could not sit still to save his life.  My friend was acting like the beast whose eyes matched the color his own, a creature that was also the bestial symbol of the Chinese year into which he had been born.

The Commander was acting like a tiger, a caged one to be precise, and although he was seated, mentally he was pacing back and forth.  You could see this caginess ranging behind his intense green eyes.

“This might perhaps be the right time to introduce Aaron to my superiors” he now supposed and with this I did agree.  Collin’s sole value to AFA High Command was his connections with Members – any Members.  After all, it was an entrenched belief that The Brotherhood, if not The Order, was privy to the location of The Cup, or at the very least possessed a more fruitful trail to follow.

And when you got right down to it, Collin was related to, and chummy with, more Members than any other AFA officer.  By a wide margin, no less, since no other AFA officers kept company with any Members – that was publicly known, at any rate, but I had to wonder about this.

“He’s shown me some fantastic writings, Jonesy” Collin now spoke in a low voice, opening up about a topic he usually kept near and dear to his heart.  That of ancient writings and alternative interpretations of God’s Word – past, present and future.

“That’s great, Collin – do any aid you in recovering The Cup?” I now dared as I leaned forward across the table.  “Far be it from your lowly Second to point out this reality, but this is the one task with which you have been charged.  Find the Cup of Christ regardless the cost” I bluntly pointed out for the man whose eyes now grew a dark and deadly sea-green as a storm began brewing behind his eyes.

He held his tongue, however, and so I continued.

“What was, is and will be doesn’t matter worth a damn to Karloff and his henchmen at AHC when the topic of conversation turns to you, Commander.  You should understand this.  Delivery of The Cup of Christ – that’s all they demand from you, period.  Not theories of what happened and why and where God will now drive his children and at the behest of what.  As much as this gets your rocks off, it doesn’t do squat for AFA High Command.”  There – I had said my piece and now prepared to have Collin rip me apart.

Or not.

He was a hard call as of late, more unpredictable than ever.

“You are trying to protect me” my friend spoke in return, almost as if mulling over his own words.  “Thank you.”  Setting my jaw, I just looked at him.  Had my words sunk in, though?  Nope – not one iota.  Collin was in OCD mode – something had hijacked his obsession and he was compelled to track it down, for better or worse just like some satanic marriage of good and evil.  It was this singleness of mind which had gotten him where he was in this world – but it would also be the same which would be his undoing if he wasn’t careful about it.

“I think we both know,” Collin now went on as he leaned forward, “that it will be a cold day in Hell when I see The Cup handed over to AFA High Command – or anyone, for that matter” was his conviction.

“And, what about the rest of us?” I issued challenged.  “Those under your Command, men whose welfare is supposed to come first and foremost in your order of priorities?” I laid out for him.  “Repercussions will fall to us should you fail, or refuse to comply – but I shouldn’t need to point this out to you of all men, Commander.”

Again Collin held his tongue and in this he spoke volumes.  Duty to God before duty to his men – this is what his silence conveyed loud and clear.  And should his men make discovery of this?  Well, then they’d no longer be inclined to willingly follow him over a cliff.  The power Collin held over his men was dependent on their unwavering faith that Collin had their backs, one hundred and ten percent.  Naturally, Collin always put the welfare of his men over that of his own – this was a given, and he gave no thought to it beyond protecting those under his thumb, or in his care.

Little did they know, however, that in the same breath Collin would sacrifice them all for The Cup, to keep It safe and out of the hands of those who would dare blaspheme It.

Even if it meant the end of mankind as we knew it.  However, life was kind of funny – it would always find a way – natural or otherwise.

And it was the otherwise that had me gravely worried – that and its alleged counterpart known only as the Unspoken.

“Do you want to pack yourself or should I ask your quarter Master to handle that?” I now asked of him, picking up my Palm off the table.  Again schedules would need to be rearranged because of Collin’s absence.

“No, I’ll take care of that myself” he deferred and then releasing a weighted sigh, Collin now got to his feet.  “Thanks, Jonesy – I’ll touch base with you later” and with that he made his exit, leaving me to stare after him.

To say that the man had a load on his mind would have been an understatement.

Settling back in my chair, I now rearranged my schedule, as well as Collin’s.  I then shot a message off to Greg, apprising him of our CO’s plans, and it wasn’t long afterward that Greg sought me out.

Slipping into the conference room, he then closed the door behind him.  Taking a seat adjacent mine he didn’t speak right away.  I had a good idea what he was thinking, though.

“That was interesting,” Greg now began, “about the breakdown in negotiations” was his clarification, referring to the Bonding Proposal which had been shelved.  “Some things now make sense, however – like the way Amanda has been acting.”  To this I just raised an eyebrow.

“You mean beyond being a dutiful concerned daughter?” I asked, for the young woman certainly had been rather concerned that she had no word from Aidan.

“Well, its recently transmuted” he explained, and having more interaction with Amanda than did I, he would be able to quickly spot such changes.  “Amanda’s concerned has been transformed to anger, you could say – mixed with relief, I suppose.  And given that the Bonding Proposal has been called off?  Well, there’s impetus for relief right there.  She has openly opposed Aidan’s relationship with Sierra – however, whatever happened within The Order to bring about this recent Edict by its Grand Head?  There’s one arena right there that’s wide open to speculation, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Aidan rubbed someone the wrong way.”  To this I could only grunt a laugh.

“Yeah, well – what goes around comes around, I guess” was my cheery assessment.  The Assassin had it coming to him, and tenfold in my estimation.  But tell Collin that?  No way.  I knew the limits of my friend’s tolerance.  “What has my curiosity going is this – what conviction of Aidan’s would he have exchanged for the right to Bond with Sierra?  Greater Good or no, Aidan wants that little tart, and in the worst way.”

“Aidan could have simply disobeyed orders” Greg put forth.  “He does that – a lot, and don’t let Collin try to tell you otherwise.  Aidan colors outside the lines just as much as Collin does.  You know that Brotherhood credo – assess and choose.”  I couldn’t argue that.

“Then what did he feel about so strongly that he would disobey the Grand Head of The Order?” was my counter but Greg just shook his head.

“Aidan may have gone against the High Council for all we know” he speculated.  “The Grand Head could have just been the errand boy in delivering this Edict, eh?  One thing I do know for certain, and that is to never suppose the internal workings of The Brotherhood, much less The Order.  They have so many nuances and loopholes that I doubt even their most tenured Members know them all.  Collin’s brother has used loopholes before to get away with things, and so…” he now trailed off with a shrug.  “Maybe this time he didn’t get away with it, that’s all – even Aidan makes mistakes, Eric.”

“It still begs the question, though” I mumbled.  Whatever it was that drove Aidan to take such a calculated risk, it would have been no small thing.  “And here I was hoping we’d be rid of Sierra.”

“You can’t be serious” Greg now challenged.  “I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind having another woman around here.  We lose Sierra, Kelly goes right along with her.”

“Sierra is a detriment to Collin” was my two cents.  “Surely you can’t deny this.”

“Strictly speaking, no” was his conditional agreement.  “However, its opened his mind and heart, and I cannot say that’s a bad thing.  Collin is thinking in ways he hasn’t for a long time – and I don’t mean thinking with his dick, either.  He’s always done that, regardless” he concluded with a chuckle and his assessment was spot on.  “Our Commander is again thinking outside the box, so to speak – or more so than he has been as of late.  Now, if this is going to help him deliver where AFA High Command is concerned?  Who knows.  I think we both understand that Collin has other ideas where The Cup is concerned.”  And there I was, right back to my thoughts of Collin’s quixotic pursuit of The Cup – a mission sanctioned by AFA High Command, one which was top priority no less.

And one which thus far Collin had little to offer by way of tangible results.

All our hopes were pinned on this Cup of Christ and Its powers to extend life – and we weren’t any closer to finding It now than when the command had been given to Collin almost five years ago.  A command which also went hand-in-hand with his own Command.  A bribe, as it were, his rank of Commander-General along with giving him his own base of operations – and this was all predominantly due to nepotism.  He had his relationship with his brother Aidan to thank for that – in addition to Collin actually being a Member of The Brotherhood.

“Do you need me for anything else, Colonel?” I now heard Greg ask of me.  Apparently I had drifted away, which was truth enough.

“No – but would like your thoughts on something” I requested.  “Collin is going to pack his own gear what do you make of that?”  This got me a raised eyebrow out of Greg.  Collin’s Quarter Master almost always did his packing, unless Collin was going to get lost for a while.

“The Commander wouldn’t do a disappearing act, not now” was his answer.  “Things are too unsettled between him and General Hastings.  He’d be signing his own death warrant if he took off and became unreachable.”

“Indeed” I muttered in return, scratching my chin as I pondered this.  “He’s taking Aaron with him, so perhaps he might be taking my joke to heart” I decided.

“Which was?” Greg prodded and so now I released a long, low breath.

“I told him to send Aaron looking for Aidan – perhaps Collin intends to employ this Member as his bloodhound” I grumbled and then ran a hand over my face.  “Well, we’ll just have to gently advise him against any such madness” I said as I now got to my feet, with Greg following suit.

“Understood” was his return, meaning that he would also work on maneuvering Collin away from doing that which would be rather detrimental to him.

Would we have any success?  Impossible to guess, but if we didn’t then Collin, as well as the rest of us, would be in for a rough road ahead.

I wasn’t appropriately dressed for a visit, but then again I sincerely doubted that AFA High Command would care how I was attired, I considered with a grin.  To have me openly walk into their arms?  Well, I could be painted pink with purple polka dots and they probably wouldn’t even bat an eye.

Not that AFA High Command was anywhere I wanted to be; however, my brother had decided to show off his new pet Member to his superiors.  This I would curtail if at all possible.  We had a verbal understanding, my brother and I, that it would be a bad thing for Collin to personally present Aaron to Supreme-General Karloff.  And knowing what I now did about the man, the Member, who was godhead of the AFA?

Well, more need not be said – collusion was in the air.  it was only a matter of working out amongst whom in this post apocalyptic world was this collusion being undertaken.

Slipping my Palm back into my pocket after reading the communique, I now looked around the moonlit desert.  This access point had been out of my way, and I had almost bypassed it, figuring I would just log in when I came across the next one.  I was now glad that I had taken a slight detour since the communique I picked up from Bryan, and the information contained therein, was urgent in its nature.  My brother had gone back on his word to me – yet again.  He had agreed to sending Eric with Aaron to AFA High Command – and what had transpired to change his mind I could only guess.

Another Censure I would be courting, though, should I decide to drop in at AFA High Command.  This time, however, I was confident that I could circumvent the reprimand.  Grand Head Sokolov had commanded me not to stray once my mission for The Order had been completed – my orders were to make a bee line straight back to The Order.  Well, as luck would have it, if I followed my Master’s edict to the t, traversing a geographical bee line to The Order, then this would take me right through AFA High Command.

Semantics was a glorious thing, I now grunted to myself.  No wonder my brother had built his empire upon its foundation.  Words were how Collin made his living, after all, and more often then not were also how he got himself off the hook.

I usually wasn’t so fortunate when I made such attempts to manipulate the King’s English – unless it came to interpretation of our Laws and Ways of The Order.  That I had down to a rarefied science.

Most of the time, at any rate.

Knowing that I looked a sight, wearing field gear, obviously, and not business formal, I could only imagine how I would be received, as well as perceived, by the personnel at AFA High Command when I showed up on their doorstep.  I was confident that my appearance would not jive with my reputation, a reputation which over the years had taken on a life all its own.  To the untrained eye, I looked just like any other Joe Schmuck making his way through the bone dry desert.

And I had many dusty miles to go on horseback before I could switch over to motorized transport.  The sooner the better – my hope being to arrive at AFA High Command before my brother did, and Collin would be flying out from his base first thing in the morning.  I would have to make haste if I wanted to beat him to the draw.  Well, technically I could not head him off at the pass, so to speak – but I could be the fly in his ointment, however.

And if the Member of The Ascendancy was to die in the process?  Oh, well – it would be for the Greater Good.  This no one could dispute – at least, no one who was Order.

Tough call there, though – some of my Brothers would first need convincing of realties which were heretofore thought of as only fairy tales.

Having stood there long enough in thought, it was then that I collected my horse’s reins to mount the beast.  Once having done so I now set off at a brisk pace.  The blackness of night was slowly giving way to the realm of gray which proceeded dawn.  I wasn’t looking forward to setting free my mount in favor of a Jeep – after my Censure, sitting a horse was far less painful than riding in any vehicle.   It was general consensus among my brethren, however, that I did not feel pain.  Far from the Truth this was.  It was rather instead that I had learned mastery over pain, to treat it as a separate entity, one I could compartmentalize so that it would be possible for me to accomplish an objective.  At the end of the day, however, I licked my wounds just like every other warrior.

By the time the sun had breached the horizon, my horse had been set free and in no time I was on the road in a Jeep.  My intent was to drive right up to the main gate of AFA High Command.  Granted, I would be intercepted long before then, but no matter – the AFA wasn’t that trigger happy.  At least, not that I recalled.  Conflicts between the AFA and The Order were few and far between – avoiding conflict was another edict of our Grand Head.  An easy one to swallow for the most part, since the AFA greatly outnumbered Members of The Order.  Self-preservation was right at the top of The Order’s to do list.

Many scenarios played out in my mind as I drove along.  Logic dictated that the AFA would not incite open war by doing me harm, or by detaining me against my will.  After all, there was no declared war between our societies.  Besides, the AFA had no accurate picture of just how many Members We were, The Order.  Cloaked in secrecy, then as now, we strove to keep everyone guessing.  In all reality, however, if the AFA should decide to focus its efforts, then the world would see The Order snuffed out in short order – no pun intended.  If not but for the fact that AFA High Command supposed that We knew the resting place of the Cup of Christ.

We didn’t, however, but they understood that because of our origins, The Brotherhood, being steeped in Templar history, tradition and training, we of The Order had far better odds than they of recovering It.

And we were all laying odds that this Relic had the power to extend the lives of men.  With so few women having survived the Apocalypse it was doubtful that there was even a viable breeding population as it was – even under the best of circumstances.

Whatever stayed the AFA’s hand from eliminating us, that worked for me, I glumly considered.  As Collin was fond of saying, though – never let ‘em see you sweat.  It was downright amazing that my brother could keep his cool when things got truly dicey.  He was a man of conscience, after all – and much of  what he had done in this Time After, and to which he had agreed, went wholly against his moral fiber.

And again, as Collin would say – it was what it was.

No truer words spoken.  My brother was a man who truly understood the concept of assess and choose.

As luck would have it, I went unhindered as I drove along towards my destination – only being intercepted when I was but a few miles from the main gate of AFA High Command.  I supposed the AFA never expected any Members to come knocking on their front door.

The two MP’s who pulled me over made a good show of keeping on their game faces once they had been informed of my identity.  However, I could sense they were rather unsure, having been caught off guard, as it were.  And in more ways then one, it was clear – since it was common knowledge that assassins of The Order traveled in pairs.  Here I was, though, and quite singularly alone.

When I told them I was there to beg audience of Supreme-General Karloff, it was then that they understood something highly unusual was going down.  Otherwise if not, then they would have been alerted to keep an eye open for The Order’s Head of Assassins.

Wasting no time getting on the horn, they radioed their CO.  Within minutes two other vehicles now came on the scene and so I was politely asked to exit my vehicle.  It came to me that they had considered the possibility of my having rigged the jeep rigged with enough C4 explosive to blow AFA High Command to Kingdom Come.

Well, that was certainly not my style – but they didn’t know this, obviously.

Once enough soldiers were present to provide themselves with a false sense of security, it was then that I was subjected to the indignity of being frisked – but all I had on my person was my hunting knife.  After all, I needed no weapon to kill – two fingers of mine, or a thumb, were as lethal as any firearm.  And with one well-placed kick I could just about decapitate a man.

I decided it was a good thing they didn’t have a clue about my skill set, I thought with an inward chuckle.

Ushering me into another vehicle, I was then chauffeured the rest of the way – with four MP’s in attendance.  Not that their number was any reason for them to feel more secure; I could have off’d them all in minutes, if necessary, and walked away without nary a scratch.  However, the less they understood about me and my prowess, the better.  Only those with whom I had fought side-by-side had any notion of just how lethal a killing machine I truly was.  Collin had always maintained that I must have been born-and-bred for such a purpose – an army of one, he would call me.  The truth was, these days, now knowing what I now did, this lifelong assertion of my brother’s weighed heavily on my mind

Once on base, I was escorted to a receiving area.  There I waited, patiently, wondering how long the Supreme-General would make me wait before deigning to meet with me.  I needn’t have wondered for very long, though – within the hour I was joined by a high ranking AFA officer, just not the Supreme-General.  It was instead Collin’s own CO, Elite-General Hastings, and surprisingly enough the man had no muscle in tow.

He came to me, alone.

Upon my arrival at the base, I had no sense of my brother having yet arrived, or of his pet, Aaron.  However, they soon would be, I could feel them encroaching – and thus time was running out.

On my feet I was when the General entered, imparting upon him one very respectful bow.  A curt one I received in return, not as polite as the one I had bestowed upon him but not quite rude either.

“Head Assassin O’Reilly” the General greeted me by my title and so I would do the same in return.

“Elite-General Hastings” I reciprocated with a nod and then waited.

“To what do we owe this… visit?” was his plainly put inquiry.

“Diplomacy” was my one word reply.  I would keep short my responses when possible – it would be in the best interest of all concerned.   If only my brother could have learned the art of brevity.  Collin was long winded most all of the time – except when his head or his heart ached.  It was then and only then that he would finally shut up.

“Forgive me, Lord O’Reilly – I can’t help but take note that you don’t appear to be appropriately attired for a diplomatic mission” was the General’s quasi-sarcastic observation and what could I say?

“My brother brings to you an… offering” I now revealed one card in the hand which I held.  “A dangerous one – to you, to me” was my vague explanation.  It was Truth enough – The Ascendancy was a dangerous Arm of The Brotherhood, regardless what the official take had been on this sect.  Jesuits, the lot of them.  Promoters of the Peace and the Word, but we knew otherwise, We of The Order.

And thus the impetus, in the Time Before, for the unsanctioned eradication of every last Member of that Arm.

However, one Member of the Ascendancy had survived and all it took was one single seed to germinate into a civilization of which my Brothers and I refused to see cultivated.

A civilization one would think the AFA would fight tooth and nail to thwart, if they should know.

And by the day, with surmounting evidence, I was pretty damned certain that they knew of our fear, the key players of AFA High Command.  The question was – were they for or against the world that might come into being as a result should The Ascendancy’s Future take hold.  Here was one question of which I was desperate to have answered.

“Goodwill comes in the form of many guises, General” I now countered and then moved beyond his commentary about my appearance.  “I wish to meet with Supreme-General Karloff” I personally conveyed to this man, a man upon whom my Brothers and I had been curiously unable to dig up any dirt.

This in and of itself was rather suspect.  Everyone had dirt to sweep under the carpet – some just hid it better than others.  Those who concealed it best, naturally, were those who had the most to hide.

And this General Hastings was one who had done a stupendous job of keeping his nose clean, which meant he had been astoundingly good at covering his tracks.  There was no other explanation for it.

Therefore, just what did this high ranking AFA officer have to hide?  Another question looming large – but one at a time, Assassin O’Reilly – one day, one hour, one minute at a time I cautioned myself, inwardly reciting a much favored litany.

“General Karloff is a busy man” the General now began to make his superior’s excuses.

“Too busy to spare a moment of his time for The Order’s Head of Assassins?” I now pressed.  “Well, then – another time, perhaps” I bluffed and then bowed to the General.  “I’ll be on my way then.  Please give General Karloff my best.  Good day, Elite-General Hastings” and thus turning on my heel to leave, it was as I predicted.  I got as far as the door and then the man called out to me.

“Lord O’Reilly” he spoke, now closing the distance between us.  I did not immediately turn round to face him, however, rather instead waiting a protracted moment or two before doing so.  “The Supreme-General has a meeting at the top of the hour, with your brother and another Member – it is clear you have obtained knowledge of this, otherwise you wouldn’t have come here.

“This Member of The Ascendancy has caused quite a stir, eh?” the General put to me with a faintly taunting grin.

“It takes only one man to incite Jihad, General” I spoke in a low voice as I felt my heart rate begin to slow.  Calmer than calm I would be in the face of adversity.  It was rather easy to do, actually.  I just had to remind myself that this man did not Belong – he was an infidel and that was that.  Plain and simple.

However, in knowing this didn’t mean that I had any desire to see a religious war spring from the sands of the desert.  It would not serve Our purpose of Greater Good.  However, the preaching of The Ascendancy would do just that – incite a jihad, one which would oblige all Arms of The Brotherhood to unite, rising up to vanquish the AFA and those who would align themselves with them.

And this was not such a good thing for our combined worlds, I understood.  A fine line it was that I had to walk as Head Defender of Our Faith.  Greater Good did not often walk hand in hand with the doctrines of Our Faith I was forced to admit.

“And are you that man, Aidan O’Reilly?” the General now quietly asked of me in return.

“Quite the opposite” I assured him.  “Now, if General Karloff doesn’t have time today to see me, then I’ll be on my way.  I could ill afford to make this side trip as it was” I told him, which was Truth enough, since Grand Head Sokolov would have my ass in a sling over it.

“An unauthorized one” was his counter – but whether he had evidence to back this up I was uncertain.

Not for long, however, for after a moment I was certain that he did.  This only raised an even bigger question, though – which was whose decision had it been to check with the Grand Head of The Order regarding my social call?

“Correct” was my simplistic one word reply.  “Family” I now explained.  “My concern is also for my brother.  Collin does not have tenure with The Brotherhood.  He does not possess the knowledge he needs to understand the ramifications of his having taken up with this… Priest of The Ascendancy.”  General Hastings just looked at me with curiosity before making comment.

“You have not made an attempt to enlighten him?” was his query and this was going nowhere; an exchange of words without purpose.

“Could you tell your brother anything when he was alive?” I asked him, knowing enough about his past life to pose the question.  He and his brother had always butted heads as well, or so we had gathered from intelligence on this man.   My supposition won me a grin from the General, however.

“Point taken, and Commander O’Reilly is decidedly stubborn even under the best of circumstances” he commiserated.  It was just a family trait of ours was all.  Collin couldn’t tell me anything, either.  Stubborn, cantankerous Irishmen we both were, I considered with an inward grin.

“My brother tends to travel the higher road” I lauded Collin.  “He is a man who forms his own opinions” I told him, but held back the rest.  For right or wrong I was going to say, but reminded myself that brevity was the best measure here.

“And you?” was his bold inquisition.

“I am Order” was my equally bold response.  “Is there a point to this… banter, General?” I now pressed on, feeling as if it had been a grave mistake to come here.

“None whatsoever” he admitted.  “You are quite a bit different from what I imagined” the man told me and I wasn’t sure if this was a slam.  “You are much more personable than Commander O’Reilly purports you to be.”

A slam, then – or at least, that was my cant.  After all, it wasn’t every day that I was accused of being human.

It then came to me that the General was stalling.  For what purpose, I had no idea – my aim just then was to, well, aim for the exit and be on my way.  I was slightly troubled by the revelation that the AFA wasn’t honored by my presence and had zero interest in why I had decided to come calling.

This most likely meant that they had a lot more data on The Order than I felt comfortable with them having.  I was being treated as if I were a no account.  Now – could this have been for the purpose of misleading me?  No, I thought.  The AFA really did view The Order as noisome flies.

Just as Collin had kept asserting.

“I am sorry to disappoint – now, if you don’t mind?  I have a long journey ahead of me” I told him and so tried yet again to make my exit, and this time I did – with the General in my company, however.

“The Supreme-General said he would gladly receive you in the future should you care to make an advance appointment” he regurgitated, to which I just offered him a sidewards glance in return.  “We’ve taken the liberty of replenishing the fuel tank of your Jeep, in addition to the reserves.”  Well, I’d be sorry to inform him that I would be taking to my own two feet.  I could not discount the possibility of them rigging the vehicle with explosives.

Neither of our camps trusted the other, naturally.

I held my tongue, though, for present, as he escorted me along.  Timing was everything, as they say – and so I now saw, coming from the direction of the airfield, Collin with his pet Member in tow.  As soon as my brother spotted me there was a noticeable hitch in his step.

Having little choice, my brother now altered his trajectory to intercept us – and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.  Collin had a million and one questions perched on the tip of his own tongue but not a one could he voice, at least not given present company

“General Hastings” Collin greeted his CO, bestowing upon his master one rather formal bow.  “I wasn’t aware that my brother had scheduled a visit” was his rather taciturn remark.

“I was passing through, brother” I told Collin as I initiated an embrace with him – after all, he was Family and this was how we always greeted one another.

And it would be a display which would also drive home to both the General and Aaron that brothers we were – now as always.  Blood truly was thicker than water, after all.

Collin received me well, but not with any great degree of warmth.  After all, I was probably getting trail dust on his pristine dress grays.  All about appearance Collin was – but in this I could not fault him.  Clothes made the man; there was Truth to be had in these words – my brother with ease would outshine whoever happened to be in his company.  All eyes were drawn to him like a moths to a flame.  He was all about presentation and with intimacy knew his craft.  That charisma of his was a God given gift, no two ways about it.

And if I possessed one fifth of his charisma, then I would have already attained the coveted Station of Grand Head of The Order.

After we parted, however, I could see in his tiger-green eyes immense relief – as well as anger.  My brother I would never understand – the man had actually been worried about me during my long absence.  His indignant look, however, clearly spoke to me you could have called!  Even though I felt like laughing my ass off, now was neither the time nor the place.  I supposed I should have had a warm and fuzzy that my brother held such concern for me, but come the end he’d change his tune, of this I was positive.

Our road together through life would become rocky, nearly impassable at times, before it could again be smooth – if ever, that was.

And this consideration deeply saddened my heart.

“Elite-General Hastings, I would like to present Aaron Michael Gallagher, Ascendancy” Collin now got on with business.  Oddly enough, though, he did not recount the numerous Stations that this Member had held.  Granted, The Ascendancy had been all but eradicated, but this did not mean that Aaron’s stations would be considered null-and-void.  He was still Brotherhood regardless and his hard-won accomplishments could not be taken from him.

Unfortunately for me.

And this Member had earned quite a few entitlements, no less, during his tenure here on God’s Earth in Service to The Ascendancy.  I admired Aaron for his accomplishments – but he was Ascendancy and therefore my sworn enemy.  And although we did need help finding The Cup – the last source I would have chosen would be a Member of this Arm of The Brotherhood.

“If the General would not mind, would it be permissible to borrow my brother for a few moments?” Collin asked with the utmost politeness.  His CO gave his request some thought, and then after an appropriate pause he nodded in permission.

“Certainly” the General accepted, and now with a wave of his hand my brother motioned me to follow him.  He did not walk off all that far – just far enough to give us some space.

What they hell are you doing here? was his brusquely signed inquiry, using the sign language we had developed together growing up as children.

Miss me? I signed in return, trying not to grin. I could ask you the same, you know.

That was one battle I lost, however.  I could not help myself, I was so pleased to see him – regardless the circumstances.

Collin closely regarded me, his jaw set but otherwise not inclined to get chatty, though.

Your pet is a problem, I now signed to him, tossing out the opening volley.  You promised not to present him yourself, yet here you are, treading on dangerous ground.

Is it any less safe than the ground you’ve been treading? was his smart-ass counter.  Sierra has been worried sick about you – and I have too, if you care to know.  Did you come here to derail the introduction of Aaron to General Karloff? he now asked straight out and so I nodded.  I wasn’t about to lie to him.

I thought we had agreed that you yourself would not bring Aaron to your superiors? I somewhat sharply signed in return, again, which gave some indication the degree of my displeasure.

Well, if you hadn’t vaporized on me, Collin began but then let the thought languish.  Can you wait for me? he wanted to know, and I certainly could – but I wasn’t sure what one did while in enemy territory.  Aside from killing, that was.

If your CO will allow it, then yes, I told him and now I could see relief physically wash over him.  I, too, was relieved, by a certain degree.  I required some time with him, to try and find out where his head was these days – both of them, actually, I considered with an inward chuckle.  Sierra and her relationship with my brother weighed heavily on my mind – but not for the obvious reasons.

With a nod to seal the agreement, Collin now turned on his heel to rejoin his CO and Aaron.

“Would it be acceptable for my brother to remain here a while longer?” Collin asked the General.   “Aidan will be flying back to base with me” he told his master.  How nice of him to consult me, I considered in a black fog.  So much for my directly returning to The Order.

“Fine” General Hastings accepted and so Collin then thanked the man.  Taking his leave, bowing to the General, both Collin and Aaron, the two men then resumed their original trajectory.

“I could not help but notice that you did not bow to the Ascendancy Member” the General observed and so I just held his eyes for several heartbeats.

“What would be the purpose in bowing to a dead man?” was my rather arid response, one which had taken aback the General.  Again, to understand Brotherhood was to be Brotherhood – otherwise what was the point?  This man did not Belong – however, I was not so certain about the rest of his comrades in arms.

Just one mystery among many in this Time After.

“I won’t pretend to understand your Ways” the General got it half right.  The Ways would have  been more precise but again, I let it slide.  And it wasn’t a Way, the necessity of eradicating every last Member of The Ascendancy.

It was not now, nor had it ever been, an Action Sanctioned by the High Council of The Order.

I was done talking with this man and so in silence I allowed myself to be escorted along by the General, back to the room where I had initially begun my wait.

“I’ll have your gear brought to you” he informed me and so I nodded.  Naturally they’d search it first, but they would find nothing more than survival gear.  They wouldn’t even find a spare knife – to lose track of one’s knife was a cardinal sin, after all, so no Member dared carry a spare.  “There is public internet access in this area, should you require” the General now told me.

“Thank you” was all I said in return – and given my change of plans, I would need to at least check in.  Although, once Bryan had pinpointed the location where I had gained access to the ‘net?  Well – questions would abound, I was certain.  However, they would be relegated to the confines of the mind of our Head of IT, and in this I had his loyalty to me to thank.

After turning on my Palm and connecting, I was again indeed reminded that timing was everything.  The communication from Bryan required my immediate attention – and that of my brother was well, truth be known.  A lead concerning our combined quest I was reading in the encrypted message – one which begged action before the window of opportunity was slammed shut.  Fortunate it was, my time and place – going back to Collin’s base would be an expedient shortcut to the location where we would head to investigate this lead.

Coincidence was part of God’s world, but I had to wonder at times.  This was a most fortuitous detour I had made, regardless if it was fate or otherwise, and so I would just thank God.  For all that transpired in His World, directly or otherwise, at days’ end everything was all part of His Plan.

Settling in I waited – wondering how many hours it would take for Supreme-General Karloff and his staff to grill the Ascendancy Member.  I did not know with any certainty what was in the head of this Member, but I did know that he would never reveal anything to AFA that would compromise his agenda, one which had also been the agenda of the entire Ascendancy.

However, allies could be found in the oddest of places – and knowing that the Supreme-General of the AFA had, in the Time Before, been Legion?  Well – this gave me considerable pause.  I could only pray that Aaron did not possess the same knowledge as I, but that was a coin toss at best.

Which led me to wonder, since General Karloff had denied me an audience, perhaps then this was his way of indicating that we were on the same side.  Knowing that I was formerly CIA the Supreme-General would have to assume that I was privy to his having also been CIA, among other things.

Deciding not to waste energy on pondering such thoughts, I now began to shut down and so therefore settled in for the wait.  My mind began the process of becoming a blank slate – and perhaps this was the hardest of all Brotherhood skills to master.  To become unified with one’s surroundings, regardless the location.  It was a skill taught to Members, one and all, across the centuries, but one which had its incarnation in slavery.

During the genesis of The Brotherhood, Elite-Assassins had been bred for a singular purpose – to fight for, and in defense of, their Masters.  They otherwise weren’t expected to think beyond their trade, which was to protect and vanquish.  These lethal killing machines accompanied their Masters everywhere, were in attendance of them during business transactions both great and small alike, as well as during their leisure hours.  Round the clock protection from foes within and without, this was why Lords of The Brotherhood would purchase these deadly servants.  For these Elite-Assassins, being able to detach themselves from the influences of their worlds, both inner and outer, was an invaluable skill.  This ability was engendered into slaves not just to further their value in Service, but also in kindness to them as well.  To cage and control every aspect of the lives of these proud, fierce warriors would be to court disaster.  Without a way for the possession to calm his own heart, to come to terms with what he was and his lot in life, the lethal assassin could very well turn on his own Master.

Which had happened in ages past, in the infancy of The Brotherhood.  However, down throughout the centuries, the Bond between Master and Slave transmuted – slavery in the latter days of the Time Before did not carry the stigma it once had.  Men who had talent but who could not afford the tuition for any of the various Brotherhood Academies, these men would sell themselves into slavery – and quite willingly.

To Belong to The Brotherhood, after all, had a wealth of benefits for Members – and this was the case across the board of the many casts of The Brotherhood, from slaves to Lords and all points in-between.

This skill of going offline, as Sierra would tease of me when I’d shutdown, was still taught to this day.  Even more so now, I considered – for as lax as The Brotherhood had become towards the end of God’s World as we had known it, the opposite was now in force.  With increasing accentuation on ancient practices, those most devout, such as myself, we had brought forward to this new world all that was Brotherhood which had gone before.  And with great haste we would precipitate this.

And so from the very first day after the Apocalypse, a Reformation had begun and now here, more that eight years down the road, it was in full swing.  The Brotherhood of the Time Before did not much resemble that into which it had been transmuted in the here and now.  By the day it was becoming the Brotherhood of old, during its glory years.

Yet we had a long way to go, I considered as I felt my thoughts dissolving into the blackness of a mind devoid of all thought and the serenity of silence which accompanied it.

Three hours later, I heard the door open and so looking up from where I sat cross-legged on the floor I saw my brother and Aaron.

What they could have possibly discussed for three hours, however, had my mind, formerly a tranquil sea, now stormy with unsettling considerations.

“Ready?” my brother asked and so holding his eyes I tried to get a sense how things had gone.

Not well was the flavor I was tasting, but that was a rather generic ascertainment.  I could only hope that once we were alone that Collin would get more specific about his meeting.

Getting to my feet I nodded.  During the time that I had been meditating, for lack of a better term, my gear had been brought to me and had been placed on a chair next to the table.  Grabbing my pack I slung it over one shoulder and then I fished my Palm out of my pocket.  Turning it on, I opened up the communique from my Head of IT.  I walked up to Collin and pulled him away from Aaron, which was rather rude but oh well, and then I handed my brother the device.

Collin read the screen, slowly, carefully, and with his best poker face he handed me back the device.

“If you two would excuse me?” he said and then opening the door he motioned to the MP’s outside at which point they entered.  “Gentlemen, please see to it that these two Members don’t try to off one another?” Collin issued order and with a round of yessirs from the MP’s, my brother now took his leave, and notably left the door open as well.  He had a hunch we’d behave, but could not be certain, however – although two MP’s were no match for Aaron and me.

Standing there summing up one another, Arron and I, I held my tongue.  There was plenty I that I wanted to say, but as always and ever, discretion was the better part of valor.

“Wild goose chase?” the Ascendancy Member dared goad me but still my tongue remained silent.  I felt another bout of going offline coming on – but then again, I was fairly certain that I had been born and bred to be a Servant in this world of the Time After, and not a Lord of The Brotherhood.

The question was, servant to whom?

Hunches were all I had, but by the day bits of data would come my way and so I would just keep on building my case.

“You could finish the job begun in Pre-Time by your Brothers” Aaron continued to push my buttons, but with this prod I held my breath.  For a Member who had presumably spent all his time in no man’s land, for him to refer to the Time Before using the term which only the AFA used?  Well, reg flags went up, but that was it.  I could not be certain that he was, or wasn’t, trying to sow seeds of doubt within me.

However, each and every seed I would file away for future cultivation.

“That would destroy your relationship with your brother though, I suppose” this Member quietly laughed under his breath.  “If you were to eliminate me, eh?” was his clarification but still I had not a word to say.  “They designed you quite well, I dare say” Aaron now went one further and so now I was forced to control my breathing.  Not a single sign would I give him, one way or the other – but the path he was following was a dangerous one.  Especially given that present in the same room were those who did not Belong.

“Those crafted to serve shall never be permitted to lead” he continued his taunt as he now started to circle me.  Was this a threat?  That I would never be allowed to lead The Order to its Greater Glory as a Grand Head?

We’d just see about that.

Oddly enough, however, I found myself fighting the urge to get down on one knee.

A revelation which disturbed me to no end for I could not discern if this impulse had come from within or from without.  Down on one knee was the classic repose of Servants, most often, however, one of slaves – unless they had displeased their Masters and then two knees it was, or cases of extreme displeasure then prostrate on the ground.

Disquieted by this… encounter, such as it was, I now found disquiet of different nature settling over me.  Another reflex known to inhabit the psyche of slaves – I found myself longing for the comfort of my master, and what had me distraught was not so much the sensation, but rather for whom I was longing.

And it sure the hell wasn’t Grand Head Sokolov, this much was Truth.

I longed for the comfort of my brother’s presence.

Stopping right in front of me, Aaron now held my eyes and suddenly I, who never held fear of  any man, found myself feeling afraid.  I battled with myself, struggling to just turn off, but there was something about this Aaron, something not of this world was the most accurate way I could describe it.

And now the fear within me increased tenfold – not for myself, but rather instead for my brother.

“And the lamb lies down” Aaron spoke after a long while, words spoken for my ears alone.  Barely audible they were at that, and in all honesty I could not be certain if he had actually spoken at all.  Every ounce of strength it took to keep myself from dropping to my knees.

However, it was a battle I lost when the door opened and my brother rejoined us.  To my knees I went when Collin came to a stop in front me, being unable to thwart myself from kneeling before him.  Naturally Collin was distraught by my actions.  Slowly he lowered himself to crouch before me, grasping my shoulder as he in silence asked the question, what’s wrong with you?

Glancing up at him I was uncertain what to say, and so pressing my palm to the side of his neck, I told him, “You are my brother.”  This was all I could summon up at present, but through our contact with each other, he could feel my distress.

“No shit” was Collin’s response, muttered under his breath but clearly sounding distressed himself over the incident.  As he looked to Aaron for answers, the Ascendancy Member was unreadable as a wall of stone.  “C’mon, lets blow this popsicle stand” he now awkwardly laughed as he took me by my elbow to assist me to my feet.  Casting Aaron a distrustful side glance, I was certain that I did not want to be cooped up in a light aircraft with him for a couple of hours, but understood I had no choice.

That Member was not of this mortal world.

Rumor of this encounter would spread like wildfire, I knew, and thus understood something rather profound.  Aaron was sowing seeds of a future, one scripted by The Furtherance, a future I and others were dead set against ever coming to pass.

A future where Collin would get his wish, a wish he’d regret with all his heart having willed into being.

Collin would become King of all God’s Children who walked upon His Blessed Earth.

As if my life could not get any more bizarre, I thought to myself as I helped my brother to his feet.  Apparently the two Members did not mix it up, at least – not in the traditional sense.

However, Aidan and Aaron had gotten into something.

It being imperative that I act like nothing was wrong, or more out of the usual than was the norm, I just got about the business of getting our combined asses back to the airfield and off this base.

And pronto, before Supreme-General Karloff had a change of heart – and before my own CO changed his mind as well.

I hadn’t wanted to leave the two Members alone, but I felt it best to get permission in person from my CO to go off on another quixotic scavenger hunt with Aidan.  At this point, I was not above jonesing for brownie points with General Hastings.  A brownie point or two I may have won with my CO, but at what cost to my brother?  He was clearly distraught and I knew Aidan well enough to discern that whatever transpired between he and Aaron, my brother wasn’t the instigator.

Regardless, now was neither the time nor the place for an investigation, and so we all took our leave.  Aidan was reticent the entire flight back to my base, not partaking of any conversation.  I wasn’t up for talking, either, but it was better than sitting there stewing for the duration.  Besides, I figured that act like nothing is wrong would be a good course of action to follow just then – walking the middle line, in other words, which meant being impartial.

Once arriving back at my base, I could breathe a sigh of relief.  On the ground I was once again safe, safe from being ordered to turn tail and come right back to AFA High Command.  Now if I should be called upon for a command performance, I could just cite aircraft maintenance or scarcity of available pilots as an excuse for not snapping to and immediately obey the command.

Aaron politely took his leave once the Jeep had ushered us from the airstrip to the base entrance, leaving me there with my brother who was more silent than usual.

“We can leave tomorrow” I told him and it was now that he decided to get verbal.

“No, we leave today” he made demand and so I could only blink at him.

“C’mon, brother – a day won’t make a difference” I tried to reason with him but I knew well the look in his eye.  It was the one you never went up against and won.  Why he felt a need to get moving, now, today, was a question mark but I would let it slide.

“Use your time here well, then” I told him as I headed towards the entrance.  “I at least need to pack and eat.”

“You can eat on the way” Aidan argued as he joined me and so I stopped in my tracks, practically gawking at him.

“I do have business to which I must first attend” was my testy counter.  This won me nothing more than a dour look, however.

“You always push your work off on Jonesy and Brains” he now refreshed my memory, clearly sounding clearly out of character.

“Ok, that’s it” I growled.  “What’s got you so damned rattled?!” I wanted to know.  “I would think you’d want to stay long enough to at least spend a bit of time with Sierra.  The woman has been worried sick about you!  She doesn’t need the added stress of you popping up and then dissolving before she even gets a chance to lay eyes on you” I tried to cow him but it clearly wasn’t working.  “She is due to give birth in the not so distant future, by the way – in case in case you have forgotten whose children she carries?” and this finally snapped him out of whatever it was that had him in its grasp.

Looking off into the distance, my brother was gathering his words, I knew.

“It’s not my intent to add to her duress” Aidan now spoke in a low voice as he looked to me.  “Perhaps you are right, some rest and food would be in order – and time with Sierra, if you don’t mind.”  Ok, I was about to smack my brother upside the head.  What had I just told him?

“You have my leave” I grunted, shaking my head and having zero clue what Aaron had done to rattle my brother.

For rattled he certainly was, and this was scaring the crap out of me.

“And what happened with the Bonding Proposal?” I now got nosy, for there had been no official, or even unofficial, statement issued as to why negotiations had broken down.  “Sierra was convinced you had been killed, if you are interested” and with this my brother let down his guard, if only by a fraction.

“I didn’t mean to worry her, or you, brother” Aidan now told me, sounding downright remorseful.  “It was, unavoidable.  I gambled and I lost, Collin – can we leave it at that?”

We sure could, since in basis this is what I had predicted, if not the details.

“No worries, eh?” I tried to comfort him, drawing an arm around his shoulders and I could have sworn my brother actually released a weighted sigh when I did so.

I probably just imagined that, though.

Once inside the base, crossing through the grand cavern which was the main entrance, we spotted heading towards us the welcoming committee.  Word here got around fast, I knew, but this was record time.  There was Sierra with Kelly in attendance and Amanda as well.  In a heartbeat Amanda was rushing on out ahead of the others, flying straight into Aidan’s arms.  Receiving her with open joy he embraced my daughter.  For as smart as Amanda was, it was incredulous to think she could not see herself in me, and that I was her father and not Aidan.

Sometimes justice was long in coming, if ever at all, this I well understood.

Feeling like a fifth wheel while I watched, I folded my arms across my chest and waited.  After hugging and kissing Amanda, Aidan now turned his attention to Sierra.  Down on one knee he went as she approached him, head bowed with his left hand clenched to a fist and pressed to his chest, eyes closed.  My brother was offering up a public apology to Sierra, for having caused her stress in his absence.  Tears were brimming in the woman’s eyes and all I could think of was how nice it was to be missed – but I would never know what that felt like.

“It’s about damned time you showed up Mr. Assassin!” the diminutive pit bull attacked and I could tell that Aidan was trying very hard not to smile.  He loved this woman heaven and earth, this much I did know.  With her tears now becoming torrents, accompanied by hormonal sobs of overwhelming relief, the woman threw her arms around my brother and so he received her.  First nuzzling his face to hers Aidan then buried his face in her neck, kissing it as he drank in her scent.

That was enough reunion for me, I thought, and so I now spun about on my heel and headed for my office.  There I found, much to my dismay, Kevin.  All my officers damned well knew not to pounce on me as soon as I hit the door after returning to base.

And so what disaster was I walking headlong into now?

“Commander” Kevin said in greeting as he scrambled to his feet, even remembering to bow to me.  So this was no social call, then.

“Captain” I greeted him in return as I started taking off my jacket, after which I went to work on unbuttoning my shirt collar.

“Uh, we have a problem, Commander” my TechStaff Captain now plunged into whatever urgency had driven him to test my temper this day.  Now he had my full attention – after all, Kevin was never one to cry wolf.  “Well, problem might not be the right word, but it has the ability to turn into that, I think, after a fashion.”

“I have neither the time, nor the patience, for riddles, Captain Wong” was my stern caution.

“Understood” Kevin returned, shifting from one foot to another.  “This could just be a random thing, sir – but my gut tells me no.  Someone has been trying to ping an IP like crazy” he told me and like, so what?  “You know, every time I snag data from somewhere I’m not supposed to, I always upload it to a drop-kill server somewhere in the middle of nowhere and then I retrieve it in person at a later date.  It’s never pingable, and is always on some freaky unrelated subnet” he went on and on until he saw the glassy look in my eyes.

“Uh, oh – sorry, sir – but anyway, the drop-kill server I used when Sierra and I snagged those files from the old DoD database?  Well, that’s the IP address that is getting the hell pinged out of it, or was” the Captain now had me worried.  Sitting down in my chair I suddenly figured it might be a good idea to get off my feet.  “Now, uh – I do a DoD grade wipe of the solid state  drive after I pick up the data in person, then I lay down a new OS image and assign a new IP address.  I’ll leave the micro device humming where it is, but typically won’t use it again for a long time until I need it again.  I have a bunch of others I use so don’t often reuse one.  This was the case with the one where I had uploaded the files.  I wiped it clean, changed the IP, tested it and walked away.

“Then came the mystery pingers – from all over the place trying to ping the obsoleted IP address.  Not just on my subnets, but Matt and Bryan noticed the same on theirs, so we were all asking each other whose IP address that was” he explained, and even though they would share information, this didn’t mean that they were always completely on the up and up with one another.  Kevin had asked the same of them, playing dumb, in essence.  “Now, this makes like no sense, you know?  I mean, there’s no better way to advertise than to repeatedly ping something.  Well, not having a warm and fuzzy, I drove out there the other day, to that server, and low and behold the device was gone” he informed me.  So that was where he had ventured, with some Wardens in tow – he had asked leave of Eric who had passed along this information in one of his daily reports.

“We did it under the cover of darkness, too – in and out fast and quiet” Kevin tacked on, but this made me feel ill at ease – there was more coming.  “Needless to say the mystery pingers have disappeared” he said in conclusion.

Now we just looked at one another.  This was indeed a matter of concern.

“Have you told Colonel Jones or Captain MacNamara of this?” I inquired.

“No, sir” was his answer.  “The Wardens don’t know, either – they may have escorted me, and made sure the area was secure, but I went in alone.  And I didn’t inform them what my errand was to this location.”

“How long was it between the time you had uploaded the data and then did a wipe on the drives?” I put to him.

“Ten days” he said, and ten days was a long time.

“When you wiped the drives, was there any way you could tell if the server had been brought back up after you had… killed it?” my investigation gained speed but Kevin shook his head.

“If it had been brought back up, then someone would have disconnected the network adapter.  If they didn’t, then the box would have phoned home, sir – so to speak” he asserted.  “I gotta confess, Commander – I really did not go over the device with a fine toothed comb.  Nothing was out of the ordinary, if someone had hacked it, then the logs would have shown that.”

“Not unless they hacked it and then cleaned up the logs?” I suggested and holding his breath, he then nodded.

“That is a possibility, sir – but these little micro servers are so damned incognito that it would be a wonder anyone but their owners could find them – on the ‘net or off” he claimed.

“There is the possibility of someone literally stumbling across it, yes?” was my rather vanilla supposition.  I knew that the Captain had some damned crafty methods for concealing his equipment, but all it took was happenstance and one could be compromised.

“I think someone was purposely trying to alert me that it had been snatched” was his take on it and although it certainly seemed that way, he didn’t have enough data to make that solid.  “I’m not sure what they would find, though – after a DoD grade wipe the flash drive was toast.”

“Do you have the logs that back this up?” I asked, and so he nodded.

“Operation completed successfully, but you know me – I do it twice” he defended and of this I had no doubt.  What I did have concern over was the integrity of that server during the ten day period before Kevin could get to it, after he had uploaded the files.  Kevin never took that long to retrieve data – however, at the time circumstances had turned bleak and so his delay.

“Did Sierra know the IP address?” I now asked the question he was hoping I would not ask.  Swallowing hard, he at first looked down before again making eye contact.

“Yeah, she was watching over my shoulder when I initiated the upload, and I know the girl’s mind – she doesn’t forget stuff like that” he told me.  “She can remember a long ugly password after only looking at it for a few seconds, same with IP addresses.  But all because she saw the IP address this doesn’t mean she had a clue where the drop-kill server was physically located.”

“Would she have given that IP address to anyone?” was another question that needed asking, since we could not be one hundred and ten percent certain of Sierra, given her history.

“I would say no, but I can’t be certain, Commander” he was honest.  “She was out of your control for a while” he refreshed my memory for me.  “At that AFA outpost where we snagged the data, and also when the Blackguard snagged her.  Was she ever out of your sight when you and she were at The Order?” he put to me and so I just glared at him.  Of course I hadn’t been with her twenty-four-seven.  “I think you can see there’s really no way to know if she gave that IP address to anyone, or not.  We could be falsely accusing her, though.  Like I said, all because she had the IP doesn’t mean she had a clue where the server was.  Once that data was uploaded, the server automatically killed itself.”

“Your logs support this?” I just had to ask and now he was going to turn ugly, but thought better of it.

“Yes, Commander – they do.  I’ll have them in your inbox in no time flat for your review” Kevin told me and so I knew I needed to smooth his ruffled feathers.

“Captain, I am not questioning your security or methods” I told him.  “We just need to figure this out, is all – so forgive me if I ask rather obvious questions which should have rather obvious answers” I implored and I now slumped down lower in my chair, my mind racing.  “So, again, forgive me if I ask – could those logs have been altered?”  Setting his jaw, he gave the only answer I knew he could.

“Yes” he returned.

“And you admit that you did not go over the server with a fine toothed comb before you lobotomized it?” I pressed and so he nodded.  “So what you are saying here is that at a glance all appeared to be in order, but further analysis would have been needed to determine if that server had been brought back up after you killed it and before you arrived to retrieve its contents and then do brain surgery.  Does any of this not sound feasible?” I put to him and so slowly he shook his head.

“I just don’t have enough data either way, Commander.  I’m sorry if I’ve failed you” he now apologized but there was nothing for which to apologize.

“How many of us would have done or assumed the same?” I consoled him.  “The anonymity of that server and its location alone would have been reason enough to not even peek at the logs” I told him.  “However, there are a lot of ifs for which to be accounted, and sometimes circumstances align to then become our own undoing.  Whatever has been done, has been done.  The question is, how do we proceed knowing what we now do?”

“Give Sierra a lie detector test?” the Captain actually suggested – and he wasn’t kidding either, this much I could tell.

“You know, there could be those who would like nothing more than for suspicion to fall to her” was my supposition.  “Don’t be too eager to nail your friend to a cross.  I think Sierra has had more to worry about besides playing espionage, eh?” I tried to make light.  “Dismissed, Captain” I now sent him on his way.  I was too tired and drained to give this eerie situation any immediate consideration.

Bowing to me, Kevin now took his leave, but he wasn’t feeling any less burdened, I understood.  He would be working this from all different angles I knew, and for a the foreseeable future.

I sat there for a long while after he left, my mind a blank, pretty much, before I then set about the business of wrapping up business so I could go gallivanting out in the desert with my brother.  It would do the two of us some good, to be alone together, to reconnect, as it were.

With minimal delays I cleared my plate, pushing off everything I could on to Eric and Greg – but I did not tell them about Kevin’s revelation.  Each man would obsess over it and that wasn’t where I wanted their heads to be, so I kept it to myself.

By the following day, Aidan and I were ready to leave, and again I had to watch a teary-eyed  scene between Sierra and Aidan as she bid him fare-thee-well.  All I got out of the woman was a wave and a kiss she blew me, but I would accept them.  After all, she was just trying to keep the peace and didn’t want my brother to get jealous.

But what about me?

Well, that was another story.

Don was waiting at the airstrip, engine idling on the light craft, and per usual looking downright impatient to get airborne.  The man was a crack pilot and so typically I let his eccentricities slide.  Besides, I was too preoccupied puzzling out the mystery handed me by my TechStaff Captain.  My brother was no less preoccupied, I noticed, but by what I had no idea.

Once Don had dropped us off in the desert and had again taken to the air, Aidan and I set out on foot.  No horses, no vehicles, just our own two feet.  Silence was our traveling companion for the most part – out of necessity, but also neither of us much felt like talking.  We were heading for a truly ancient copper mine that would take several days to reach on foot.  The hike would benefit both mind and body alike – it had been a long time since had tromped around out in the desert.  Although I bitterly complained when I was required to do extended stints in the field, I complained every bit as much when I was tied to base for too long.  Wanderlust, this was the disease that Sierra had accused Aidan of having, but little did she know that I had it, too.

On the morning of the third day we had arrived at our destination.  There was a mountain stream which bubbled along providing us an opportunity to replenish our water and get refreshed.  I had taken a short tour of the area, just to get my bearings and get a sense of the place, and when I came back I saw my brother on his knees, praying.

Whatever it was that prompted Members to pray at every turn I would never know.

Aidan was by the edge of the stream, shirt off and I had to stop myself from gasping.

It was clear that he had been flogged.

Apparently, however, even though I had willed myself not to make a sound, my brain and mouth weren’t in sync just then.

The gasp found its way past my lips, regardless.

“I am not above Censure, Collin” I heard my brother say as he cast a brief glance over his shoulder.

“Could have fooled me” I grunted and then went to join him.  He was Mr. Perfect, after all, so his being flogged was one shocking revelation.  Sitting down by his side I looked at him with grave concern.  To think that my brother, The Order’s Head of Assassins, had done something to warrant Official Censure just blew my mind.  Wasn’t it enough that they had withdrawn the Proposal of Bonding between him and Sierra?

“Care to share?” I now offered, speaking the phrase I always had when I suspected my brother was greatly troubled.  A string of words I had used as far back as when we were just a couple of kids and my brother would get himself into a tight spot.

And he sure as shit was now – I knew this because I had pretty much caught him off guard.  An almost unheard of rarity.

Long he held my eyes and then Aidan actually groaned, releasing a long, low breath.

“I need you to believe me,” he slowly began, “regardless what may transpire in the future, no matter what we may each become – you will always be my brother.  No one can take that from you or me, Collin – from us.  We shared the same womb for nine months; you are my twin, my blood brother, my priority.”  Blinking at him I hadn’t a clue what to say, and even less of a clue where he was coming from with this plea – one he kept reiterating every so often.

“Then why have you always beaten the crap out of me?” was my testy retort, one for which I fully expected a slap upside the head – but no.

And if it wasn’t scary enough as it was, tears now welled up in his eyes.  The last time I had witnessed such a display had been when Mira died.

“To make you stronger” was my brother’s simple explanation, the same one he’d always give me.  “You, Collin – your life before all else,” he pledged to me but then tacked on, “although it has not seemed that way at times.  Yet you remain my priority.”  A chill suddenly visited me since my brother was now brining to mind my friend Aaron.  He also felt a need to put my life before his own.

Thus, I was beginning to get the willies big time.

“Sierra?” I now asked off the cuff – certainly she was more important to him than was I.  After all, Sierra was a precious commodity – a woman.  “Kaden?  Kiran?” I started firing off, hoping to get a reaction for surly his pending offspring meant more to him but he didn’t say a word.  Instead he closed his eyes and hung his head.  “Hey – don’t hide from me, Aidan” I growled at him.

Raising his eyes to meet my own, he now just shook his head.

“If I only had your intelligence” Aidan muttered, and why he should think that he did not possess  smarts was a point that kept me endlessly perplexed.  Not everyone could have a killer IQ like the one I possessed.  However, with such an astronomical intelligence quotient also came a cascade of perpetual challenges, and typically under the most basic of circumstances.

“Ok – I give.  What’s prompting all this bullshit?” I now less than politely prodded his tail.  “Recovering the Cup – that’s what’s most important” I refreshed his memory for him so we could get back on track.

“That’s subjective these days, depending upon point of view” was his dry counter.  “For all we’ve been through, Collin, our whole lives – it’s only just begun.”  Try as I might, I couldn’t suppress a creeping grin – it was obvious he wasn’t aware of the lyrical reference he had just made.

“Karen Carpenter?” I now put to him but there was no response.  Of course, Aidan didn’t like music, much less being familiar with the song of a long bygone era.

“Keep it up, brother” Aidan cautioned in a low voice as he now drew on his shirt.  “You’ve been treading on dangerous ground, having befriended Aaron Gallagher” was his assessment.  Getting to his feet, and painfully at that, I now followed suit to stand and face him.

“Or perhaps it is more dangerous for him?” I supposed with a flick of my hand.  “Since The Order had made a hobby of snuffing out his Brothers?  And just why is that, Aidan?  Care to shed any light?” I poked a stick at him, but in true Member fashion, Aidan didn’t say boo.  He would never answer the question, but I just kept on asking anyway, as if I could wear him down.

Which was an impossibility, of course.

“Don’t be so quick to judge, Collin – not without all the facts” my brother now gave me some sage advice with which I could not argue.  Aidan I had known my whole life, since the womb – Aaron was a relative newcomer.  Even if I did feel an unusually strong connection to my new friend, I still had only scratched the surface of who Aaron was as a being.

“Exactly” I shot back, since my brother wasn’t in possession of all the facts either.  “Aaron is looking for the Cup as well and anyone well versed in Aramaic is a welcome addition” I told my brother who now positively stiffened.

“Collin, how do you expect us to work together if you allow secrets to persist between us?” was his inquiry, one that blew me away.  Like he didn’t have any?  Plenty, he did, I knew – but not when it came to tracking down the Cup.  Aidan had been nothing but open and forthcoming in this one regard if nothing else.

“You should talk – you’re the one who got flogged” I complained.  “What prompted Dmitri to order that done?” I asked, prying.

“It was the High Council’s decision” my brother informed me as he now buttoned up his shirt.

“Dmitri could have vetoed that, though – right?” I pressed but he didn’t say a word.  Instead, he initiated an embrace, patting me firmly on the back – an gesture I did not return like in kind, given his flogging.

“I love you, Collin – don’t ever forget this” he told me and then broke our embrace.  I was speechless, naturally – if only for a moment.

“Likewise, brother – but if you don’t mind, stop scaring the shit out of me, ok?” I joked in return but Aidan just held my eyes for a several heartbeats and then he set about business.

Looking around the area as the morning sun now rose higher into the sky, I wondered what we were doing here.  It was far too unlikely a place for the Cup to be secreted away.  However, every lead, no matter how thin, we would follow to whatever conclusion.

“An old copper mine seems a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?” I now wondered aloud, mostly to myself.  It was an eerie place, this old mine with its dilapidated structures and rusted out equipment.  I wasn’t fond of dark, dank, cramped quarters – but that was exactly where Aidan was now heading.  Mumbling something less than proper under my breath I then followed in his wake.

Walking over to where our packs lay, Aidan grabbed his and drew it on.

“There’s more to this mine than just a mine” he remarked and so I had to raise an eyebrow.

“Not according to the tunnel map” I grumbled as I now snatched my own pack and slung it over my shoulders.

“The best shortcuts are seldom on any map” was his sly return, delivered along with an equally sly grin.  “I’ve been through here before and come out the other end of the mountain – alone.”  This made me wonder what had spurred him to make such a long trek – and a dangerous one at that if he had indeed been by all by his lonesome.

Without further discussion Aidan now led on into the old mine.  Well prepared we both were for this excursion into darkness – physically at any rate.  Mentally not, for me at least – although try as I might to conquer my fear of being underground, still it pecked away at me like a crow on carrion.

After an hour of scrabbling our way through the tunnels, I was sweating bullets – and not from exertion.  Sensing my discomfort, Aidan stopped and then turned to face me.

Are you going to be ok? he signed to me, and so I nodded but then wondered why was he using sign language?  Swallowing hard I held his gaze – but not for long.  In a heartbeat he did an about-face and continued to follow the tunnel.  Low level headlamps provided ample light to guide our way, but I found their dim glow to be of little comfort..

At points along the way Aidan drew out the tunnel map to confirm that he was on track.  Never taking more than a few seconds when consulting the map, my brother made sure we kept moving.

The way was not easy, nor as hard as it should have been either, which led to suspicion.  These tunnels were clearly being maintained in this Post-Time world, a consideration which gave me the chills.  What else was down here that anyone would have need to access on a regular basis?

This was a question best left unanswered I knew.  Sucking it up I concentrated on my progress and shortly thereafter Aidan stopped.  There was a pile of rubble from a roof collapse that stood in the way where the tunnels should have forked, or so it seemed at first that it was blocked.  On one side it had been cleared away so that one could circumvent it – however, this wasn’t the direction my brother took.  Instead he turned to the left to inspect a pile of rocks mixed with old timbers which rose up to the ceiling of the tunnel.

Pointing to the top, Aidan then started to make his way up the dangerous disarray of debris.  I was certain my jaw was swinging wide when he looked over his shoulder to wave me on.

C’mon, he signed in earnest before returning to the task at hand.  Once at the top he paused to slip off his pack.  Stuffing it through an impossibly narrow slit at the top of the heap, he then squirmed his way after it, between the ceiling and a piece of timber.

Naturally, he had accomplished this with nary a sound.

It would not be the same for me, I knew – because I was in sincere doubt that I would be able to get through the gap at the top.  I was of a much heavier build than Aidan.  My brother might have been taller than me, but he was lithe and wiry and nimble.

Reciting a silent prayer, I tried to find my nerve – which I did, and it was prodded in the ass by the sight of my brother’s face peeking back through the narrow gap at the top.

Don’t tell me you are afraid of heights as well as confined spaces? he now signed, goading me to follow.  Which I did, but as predicted, no where near as quietly as had Aidan.  And once I had reached the top and stuffed my pack through the gap, then my brother had to help me.  Like a cork in the neck of a bottle I felt, and when he had freed me I almost went cascading down the other side.  I certainly would have if it hadn’t been for Aidan latching on to me.

Tell me there won’t be more of that, I signed in aggravated complaint but he didn’t answer.

Great, I thought to myself as I now followed him down the backside of the ruble.  Once again on the ground, the tunnel in which we now found ourselves appeared truly aged.  If anything treaded here on a regular basis, then it would have been only rats.

However, this mine, thus far, had been curiously devoid of all noticeable life forms.  Not a single creepy crawly had I seen, and this, for some reason, struck me as not only odd, but also sent up warning flags.

The way now quickly became difficult to negotiate, but my brother was like a bee, making a beeline for his targeted location.  At points along the trek we had a repeat performance of squeezing through and around obstacles, but none quite so harrowing as had been the first.

Curiosity of where I was being led now won out over my apprehension of being underground.  This was like a treasure hunt in the dark and Aidan must have had dammed good reason for believing something was down here, something of importance to us, to our search.

After another hour or so of picking our way along, Aidan stopped.  Cocking his head to one side, I knew he was intently listening, and thus I now did the same.  Although I didn’t hear anything – Aidan did, and so now he turned off his headlamp, but not before instructing me to do the same.

With my heart pounding wildly in my chest, I now felt Aidan grab hold of my arm.  Taking my hand he now impressed into my palm his fingers as he slowly signed his message.

We wait, was what he conveyed.  Then without a sound he hunkered down, tugging on my sleeve to indicate that I need do the same.  Which I did, as quietly as I was able but was certain this wasn’t good enough for Aidan.  In Pre-Time, my brother had implored me to take the Brotherhood course of training but I had declined – again and again.  I hadn’t been up for getting my aged ass kicked, but so often in this Post-Time world I found myself wishing that I had listened to my brother.

Not a sound could I hear there in the total dark, but then there came a small tap on rock – one singular tap and then nothing more.  After several minutes of patient waiting, at least on Aidan’s part, there came another tap, one swift and short which was then followed by two longer ones.  To this Aidan responded with his own sequence of taps and so went on the exchange.  A little dramatic for my liking, but oh well – when in Rome, after all.

Now the dim glow of a headlamp could be seen and so Aidan once again took hold of my arm, coaxing my to my feet.  Curiously, he did not turn turn on his headlamp, instead just waiting for the new comer to inspect us.  Once we passed muster, the man now waved us on, and here we go again, I thought as we scrabbled through the aged tunnels which were punctuated here and there by a cool breeze.  At least we were getting air at these depths – which was a a damned good thing else wise I would have bolted long ago.  Did this make me a sissy?  You bet and I was proud of it, too – but in the face of my brother I’d dive headlong into a pit of fire just to prove to him that I was no weenie.

After an hour or so of battling the maze, our navigator now stopped near a crack in the wall – one which had previously been sealed up with brick and mortar.  Motioning us to follow, this man then squeezed through the crack, as did my brother – with ease, naturally.  Of course, I was required to struggle but at least this time I didn’t get stuck like a cork.  Thank God for small favors, I considered in aggravation.

Once within the confines of the chamber, however, my eyes beheld a wondrous sight.  We were standing within a large geode, one with crystals the color of amethysts!  It was truly a sight to behold.  Inside I spied what appeared to be an altar, a simple one hewed of stone.

The man now rummaged around in his pack to withdraw a small battery powered lantern, one which he turned on and then placed not on the altar, but rather instead beside it.  Apparently the alter was a sacred spot.

Now turning off his head lamp we could easily see his face – but he was no one I recognized.  Aidan, however, clearly knew this man and so they exchanged a heartfelt embrace.  After they parted, they partook in an exchange of sign language – so this man was of The Order, then?  It was their sign language they employed, one in which I was not fluent but could still get the gist of their conversation.

What had me wondering was why two men of The Order would have to meet so far under ground and in this sanctimonious place.

“A miracle once happened here” the man now spoke to me, in a low voice.  “It is said that the miner who breached the wall into this geode was greeted by a vision of the Virgin Mary” he explained.  “She bade him to make a hasty exit, to save his own life.  Astounded and afraid in the same instant, in obedience the man fled the geode – barely making his escape before tunnel roof collapsed not far from this place.  Every time a man dare tread here, misfortune was swift to ensue – for those less than devout, at any rate” this man now clarified and so swallowing hard I wondered if there was really any truth to his old wives tale.

“Eventually it was sealed up, the access tunnels in either direction were blocked as well” he went on.  “Being that there were no significant mineral deposits in this sector of the mine, there was no objection to cutting this place off from the rest of the world.  Each and every time a man had come here, to steal crystals, misfortune would follow him or his family.  No one openly spoke out in opposition when this place was sealed up, to then become forgotten – not even legend proved strong enough to perpetuate the tale.

“The man who had seen the Virgin Mary, on the other hand – he recorded his experience, but else wise never spoke of it.  Upon his deathbed he handed this written account to those who survived him, who then in turn passed it on to those survived by them” the Member said in conclusion – clearly having finished his tale and so?  As interesting as it was I could hardly believe that we had been dragged all the way down here to audition story hour.

“It is an interesting legend” I now spoke, and out of turn I could sense – but the clock of my patience was quickly winding down.  Remain below ground I could do for just so long – and so I would dispense with the pleasantries, as well as attempt to thwart any more storytelling.  “Perhaps we could just get down to business?” I posed but this man, this Member, only held my eyes.

Apparently I had just made one wicked faux pas.

“It is no legend” my brother now chimed in.  “The man whose presence had been blessed in visitation by the Virgin Mary was none other than his own great-grandfather” Aidan made quite clear.  “Forgive my brother’s impatience – he has yet to expunge himself of his failings; he yet retains AFA Ways” he made apology for me and so I had to bite my tongue.  What on God’s Earth had Aidan been telling his associates about me?  I was as AFA as they came.

Wasn’t I?

With a slight nod Aidan’s associate seemed to accept the apology.  Now he reached into his breast pocket to withdraw a flash drive.

My brother did the same, and so an exchange was in the offing.  What troubled me was why these Members needed to exchange data at all, much less in extreme secret.  They were playing for the same team, after all, weren’t they?

However, suddenly I was not so certain.

“You best take extra caution leaving this place” the Member now advised Aidan.  “An alternate route should be considered for egress – the desert doesn’t feel right to the east” he now made clarification.  “I cannot be one hundred percent certain that I was not followed prior to entering this mine.  No one followed me in, however – or if they did, they pursued another path.”  Well, that little tidbit didn’t exactly give me warm and fuzzy.

My brother’s only response was a single nod and now the two Members bowed to one another.  I did likewise, but my bow, out of defiance, was decidedly AFA in its fashion.

As the Member went to make his exit, he paused for a moment and then walked right up to me.  Standing my ground I braced myself – for what I was uncertain, but this man seemed to have made a decision.

“If you will allow me” he said but did not give me opportunity to respond.  I could sense that Aidan wanted to object but his silence he kept as the stranger pressed his palm to the side of my neck.  I felt nothing and was sure this man felt the same.  None he less, an odd looking I spied in his eyes, if but a fleeting one, and then it was gone.

Just like the Member.

In half a heartbeat he had turned tale, leaving Aidan and I to ourselves.

Neither my brother nor I spoke for several protracted moments and then I signed to him, What they hell was that all about?  Aidan, with a look on his face of obvious perplexity, now looked towards the opening of the geode.

Not here, not now, my brother signed in return as he now looked to me.  Let’s get out of here, he decided, but not before genuflecting at the altar and crossing himself.  Did he expect me to do the same?  I hadn’t a clue, but when in Rome, after all – or so I kept reminding myself.

Mimicking his gesture of reverence, I did the same.  Once done, Aidan then made a move to turn off the electric lantern.

We’re taking that, right? I could not stop myself from asking, sounding like the sissy of the millennium.  Without response Aidan doused the light, but I could tell he then stowed the little lantern in his pocket.  My brother – pound my ass into the sand to toughen me up he would, but in little things like this, something simple which would bring me comfort, even if it was false, he would oblige.

Again we turned on our low-wattage headlamps and thus we began our exit.  All was quiet as quiet could be.  No sight nor sound, as had been before, of any creature.  At one point I stopped, tugging on Aidan’s sleeve.

Shouldn’t we be going west? I signed to my brother who only blinked at me in return.  Or any direction other than the eastern entrance?  Aidan didn’t bother to respond, which meant he apparently didn’t trust the advice given him by his fellow Member.

The odd thing was – I did.

Taking hold of his arm I now brought him up short before he could press forward.

I don’t like the feel of this tunnel, I signed in haste and now my brother actually grinned.

This isn’t some Tolkien book, was his rather droll response and so now it was my turn to blink.

I had no clue that my brother was an expert on the writings of Tolkien.

Or that Aidan was even literate, for that matter.

With a sigh, I knew I had little choice but to trust to Aidan, who I could now sense was less than rock solid in his choice of route.  I let him lead on but once again I reached out to tug on his arm.  This time he whirled about, impatience glaring from his eyes.

Why don’t you trust him? I put to my brother, signing the words with heavy emphasis as if this could possibly demand from him an answer.

Zealot, was Aidan’s one word signed response and it took every ounce of my control to not burst out laughing.  Zealot?  All Members were zealots!  Each and every last one of them, and not least of all myself.  Now shut up and follow – closely, was his directive and so swallowing hard, that’s just what I did.  For good or bad I knew I must comply, like a faithful dog obediently accompanying its master on an errand of lunacy, into the den of one extremely pissed-off grizzly bear.

Having this image burned into my mind, we made our way through the tunnels until we finally approached the eastern entrance.  Stopping just shy of the narrow opening, we both strained to hear rumor from the world outside.  While we had been communing with the darkness beneath God’s Earth, the sun had begun its downward descent and was now riding low in the sky.  The dusk was already gathering on this side of the mountain as the sun in silence slipped behind it.

With decisiveness, Aidan now led the way and I truly could not have cared less what lay in wait for us.  Whatever was out there it would be better by far better than being trapped within the mine and its eerily vacant and silent tunnels.  A tomb is what came to mind when I considered the leering rock walls of the mine and its narrow passages, some which were all but completely blocked.

We jogged along at a steady pace, and for a considerable jaunt, until the light had all but faded from the sky.  Slowing to a stop, my brother then stood there motionless, and for a long time, just listening – and scenting the air as well.  Never before had I seen this behavior in him, although he probably always had but up until then I just never had noticed.

Not likely.  I always noted, and recalled, everything – with crystal clarity most all of the time.

“So what’s on the flash card?” I now asked, wanting to know for what we were taking such risk.  My brother only looked at me, however.

“I won’t know until I give it to Bryan” was Aidan’s flat response.  “What’s more important is from whom the information was derived” he explained as he now let his pack slip from his shoulders.  Following suit I did the same, looking around as I did so.  I did not exactly have a warm and fuzzy about our location.  The coming of night would be most welcome, I considered – if for no other reason that to give us cover.

“Yeah, about your buddy there” I began, wanting to know why his associate felt a need to lay hands on me.  My brother, however, did not respond – at least, not right away.  Taking a load off, Aidan sat down on the ground, cross-legged, naturally, like all good Members do.

“There’s a legend” he began and so now I sat down as well, ready for story hour.  Brotherhood tall tales were always entertaining, if nothing else.  “A man will come to lead Us, to unite Us – a man who is not One of Us” my brother revealed, and I could hear the capital letters in his words.  Why, however, did this suspiciously sound like the plot from a science fiction saga?  “In many circles you, Collin, are viewed as fitting this description” the man now floored me and so I could only blink.  “A man of Divine Providence” he tacked on for good measure.

“First off, strictly speaking, I am one of you” was my protest, being thoroughly perplexed by the notion that anyone could view me as part of this legend.  “I have yet to Reaffirm, but I am Brotherhood, and Order” I pointed out the blindingly obvious.

“That would be right, if you take the legend at face value” Aidan countered.  “This is a matter of great debate.  There are those who believe that the object of this legend is One of Us, but only in the sense of having Sworn.  Else wise, he is not to be counted among us earthbound mortals” was his matter-of-fact explanation and I had the impression that my brother actually Believed.

“And last I checked, I ate and slept and shit just like every other guy” I laughed with unease but it was clear my brother was not amused.

“It doesn’t matter what you think, or even what I think, for that matter” he argued.  “That man Believes that his ancestor was Blessed by a Visitation from the Virgin Mary.  Thus, he is of the mind that he and his kin have been given the power to divine, well – the divine.  He was looking to rule you in or out of the legend” was his simple statement.

“And?” I prompted, morbidly fascinated by all this bunk, not to mention appalled by the notion that I might be the object of said legend.  However, in my gut I had a sick feeling which began to well up.  Now lending thought to my new friend and associate, Aaron, in particular his behavior towards me and what I had felt when he had laid hands on my person?  Well, some things were best left not pondered, after all.  It was clear as day that Aidan, at least, had been trying to move Heaven and Earth to get me to resign my commission the AFA so that I could, in turn, Reaffirm my Oath to The Order.  Did this mean that he believed this legend?  Or did he perhaps want to perpetuate it?  Or even possibly head it off?

When taking into consideration my brother, it was impossible to tell.  He would seal himself up as tight as a clam at ebb tide.

“We’ll probably never know” was his arid response.  “It was a condition of the information exchange” he explained, as if this was nothing unusual, just a matter of course when transacting business.

As far as I was concerned, they were all delusional, in The Order.  And Aidan had accused this man of being a zealot?  People in glass houses, after all.

In silence we sat there, taking some refreshment in the still of the desert night.  The moon was still hiding behind the horizon thus the night was blacker than black – assassin black, to be concise.  Not to worry, however – Aidan was like a cat, I swore.  The man could see in the dark, and without night vision glasses.  I wasn’t so bad either, but certainly I was no assassin extraordinaire.

Suddenly a chill took me as the hairs on the back of my neck now stood on end.  It was then I sensed that Aidan had turned to stone, auditioning the chorus of sounds in the night and the danger they might portend.

And apparently, it was a song not to his liking.

Nor mine, I thought with discord as I now grabbed my pack to pull out my night vision glasses.  So that Member had been right, at least, on the count about there being trouble to the east.

As I was about to pull on my goggles Aidan raised a hand to stop me.  Then taking my hand he signed a message into my palm – Trust to me, he conveyed but I could only shake my head in refusal.  I could not see in the dark!  Well, that wasn’t quite right.  I could, just not nearly as well as my brother.

Deferring to Aidan, however, I stuffed the night vision glasses back into my pack which I then drew on my shoulders.  I had no reason to doubt him, after all – he’d gotten my ass out of tight places in the past, and so had no cause to think any different this time around.

If not but for the sinking feeling in my gut.

Once up and away into the blackness, Aidan had firm hold on my left arm to guide me.  Together as a pair we fled.  He who runs away lives to fight another day, I considered with an inward laugh.  There was no more sage advice in our world than this.

My brother tried every trick he knew to put off those who would pursue us.  To me it felt as if they were only playing us – that they were holding back, waiting for something.

The moon! I now realized.  A fingernail moon would soon be on the rise, shedding upon us just enough light to aid those in our pursuit.

At points here and there Aidan would pause, standing there straining to hear.  Once deciphering the noises of the night, he would again take up his path of flight.  Even I did not need the super-spook senses of my brother to understand that confrontation was soon to be at hand.  By the time our luck was up and the action had begun, Aidan had at least bought us the advantage of higher ground as the moon now finally breached the horizon.

Once we were able to see our assailants, it was clear that we were gravely outnumbered.

Don’t kill any of them! Aidan in earnest signed to me, but I was afforded no time to ask him why the hell not?  Hurriedly dropping our packs we then took up a defensive position, standing back-to-back as they now closed in around us.  All dressed in black they were, typical ninja-wear, I laughed to myself as the fray intensified.

In defending against them, I was surprised they packed as much punch as they did.  They were rather short for assassins, and as the fight progressed I was distressed to note that Aidan was their  primary target.  It appeared as if this time luck had abandoned us en totale.  Many times before in the midst of bleak circumstances we would manage, somehow, to prevail, at the very least getting away with our asses intact.  However, these ninjas were hell bent on terminating Aidan, or at the very least incapacitating the hell out of him.

Just when it appeared that all hope appeared lost, then another shadow on the scene – someone who came in on our side.  In all the confusion I had not been aware of the presence of the other – Aaron!  Now I could distinguish that familiar feeling of his being close at hand.  Unbelievable but true it was Aaron who interjected himself into the melee, going to work to help save our sorry asses.

Watching the two Members go to work, it was then I realized why Aidan had always valued working with a partner, and missed it when he was required to go it solo.  The two Elite-Assassins made short work of the others, discouraging them to the point that they disengaged and then melted away into the night.  The engagement was long enough, though, to have put my brother in one very alarming state.  Dropping to his knees, Aidan went down now, clutching his ribs and to my alarm I could hear, even from a distance, how raspy was his breathing.  Both Aaron and I rush to his aid.  I reached my brother first, drawing an arm around his shoulders and now alarm turned into full-blown panic.

Aidan was shaking, and uncontrollably at that.

When Aaron stepped in to offer assistance, my brother found control enough to raise up his head, becoming tense, and with God as my witness I swore I had never before heard my brother growl at another man.  Which was exactly what he did when Aaron crouched down in front of him.  Making an attempt to scramble to his feet, one which failed, miserably, Aidan was at least able to place himself between me and Aaron.  He was protecting me, I understood, but the why of it eluded me.  Aaron had saved our collective butts!

“Brother, please” I quietly implored, distressed that it now became necessary for me to support him so he would not keel over, and even more so because his coughing was bringing up blood.  And not just a little – it was a lot.  Aaron remained where he was, crouching on the ground, and it was then that I noticed that Aaron was not the least bit winded.  Not one iota, but how could this be after such exertion?  The man was calm and quiet, evenly breathing, almost meditative in his demeanor.

I was afforded no time to give this further consideration, however, because Aidan could no longer hold his own and so down he went to lay on the ground.  As I eased his descent and it was then that I realized that a rib must have punctured one of his lungs.  With wild panic now taking me, I looked to Aaron and waived him over, and this time Aidan had no energy to resist.

“How did you know?” I asked Aaron who only shrugged.

“I could sense impending danger” was his simply put explanation.  “You were at risk.”  And hadn’t Aaron warned me against setting off into nowhere with only my brother?

He sure had – the question was, who at my base did he bribe to get transportation?  A question for later, lots of them, to be exact – but right then my concern was my brother.

Shaking and cold, my brother was going into shock and I understood there was no way to get him medical attention in time to save his life.  I could feel his lifeforce draining out of him.

Looking to Aaron, I pleaded with my eyes for him to help when there was none to be had.

“I can save your brother” he now spoke in a low voice, although I had no idea how he intended to pull that off.  However, Aidan now became distraught, using the last of his strength raise his head, glaring at Aaron.

“Lay… one… single finger… on me…” Aidan struggled and that was it, out he went, drawn in by the undertow of unconsciousness from blood loss.

“Can you help?” I beseeched Aaron.

“Not without his permission” was his curious response.  “You can help him though, Collin – you have the power within you to save your brother” he asserted and I swore that my jaw must have been hanging open.  “Here – turn him over, onto this back” he now instructed, helping me to do so.  Now opening Aidan’s shirt, Aaron grabbed my wrist and placed my palm to Aidan’s chest and then let go.  “Believe” Aaron commanded of me and was he crazy?  Probably, and I was too, since by that point I would have tried anything no matter how insane.  “Pray” he instructed but how could I pray when my heart was bursting?  I could not lose my brother!  With tears coursing down my cheeks I closed my eyes and did as he bade, but I remembered nothing else.

Apparently I was pulled under by the same riptide which had Aidan in its grasp as blackness now swept me away as well.

Two Members, both dead to the world – but at least not dead.

Although I would have had no love loss should the brother have died.  Aidan was going to be a thorn in my side as long as we both walked God’s Earth.  However, I had come to understand that Collin could not live without his brother Aidan.  A disturbing and distressing reality – but a reality none the less.

Watching them both as they slept, I threw another log onto the fire.  I had no fear that those who had accosted the brothers would return.  That they should seek to keep their identities intact was an imperative and the sun was soon to break the new day.  Turing up my collar to ward off the chill, I released a weighted sigh.  I had no idea what interrogation I would be facing from Collin once he awoke to find his brother none the worse for the wear.  Oh, granted – Aidan had the living daylights kicked out of him, and would need downtime to recover.  However, the lung punctured by one of his ribs had been healed and so he would at least not drown in his own blood.

Too bad, I thought.

Suddenly Collin began to stir, groaning.  He would feel like he had a hangover, but like his brother, he too would be no worse for the wear.

Except that he’d be a basket case, I considered with an inward laugh.  Believe in the fantastic he would – unless he himself was to be party to it, and then, of course, he’d balk all the way.

Or so history had told such a story.

Grabbing my canteen I now went over to Collin to kneel by his side, offering him some water.

“Water?” I prompted as he opened his eyes, trying to focus them on my face.  Sitting up far too quickly, he winced and so I took a hold of his arm to help steady him.

“Aidan?” he now asked, brusquely brushing me off so he could go to this brother who was still out like a light.  Stroking his brother’s hair, Collin now shed tears as he leaned over to kiss his brother’s forehead.  “He’s ok?” my friend now inquired of me and so I just shrugged.

“He will be fine” was my simple statement.  “Thanks to you” I then tacked on. Lest Collin should forget that he was his brother’s savior, and now Collin lent me a look of suspicion.

“I guess his injuries weren’t as bad as I thought” he mumbled, giving his attention back to his brother.  I would not push the issue – he would either believe or not, and on his own terms.  “I was too close to the situation, Aidan being my brother and all – that’s why I panicked, I guess.  Why didn’t Aidan want you to touch him?” was his now discerning question, one asked as he cast a look over his should at me.

“Ascendancy” was all I offered in return.

“Brotherhood above All” he quoted Law and what could I say?  He’d have to get his answers from Aidan and not me.  I had offered to heal Aidan, after all.

Bowing his head he now pinched the bridge of his nose.  With eyes shut tight he remained there for several moments.

“Who were they?” Collin now asked in a low voice, again stroking his brother’s hair, absently, it seemed.  “Aidan said not to kill any of them” he now filled me me in.

“This was your first encounter with Members of The Way?” I asked him and now he looked up at me.  He got it, then – women were too rare to kill, even when they were hell bound on doing the same to others.

Now getting to his feet, Collin turned up his collar and then stalked off several paces.

“Thank you for coming to our rescue” he said, turning round to face me as he drew his PDA out of his pocket.  After powering it up he then began tapping away.  “There’s an access point a few miles away” Collin said with a sigh after several moments of tapping – one mile or a hundred he did not want to leave his brother there with me.  For fear of what would happen should Aidan and I get into it once Aidan awoke.

“My vehicle is not all that far from here” I told him and so he just blinked at me.  Did he think that I had just popped up out of nowhere?  Perhaps he did, at least by the look on his face which spoke that he had considered this much.  “I think between the two of us, we can get get your brother that far.  We can then drive to the access point and you can call for an airlift out of here” I proposed and so he nodded his head in agreement.

Stuffing his PDA back in his pocket, he now went back over to his brother to try and rouse the slumbering assassin.

“Aidan?  C’mon – wake up, brother, time to go” he urged, gently shaking his brother.  With no response, Collin tried again, with a little more force, and now Aidan snapped to in a panic.  “Calm, Aidan – be calm” he commanded his brother.  “You’re ok, I’m ok” he assured Aidan, restraining him until he settled, which wasn’t long once Collin pressed his palm to the side of his brother’s neck.  His touch alone had the ability to quiet one’s soul – an ability he didn’t even realize he possessed.

With fire now smoldering in his eyes, Aidan held my gaze, but it was clear he was weak.  He may have been ready for a fight, in his mind, but his body was not clearly not on the same page.

Then, alarmingly, Collin’s brother began to shiver.  Alarming for Collin at least.  Drawing Aidan into his embrace he sought to comfort the lethal assassin.

“Aaron’s vehicle is nearby, we need to get there” he said.  “Are you up for getting mobile?” he asked and so Aidan weakly nodded.  With some effort Collin aided his brother in getting to his feet, but it was clear that Aidan wasn’t going to be standing on his own.

And he would need more help than just that of his brother to get down off the mesa and through the maze of boulders and tangled scrub to reach the vehicle.  However, I was certain Aidan would bolt should I try to lay hand on him.

This meant he had a fair idea of who I was, or might be.

I’d let him go on guessing, though.

While Collin got his brother used to his feet, I hastily extinguished the fire and made ready to depart.  Shouldering my pack, I then grabbed those of my comrades.

“Can you stand on your own?” Collin asked Aidan, who thought about it a moment and then shook his head.  I now approached and Aidan in seeing this thus he stiffened, and I could sense that his heart rate increased – exponentially, no less.  The man was truly in fear of me – afraid I would abscond his brother, I was of a mind.  The Elite-Assassin was in protect mode – this much was obvious.  But then again, hadn’t he been bred for just such a purpose?

“Aidan – I need to get my pack on, Aaron will support you” he made decision with strength of voice.  “Don’t bolt” Collin commanded his brother, and why not?  Aidan was his to command, even if he didn’t know it.  “This Member of The Ascendancy promises to do you no harm” he lied to Aidan, but that was ok – I hadn’t agreed to this, but it was understood if I wanted to continue a relationship with Collin then I need to tread lightly where Collin’s brother was concerned.  Aidan did not agree or disagree, but when Collin shifted him to me, Aidan did not resist – even though he was wary.

Once Collin had his pack on I handed Aidan off to him, and I could feel the relief from Aidan when I did so.

“One step at a time” Collin told his brother as he now slipped and arm around his waist.  However, this wasn’t good enough – Aidan was just too weak.  Taking up position on the other side of Aidan, I waited.  “Aidan, let Aaron help you – and that is a fucking order!” and this appeared to amuse his brother who was actually able to offer up a weak smile along with a nod of acceptance.

Aidan truly had little fight left in him – the man had gotten worked over with technical precision,  the most damage inflicted with as little blood as possible.  The hallmark of an attack executed by Members.

It took us a while to get Aidan back to my Jeep, but it became easier as we went.  This was for two reasons.  The sun was now well up and its warmth gave us renewed energy – all except Aidan, and here we had reason number two.  Collin’s brother was growing weaker by the moment and so hadn’t the strength to hinder us.

Once in the vehicle, with Aidan laid out in the back seat, his head in his brother’s lap, we made our hasty way to the nearest access point.  Once Collin had placed a request for retrieval we then waited in silence.  Collin had a million questions to ask if one, but to his credit did not ask one – or at least when he finally did they weren’t the ones I expected.

“You two made one very impressive team” was Collin’s observation and so I nodded once.

“We Assassins are trained to fight in pairs” I revealed.  “As a team – this is when we are most effective, as well as safest” I explained and so Collin gave up a faint nod in agreement.

“Aidan often made comment when we’d be on a mission together about his longing to work with a partner” he told me, but this was no surprise.  I, too, felt the same way.  However, I was the last of my Arm of The Brotherhood – there would be no more pairings for me, I sadly considered.  “I always thought the purpose of Elite-Assassins being paired was so that they could keep each other honest.”  Well, this was also part of it, but not one put to paper, of course.

Turning round to peer over into the back seat so I could see Aidan, it was clear how much love Collin held for his brother.  Granted, twins always had a deep connection with one another, but it was far less common between fraternal twins.

“What do Members of The Way want with an AFA Commander-General?” was his now discerning question.

“Your hobby would be my guess, but its really hard to say” I obfuscated since I honestly did not know with any degree of certainty.  “Perhaps they want a hostage?” I suggested and now Collin broke out laughing.

“Well, I would not be much of a bargaining chip, I’d be sorry to inform them” he now grunted.  “AFA High Command might just pay them to keep me, though” was his dismal assessment of his worth to his Masters.  “What’s keeping them?” Collin now complained.  “Aidan’s getting colder, he’s still in shock” he mumbled and so I now took off my jacket and passed it over to him.

“Here – just try to keep him warm” I instructed.  “They’ll be here; they might have run into weather” I offered, which was likely the case – the skies had been threatening to the west.  “Aidan is tough as nails, Collin – he’s in top condition for a man his age.  He’s got a lot of miles left on him” I tried to ease his mind but Collin did not look convinced.  Sitting there stroking Aidan’s hair, his brother now stirred, shivering.  His eyes fluttered open for a moment, taking in his surroundings and then he glanced up at his brother.

“They’ll be here soon, brother” Collin told him in soothing tones, belief in his voice which he passed on to Aidan.  “You’re gonna be ok, won’t be much longer now – just rest.”  Holding his brother’s eyes for a moment, Aidan gave a faint nod of acknowledgement and then once more shut his eyes.

And Collin was right – within minutes we then heard a chopper, the one which would carry us back to Collin’s base.  Finney and Ryan were both on board and immediately they carried Aidan into the chopper and started to work on him.  Collin and I entered afterwards and in moments the pilot had the chopper back in the air, speeding us away.

“What on God’s Earth happened, lad?” Finney asked over his shoulder as he went to work on Collin’s brother.  He only shrugged, which meant he’d fill his cousin in later.

“Will my brother be ok?” Collin now asked, palming his cousin’s question in favor of one of his own.  Finney was working on removing Aidan’s clothing to review his injuries and now he exchanged a grave look with Ryan.  It was clear the injuries were inflicted by Members.

Shrugging, their cousin continued while I looked on – and it was interesting to note just how many tattoos Aidan bore.  He was no small player in the world of The Brotherhood, and of The Order as well – his markings read like a book of his life.  Monikers of accomplishments, both light and dark in their nature.  I could not say that I had any fewer – however, mine were not as foreboding as many of Aidan’s.

And I was correct when I had said to Collin in comfort that Aidan was in excellent condition for his age.  He was as fit as assassins half his age, which was a curiosity if one thought about it.
All three of us were the same age, Collin, Aidan and myself – and despite being three completely different men, we all were in damned good shape given the number of years we all carried.

It was then that I noticed Ryan, who was lending me far more attention than I was comfortable in the receiving.  However, I took it for what it was worth – the fact that Ryan was Order while I was Ascendancy.  We both might have been Brotherhood but yet were still worlds apart, on opposite sides of the fence.  It was natural that he should look upon me with suspect.

Once Finney had finished with his patient, the Irishman now turned his sights on me.

“How could you have possibly known where they were, lad?” was the first volley in his interrogation of me, for like as not, Aidan was his cousin.  Aidan was first and foremost Family, regardless whatever else he might and might not be.

Drawing in a measure breath, I considered if I should answer – and if I did, how would I phrase my response?  Collin was leaning back in his seat, arms folded across his chest, eyes boring holes into me.  He wanted an answer as well.

After all, our encounter could not this time be passed of as coincidence.

Honesty would have to serve me, as always – without any obfuscation this time, however.

“I had a vision of the Virgin Mary” I told him, matter-of-fact.  Collin, in response, now shifted in his seat.  “The Blessed Mother showed me through the eyes of another, and his awareness in that moment became mine as well.  After that, though, it was pure luck that I came across the brothers when I did” I told them, and that was Truth.  Once in the region I had had to use that odd radar of mine – the one which would always lead me to either Aidan or Collin.

Turing my attention to Collin, he was a study in contrasts, and an impossible read in that moment.  I felt he was not surprised, but it had more to do than his just supposing that I would not lie to him.

And so here we all were – confessed Believers one and all in God and the Christ and all that was Holy and Sacred.

However, to believe that one has communed with the Holiest of Women to have ever Graced God’s Earth?  Well, this was another matter – entirely.

And so it was in silence that we now rode out our flight.  However, in that silence much was clearly spoken.  I was of the mind, though, that Collin wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth – I was able to sense his gratitude towards me.  He would accept deliverance regardless the inspiration, and if I had learned anything about the man, he would later use subtle investigation to obtain answers to his unspoken questions.  Questions that would, I ventured, remain just that – unspoken.

Settling in I now considered my next course of action – as well as pondered what was so important about the brothers’ mission that the Virgin Mary had seen fit to make certain that I saw them safely returned.

This was a question which stayed with me, even long after the event had faded.

I should not be alive – this was my first thought upon awakening.

Did this make me ungrateful?  No, merely a realist.

However, I could not reconcile just who it was that saved my life – Aaron or Collin.  Either way it would be an equally disturbing revelation.

In my mind’s eye of this event, I could feel Collin lay his trembling hand on my chest as he began to pray over me.  However, I could not be certain if this was reality or just wishful thinking.  I had felt the rib puncture my lung, I had felt the rush of blood that began its painful drowning of me.  I had seen the black liquid I was coughing up in an alarming flow.  These were not imagined, no matter what else may have been these were very real and vivid recollections indeed.  Recalled with the exacting clarity of a man who was about to meet his Maker.  This was not something any assassin would just conjure up.

I was, where? I wondered and then tried to open my eyes.  I felt like roadkill, probably even looked like it I had no doubts.  For all their diminutive size, female Members of The Way packed a considerable punch.  And disturbingly enough, they visited little harm upon my brother.

They wanted to abduct him – plain and simple.  I was just the Elite-Assassin that stood in their way, after all.

Travel in pairs, this mandate from the Grand Head of The Order I had been sloughing off in order to get my job done.  When other Elite-Assassins were in my company, Collin would become as nervous as that proverbial long tail cat in a roomful of rocking chairs.  This I could not suffer and so I would, for the most part, forgo working with a fellow Elite-Assassin.

To my detriment this go around, I considered.

Forcing my eyes to open wider, I could see that I was in Collin’s quarters.  My location spoke volumes as to my brother’s state of mind.

He felt responsible for my misfortune and wanted to keep me under his personal care.

His quarters might have been Spartan, like any good Member’s would be – however, there was great comfort to be had.  His bed was one of those and for a moment I considered that perhaps I had died but no – it was all very real enough.  Collin was in the room, dozing away in a chair pulled up next to the bedside.  Should I wake the sleeping Commander? I laughed to myself.  My brother would certainly begin rattling off a litany of questions I had no doubt.

As much as I would have preferred to not wake him, I had questions of my own, and questions that I would also have to answer.  Most notably to my own Master who was expecting me to have already returned to The Order, or at the very least have checked in by now.

And I sure as hell wasn’t up for another Censure, I considered with disdain.  The recent flogging I had received was something of which I did not want to make habit.  My Master was putting the screws to me, attempting to rein me in but I was one stallion who had a mind all his own, I chuckled.  Out loud, apparently, for this now woke up my brother.

“What’s so funny?” Collin asked with a yawn and a stretch.  Then leaning forward in the chair, hands clasped between his knees, he considered me at length.  My brother was a maelstrom of emotions in that moment, which made me want to laugh but I would not bruise his delicate ego.

“You could have left me for dead” I pointed out.  “You would have been rid of me for good, then” I reasoned, trying not to grin.

“Yeah, well – there’s a small matter of that flash drive” Collin reminded me of the impetus for our journey to the old mine.  There wasn’t anything of great value on the flash drive, this I already knew.  The whole meeting had served one singular purpose.  This was to introduce Collin to Tobias, the Member we had met within the labyrinth of the mines.

“What?  Your uber-geek can’t crack it?” was my goad, again delivered with a straight face.  Collin wasn’t amused, however.

“Kevin wants to live a bit longer” Collin grumbled as he now ran a hand over his face.  He was purely relieved, I could tell, that I had awoken.  “Hungry?” he suddenly asked – and although he was concerned for me, I had a hunch it was Collin who wanted to eat.  In all fairness, my brother had most likely stayed by my side for… how long?

“What day is this?” I now thought to ask.

“Sunday – I guess you caught up on a lot of sleep” Collin made light but behind his eyes I could see just how troubled he still was.  “What happened out there?” he now finally asked the question which had been first and foremost in his mind.  “And don’t patronize me, either, Aidan.  You were coughing up blood in droves so don’t try to tell me it was just a scratch.  I… I saw the color, it was black.”  With this recounting, my brother now swallowed hard, looking down for a few moments as he reined in his emotions.

“How should I know?” I returned.  “I was rather out of it, if you recall?” I pointed out what should have been obvious.  “Perhaps you instead need to fill me in on the parts that I don’t remember?” was my only attempt in asking for enlightenment.

“I’m not sure if my memory is much better than yours – I winked out as well” my brother told me.  “I… I could hear and feel the blood gurgling in your lungs, Aidan” he recounted and I was dismayed to take note that his hands were shaking.  Not much for he was trying his best to conceal this from me, but yet I could discern it none the less.  “You should have died out there and I have no clear idea why you did not.”  This, more than anything I would venture, was what had him so troubled.  Accountability was part of my brother’s world – one very much ruled by his obsessive-compulsive disorder.  A place for everything and everything in its place and this miracle did not neatly fit into any compartment.  Thus, Collin was thoroughly unsettled.

“Miracles do happen, brother – every day.  Its just that most of the time we never notice” I told him, an attempt to ease his mind.  “I can’t explain it either, Collin – so let’s just leave it at that” was my advice and now I tried to sit up.  My brother came to my aid, thankfully, since I was still weak.  However, not nearly as weak as I should have been given the injuries I had received.

“Don’t you ever tire of getting beaten up?” my brother joked with an awkward laugh.  “We’re getting too old for this crap, Aidan – and that’s the truth of it” was his glum assessment, and actually, I was forced to agree.  “I’ve kept Sierra at bay – I told her you were fine and just needed rest.  She doesn’t need this kind of stress, being so close to her due date” he brought to mind.  “Please tell me you can stay a while?  At least until she delivers?” I could only blink at him.  Just why was it that Collin, and everyone else as well, kept forgetting that I had a Master to whom I must answer and obey?

It gave me a headache at the mere consideration and so I pushed it aside.

“I would have to Petition my Master” was my reply, trying to remind him of the way things were.

Now sitting up on the edge of the bed, I buried my face in my hands.  I didn’t know what to make of my whole experience with Collin, Aaron.  I didn’t know how to broach it, who to talk to if anyone.  There were so few I could trust, and fewer yet who would Believe.  Someone had saved my life that night – the question was, who?

“Aidan?” my brother now prompted with concern as he sat down next to me.  Drawing an arm around my shoulder he sought to comfort me as much as himself.  “Don’t pull that shit again, ok?  You’ve tarnished that image I always carry around of you – that of a one man army” he  made light and so now dropping my hands away from my face, I looked to him.

“Sorry to disappoint” I mumbled and then feeling stronger, I decided to make an attempt at getting to my feet – which I was able to do with his help.  Standing there for a moment, undecided, I then initiated an embrace with my brother.  “Thank you” I told Collin, patting him on the back.  “For everything.  I didn’t mean to give you concern” I said as we parted.

“Yeah, well – comes with the territory” he grumbled but then smiled, and this time it fit.  “Please – make yourself at home.  I’ve got plenty of black in the armoire, help yourself.  I’ll have something special made for brunch.  You missed Sunday morning mass, I’m afraid – but you can visit the chapel after we eat, so you can say your thanks” Collin suggested, knowing me so well.  When I was here on a Sunday, I never missed the morning mass.  There was an evening mass as well, I knew, and so would attend that one.

With a nod and a wink, my brother then turned on his heel, taking his leave before his emotions could betray him.  Any longer and tears would have threatened, this was just how distressed he was.

And it wasn’t just because he had almost lost his brother – it went much, much deeper than that.

There I was left to stand, pondering all things, great and small.  My brother never worked on Sunday, but I knew he would be conducting work after a different fashion this day.  Many ideas he had in his head about what happened to us in the field – and many minds he wished to pick.  First off, however, I suspected he’d see Sierra to give her an update on my condition.  How I had not wanted to add to her stress of carrying my Unborns, but yet I had done just that – or rather Collin had, in a round about way, by bringing me back here.

I knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, though, and so I set about taking a shower and getting dressed.

When I exited the bathroom, I found I had company.  It was one very troubled looking doctor who I suspected came to visit under the guise of checking in on his patient.

“Feeling better, I see?” was Finney’s greeting and so I nodded.  “Wish I could say the same for your brother, though.  My cousin is beyond distracted” he informed me of something I already knew – but perhaps Collin was worse off than I had gaged.  Considering how I should respond, or not, I headed for the armoire in search of clothing.

“There’s a lot my brother isn’t telling me” I began.

“Aye – I am with you on that” my cousin grunted.  “Perhaps you’d care to fill me in?  As far as your side of the story goes, of course.”  I could not fault our cousin for caring – Legion or not, Finney was Family, after all.  This came first.

Drawing on some slacks then a shirt, I wondered if I should say anything at all.

I knew I had to, however.  Finney might have been Legion, but he was Brotherhood and had been a Defender of the Faith of The Legion.

“You heard something disturbing, I take it” I put to him as I turned around, tucking my shirt into my trousers.

“What words out of Collin’s mouth are ever not disturbing?” he grumbled.  “I took some x-rays while you were in the infirmary, and thought I should first discuss my findings with you before I go to your brother.  How are you feeling?” he now switched gears and so in a very Collin-like gesture, I shrugged.

“Beat up” I chuckled but then sighed.

“You are lucky then, if that’s the extent of it” my cousin said in a low voice.  “Perhaps you can clear up a few things.  The x-rays appear to reveal a recent traumatic injury” he began, “one which would have required emergency surgery and lad, you have no evidence of anyone having sliced you open as of late.  Well, at least not in a healing capacity.  And you would still be off your feet, this injury looks to have been so very recent and so very extreme.  Care to enlighten me?”

“Did my brother tell you what happened to me?” I asked in return.

“No, nor Aaron – at least not in any detail, but I do know that from what I saw in those x-rays, you would have been drowning in your own blood” was his cool assessment.  “You would have been a goner in scant minutes, if even that.”  What could I say?  He was right.  However, there could be more explanations than one as to why I was still drawing breath – and I could not explore all of those if I was to be cooped up here on my brother’s base.

“Fact of the matter is, Finney – I should not be alive, although I’m unable to explain why I still am.  Hate to disappoint you, though” I made one very arid joke and so now he glowered at me.  Like me?  No, not particularly, but again – I was Family.  He was required to care about me like as not.

“Bah – where would the fun be in that?  If you weren’t around to drive Collin bug shit, eh?” he now openly laughed.

“Well, someone has to do it” I agreed, now sitting down on the couch to put on my boots.  Glancing around, I wondered where that flash drive I had been carrying had gone.  After my boots were laced up I started rummaging around in my pack and travel clothes but came up empty.

“If you’re looking for that flash drive, Collin has it” he told me and so I offered him a curious look.  He had mentioned something about that, when I had first awoken, although I did not think that he had appropriated it from me.  Collin loved to mince words, I knew.  Perhaps he had Kevin clone it so that the geek could then crack the the clone instead of the original.

Now concerned about my Palm, I was about to get angry but no, there it was – on the nightstand.  Not that this meant the device hadn’t been sniffed by my brother’s TechStaff Captain.  Collecting the device, I turned round to face my cousin as I stuffed it in my pocket.  As I was about to say something, I heard the door open to Collin’s quarters and in a moment we were joined by Ryan.  First bowing to me, and then to my cousin, I had the impression that Ryan was the bearer of bad news.

“Bryan strongly suggests that you check your email, milord” my fellow Member from The Order advised and so pulling my Palm out of my pocket I turned on the device and fetched my mail.  My own personal geek monitored all communication for me and so important it must have been indeed for Bryan to find need to track me down by other means.  Namely Ryan.  There was one communication from the Chairman of the High Council.  Upon reading its contents I now dropped to one knee.

What was that phrase Collin was so fond of using?  Oh yeah – I was fucked.

A Tribunal was being held and I was the target of its Inquisition.  Apparently I had pushed our Grand Head just a bit too far this time, and thus he’d hit me where it hurt – he would take it to my fellow High Council Members.  The fines levied would take me decades to pay off – not to mention my position as Head of Assassins could be threatened, and my seat on the High Council as well.

I was more than fucked, I reconsidered.

Bowing my head I now shut my eyes as I planned a course of action – or rather a defense.

Releasing a weighted sigh I now turned off my Palm and got to my feet.  Stuffing it in my pocket I then stood there with my arms folded across my chest, head hung in thought.

“Trouble, lad?” Finney finally asked and so offering him a sideways glance I nodded.  “Worse than Censure?” he prompted, bringing to mind the welts on my back from the flogging I had received.

“Different, at least” I grumbled under my breath.  “It goes without saying that Dmitri and I are always at odds,” I reminded them, “and there are many High Council Members who are not in my court.  My Grand Head tries to bend me to his will, and I try to evade the resulting Censure when Dmitri can’t.  I’ve been Summoned for a Tribunal” I said in a low voice – naturally they both understood what that meant.  “I had notified Dmitri that my mission with Collin was a Matter of The Faith, but I have dealt that card one too many times for his liking, apparently.  He feels this High Council Member is abusing power by using Council Law to circumvent his authority.  And this time?  It truly was a Matter of Faith, the purpose behind our journey.”  When I said this, Ryan and Finney both exchanged a quick glance.  “Is there something I need to know, Members?” was my cool inquisition.

“Not really, unless you want to chase your brother in pursuit of his flight of the fantastic” my cousin told me and oh great, I thought – Collin was imagining things, again.  My brother would wrap fiction up with fact, such to the point that it would become almost impossible to untangle the two once intertwined.

“There’s fact, there’s fiction and then there’s faith” I said, releasing a long, low breath.  “Set my brother’s feet on the wrong path and, well – we all know what happens.  However, it is his unusual thinking that opens up doors that we never even knew to exist.”  My fellow Members now nodded in complete agreement.  The hard part was trying to bridle Collin so as to influence his direction.  Without such aid he’d get lost in his fantasy world, to the point that it would become almost impossible to extricate him.

That stellar IQ of his, I considered – it was as much of a hindrance to as a help.

“Your brother is gravely concerned about you, milord” Ryan told me.  “Before this incident, I don’t think he ever truly considered your mortality, so to speak.  You have always been a constant in his world, after all.”  And wasn’t that the truth – the question was, why was it the truth?  When not one family had been left in tact after the Apocalypse, we O’Reillys had been blessed with at least four relations of which we knew, five if it were to be known that Bryan was my son, my flesh and blood.  And there were others as well, I suspected.

Freaky it was – but perhaps eve more so when one considered that many of the friends and associates of us O’Reillys had also survived.

Coincidence was a part of God’s world, after all – but with mounds of evidence to the contrary which continued to get piled on high?  It was way too much to swallow and not choke.

Just as was my being miraculously healed.  To think my body had spontaneously healed itself was out of the question – there would have had to have been divine intervention.  By what or whom, however?  That was the big question.

“Milord?” Ryan now prompted for I had clearly gotten lost in my own ruminations.  “The Summons?” he reminded me.

“I’d be willing to give Testament on your behalf” Finney flat out rocked me and so turning to face him I offered a curious look.  “Greater Good, Aidan – nothing more” was his assertion.  “Collin will testify as well, I have no doubt – and Aaron I’ll bet.  That’s if you can get him to set one foot in the High Council Chamber of The Order, given in the Time Before The Order damned near exterminated all Ascendancy Members.”  I could only hold his eyes – give with one hand, take with the other.  However, I was deserving his criticism – but refused to defend the actions of my Brethren.  To do so would open up a can of worms, one about which I suspected our cousin knew more than he would ever let on.

“Thank you, but I’m not sure that would go over so well” I had to laugh.  “It would carry more weight if you were all Members of The Order, but since that’s not the case…” I trailed off.  I knew I would just have to use the Law to my advantage, but there wasn’t much time for me to work out my own defense.

“It might carry more weight than you think, milord” Ryan said to me and it was then I understood that I was missing some vital details regarding what had occurred the other night.

First things first, I thought – food was in order.  I needed energy to get going and so sustenance was in order.  All things in due time, after all.  However, I was anxious to see Sierra.  Any comforting words my brother could offer would not due as a substitute for the woman seeing with her own eyes that I was still among the living.

“Do you know where I can find Sierra?” I asked and then pulled out my Palm.  Neither man did, and so I sent a message to Bryan’s wife, Kelly – Sierra’s bodyguard and soon to be nanny.  After a moment of waiting I had my answer, and I was surprised to discover that Sierra was in the Chapel.  Taking a deep breath I slipped the device in my pocket and then took my leave.

“Until later, Members” I said and then turning on my heel I made my exit.

Along my way to the Chapel I had the misfortune of encountering Aaron.  With a disarming smile the warrior-priest from The Ascendancy greeted me.

“Aidan!  Its so wonderful to see that you are well” Aaron said in greeting, and in a very impolite act on my part I just kept on walking.  This, however, did not deter him for he only spun about to fall in right beside me.

“Shouldn’t you be tripping out in the desert somewhere?” was even less polite remark.  “Having visions?” I poked at him, unwise perhaps but I was in no mood at present to kiss his ass for coming to our rescue.  After all, strictly speaking, he was Brotherhood and therefore required to come to the aid of other Members.

Again, strictly speaking, of course.

“You don’t Believe, do you?” was his curious question and accusation all rolled into one and so now I stopped to look at him.  “Or you are perhaps instead jealous?  That the Blessed Mother pointed out the way to your nemesis here?  So that I could locate and save both Collin and you?”

“Ok, correction – you’ve already been tripping out in the desert.  My bad” I grumbled.  “What on God’s Earth are you on about?” I wanted to know, although now it came to me that my loudmouth brother must have told his friend about our mission, and thus our encounter with the other Member.

Maybe not, though – Collin knew better that to betray my confidence, again.

“Looking for Sierra?” Aaron now suddenly diverted.  “She’s in the Chapel – I’ll see you in a bit, for brunch” he told me and then with a bow of respect he took his leave of me.  Had this Member been plying me?  Or had he instead slipped up?

The latter I was inclined to believe – mostly because I knew Ryan and Finney had stories to tell that I had yet to audition.  Ones which would likely shed light on Aaron’s curious remarks.

Drawing in a measure breath I now continued on towards the Chapel.  Kelly was standing outside the entrance and when she saw me coming the woman assassin bowed low.  In return I only nodded, making sure to keep up appearances, but then smiled at her as I passed on by.  After all, she was Family, being Bryan’s wife – even if she didn’t know she was Family.  However, she understood how close Bryan was to me for it was clear that I treated him like a son – which he was indeed.

Once inside the Chapel, it was empty but for Sierra who was sitting down in the front row.  With practiced stealth I slipped up on her at unawares, sliding into the pew behind her.  The poor creature was a study in distraction – head bowed with her arms folded over her breasts.  And pregnant to the nth degree, no less.

“Right here, right now,” I whispered in her ear and so the woman gave quite a start, “if you weren’t so… pregnant, that is.”

“Aidan!” Sierra exclaimed as I now painfully vaulted over the back of the pew where she sat so I could join her.  Throwing her arms around me I got one very welcoming hug along with a many tears of joy.”

“I’m going to stop coming to visit if you insist on crying every time I show up” I chastised her and now the woman looked up at me, drying her eyes.

“Oh yeah?  Well if you’d stop getting the shit beat out of you!” the little pit bull snapped and try as I might to suppress a grin, I was unable.  “You think that’s frigging funny, huh?!” was her indignant, and impolite, demand.

“Its wonderful to see you too” I told the beauty.  “Why are you you in here?” I thought to ask, wondering if she had been praying for me.

“Hiding from Aaron” Sierra now grumbled, drawing a hand across her eyes.  “Neutral ground” she muttered and then dropping her hand from her face, she then tried on a smile.  “You look tired.”

“That’s because I am, my love,” I was honest with the woman, brushing the hair out of her eyes with one hand, “but you were my first priority upon awakening.”

“Second,” she argued with a pout, “since you look pretty darn clean and spiffy there, Mr. Assassin.”  Funny little thing she was, I thought, losing the battle to suppress yet another grin.  “Are you going to stay a while?” the woman now asked with longing, biting her lip in hopes my answer would be yes.

However, I was not about to lie to her, or give her false hope.

“No, forgive me” I begged, closing my eyes as I bowed my head.  I would not have her know that my leaving was for one rather troubling and dire reason.  She had enough to worry about as it was.  Raising my eyes to meet her own, I reached out to place a hand on her belly.  “Have they been giving you grief?” I inquired and so she she chuckled.

“One is a fighter – that’s the little girl” I was informed and so I offered her a curious look.

“I thought you didn’t want to know what they were?” I asked and so she nodded.  “I’m confused.”

“I just know” Sierra told me and then planted a kiss on my cheek, one which quickly migrated to my lips for a tender kiss.  “Would you really do the nasty in a holy place?” the creature now wanted an answer, tempting me to hell and back as she tried to unbutton my shirt.  Taking hold of her wrists I stopped her before she could start exploring.

“It’s called love making, first of all,” I corrected, “not the nasty, and second, there is no greater way to honor our Lord than to procreate.”

“Yeah, but in a church?” was her challenge and so I only shrugged.

“C’mon – let’s go have brunch” I told her.  Now getting to my feet I extended to Sierra a hand up.  Narrowing her eyes at me she accepted.  “Collin’s idea – I hope you don’t mind breaking bread with Aaron.”  This brought Sierra up short.

“You’re kidding, me, right?” the woman wanted to know, digging in her heels.  “Collin knows damned well that I can’t stand that… man” she exclaimed, stomping her foot in protest.

“Aaron did come to our rescue, Sierra – the least we can do is formally thank the Member” I pointed out and so now she glared at me.

“You can’t stand him either, by the way” was her testy observation.

“Regardless, he did lend aid and so have him to thank for the safe return of both Collin and myself” I laid out for her.  “I don’t like swallowing crow either, my love.”

“Harbinger of doom is more like it” Sierra grumbled.  “I don’t mind eating crow as long as I can just chew it up really good and then spit it out.”  How I had missed her! I thought with warmth, but then sadness crept in to sweep this aside.  She would never be my wife, I understood – and it had nothing to do with the previous Censure handed down to me by the Grand Head.  Sierra was, and had always been, destined for another.

And there were others in high places who also held this knowledge.

“Well, lets just take the higher road, that way maybe we won’t have to choke on so many feathers, ok?” I put to her, offering my arm in escort and so with a sigh Sierra now took hold.  Together we then left the Chapel to head for some much welcome refreshment.

To her credit, the very pregnant woman was able to break bread with Aaron, and even found it within her to play nice.  She was getting the hang of it, at least – the Brotherhood way of life.  This was the public versus the private.  That’s just the way it was – we’d put aside all differences when it came to the private aspect, which was this meal my brother had orchestrated, attended in his private dining room by more than just he and me and Aaron and Sierra.  His top officers, Greg and Eric, were present, Finney, Ryan and Amanda as well, and even Kevin was sitting in, and naturally so was Kelly.  It was about as close to a family get-together as one could come in this Time After.

And although it was long, drawn out and tiring, for both Sierra and me, it was most appreciated.  The food was delectable, surpassing excellence, and I understood this was Collin’s way of not only showing his appreciation to Aaron for having saved our tails, but to show how relieved and overjoyed he was that I was still among the living.

Once everyone had had their fill they dispersed one by one, even Sierra who was on the verge of a nap right where she sat.  Kelly escorted her back to her quarters without a hint of protest on Sierra’s behalf.  Amanda left last, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek – she was no less relieved than was my brother.

With everyone gone, this left Collin and me to ourselves.  There he sat at the opposite end of the long dining table, considering me at great length.  In silence we remained, for a long time, before  my brother spoke.

“I will Testify” he told me, no room for negotiation.  “As will Finney and Aaron – no arguments, so don’t bother putting up a protest.”  I would have accused our cousin of having loose lips in this matter, but no – it was Family business.

“You have never Attended a Tribunal” I pointed out to him.  “You aren’t familiar with the Code of Conduct” was my attempt at reasoning with him – there wasn’t enough time to properly school him before the Tribunal.

“Seamus forwarded to me the standard Brotherhood documents for Tribunal Protocol” Collin countered as he now shifted in his chair, ready to do battle – elbow to armrest, hand to chin.  “If there are any difference between those of The Legion and those of The Order, I am certain they will be subtle.

“What you don’t know, however, is that Aaron was the recipient of divine guidance in his efforts” was his revelation, and thus now Aaron’s comment to me made sense.

Even if it made no sense at all.

However, Members did not lie – and thus I now felt ill at ease.

“I won’t pretend to understand, but I do know that Aaron would not lie to me, any more than you would” my brother spoke to me in a low voice – this was his way of warning me not to take issue with him.  “I don’t know who, or what, Aaron is – but I can tell you, Aidan, that he has shown me things I cannot explain, performed feats I cannot explain.  Now, if you are about to ask me if you need to order me a straitjacket, then just don’t go there.  I know that at times I tend to follow that path less traveled, but I am not delusional!” Collin now barked at me.  “So, please, brother dearest – give me some frigging credit!”

Sitting there holding his eyes, it dawned on me just how attached Collin had become to this Member of The Ascendancy.  And in so short a time it was rather alarming, for Collin never lent his friendship so quickly to anyone.

“Aaron said to me earlier that he had had a vision of the Virgin Mary” I now stated.  “You are inclined to believe this, given the Member that you and I met mines maintains his ancestor was also visited by the Blessed Mother?  If I had not revealed this to you, would you be so quick to believe your friend?  I am not saying that Aaron is trying to play you, or deceive you, Collin – but he is Priest and had been wandering out in the desert for years on end, alone.  That’s enough to make any one loopy, eh?” I put to him as gently as I could without getting him pissed off.

“So, you think the same of Sierra?” was Collin’s smarmy retort and ok, perhaps my allegory had been poorly chosen.  Sierra was sharp as a tack and anything but loopy.

However, her circumstances had been a lot different.

And I never believed, not for a single minute, that she had spent seven years alone in the desert.  By appearance alone when I first met her, I could tell she had not been braving the elements so long.

However, the possible answers for that were all equally disturbing – but for now I had only questions with no solid answers.

“Aaron said he saw through the eyes of another, and that is how he knew where to look for me, for you” my brother now expounded on his friend’s account of events.  “Now, before you go reminding me that coincidence is part of God’s world, given the circumstances, this one is a bit much to swallow.  And it wasn’t like he said he was led directly to us, Aaron recounted that he saw through the eyes of another which was able to allow him to discern the region, but he still had to look for us once he got there.”

“What, exactly, did he see, in particular, that allowed him to discern where we were?” was my cutting question and since Collin didn’t answer, I understood that he had not asked.  “Look, brother – if you are going to travel down such paths, you need to put aside faith in a friend and ask the questions that need to be asked.  I’m sure the Virgin Mary did not give him GPS coordinates, after all.”

My brother just sat there, motionless.  After a protracted moment, he then pulled out his PDA.  Turning it on he then tapped away before shutting it off.  Why he would never leave the damned thing on was a complete mystery to me.  He never gave enough detail in his messages for his staff to figure out where he was.  Ryan had revealed to me that Kevin had coded a program to he loaded on everyone’s Palm which would pop up on screen with a human friendly name of the IP address of any access point through which Collin’s PDA would send a message to them.  This at least gave Collin’s officers a beginning point of where to start looking for him.

My brother, I considered in dismay – he was an odd duck all the way around.

We sat there in silence, waiting.  That he had summonsed someone was clear, and I was certain it would be Aaron who would walk through that door – and I was right.

“Collin” Aaron said in greeting as he bowed to my brother – curious, that.  “How may I Serve?” was his even more disturbing display of respect – disturbing because in the pecking order of the Brotherhood, Collin was low man on the totem pole.

“Please tell my brother exactly what it was that you saw through the eyes of another which pinpointed our location” he commanded, couching it in such a way as to make it known that I was the one who took issue with Aaron’s claim and not Collin.

My brother and his ability with words, I thought – words for him were mightier than the sword.

“The large geode within the mine, amethyst was the color of the crystals – and within there was an altar” Aaron plainly recounted.  This didn’t mean squat, though – at least, not to me.  He could have been in league with the Member Collin and I had met.  After all, Tobias worked on the fringes of our world, he interfaced with many different men, far and wide.

Much as had Aaron before he became one of my brother’s pets.

Tobias was a Priest of The Order, and much of their work was kept secret, even from the High Council.

Shifting my gaze to Collin, I could discern that this was news to him – and to his credit, he hid well his surprise  Aaron had just sealed Collin’s faith in his explanation – and I was unable to say a single word against it.  If I did then that would be to accuse Aaron of telling an Untruth.

“So you see, brother – Aaron’s testimony, along with that of myself and Finney, will help get you off the hook with The Order’s High Council.  Thank you, Aaron – that will be all” Collin now dismissed his pet and so Aaron then rose, bowing to each of us in turn, before he then took his leave.

And I had the distinct impression that Aaron was laughing his ass off as soon as he had closed the door.

“All I need from you is some assistance with wardrobe” Collin told me.  “What does one wear to a Brotherhood lynching?” was his completely droll remark and so I just shook my head and then moved beyond it.

“Collin – I need you to obey me in one thing” I began, not sure how to broach the subject.  “Do not offer up any Testimony that pertains to my unexplained Healing, ok?  I… I can’t explain why, but it is imperative that you just leave this out if at all possible.”

“You’d have me lie?” was his incredulous inquiry.  Leveling him a black look I just shook my head.

“Omit” I corrected.

“This has to do with that legend you told me about, eh?” he hit the nail right on the head – and then some.

“I would prefer not to perpetuate it, if that’s what you mean” I told him, which was Truth enough.  For this would mean that the legend had been resurrected by those who had pulled off the crime of the millennium.  To execute the crime was one thing, to perpetuate it was another crime, altogether.

“Collin, I need you to understand – this is not some everyday AFA court marshal” I asserted, which probably offended him but, oh well.  In Truth my brother had no idea what could be in store for me depending on the outcome.  It was not black and white, the Conclusion, which would loosely equate to a verdict within the AFA’s court marshal system.  There was no guilty or not guilty outcome of a Brotherhood Tribunal.

To be Charged was basis for guilt – the purpose of the Tribunal was to determine the degree of guilt, and if circumstances mitigated said guilt, and by what degree as well.

In short, I would be fighting for leniency – and I wasn’t sure if Collin had gotten this far in his reading to understand as much.  If not, he would, so I wasn’t about to give him a lesson in Brotherhood Law just then.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m feeling somewhat drained” I told him as I now to my feet.  “Thank you for your offer to Testify – it means a lot to me, brother.  I know how you loath all things Brotherhood, and so realize that your standing up for me in front of the High Council of The Order takes courage.  Especially given that We are eager for your Reaffirmation.”

Getting to his feet as well, Collin now walked around to stand before me.

“You’d do the same for me” was his simple reasoning but now there were tears in his eyes.  “Don’t scare the shit out of me again, ok?” he pleaded, initiating an embrace.  “I don’t know how I would be able to go on without you in my life.”  Parting from him, I now held my brother at arms’ length.  I could only smile at him as I pressed my palm to his cheek.

I didn’t want to give him false hope, for no man could see how all paths would end.

However, if what I suspected was Truth – then Collin and I were in it for the long haul, together.

And by design.

Now I had heard everything.

Standing there tapping away on my Palm I concentrated on it instead of giving Collin my attention.

“Captain Wong?” the Commander testily prodded and so now I did look up.  Should I remind him that he had vowed to me that I would never again have to set foot at The Order?  What would be the point in reminding him, though.  Collin would probably just say that he had meant as an exchange hostage.  The guy would just mince words in order to work the situation to his advantage.

“Yes, I understand – I’ll be ready… sir” I returned, trying to remember to be formal but was unnerved by his recent order for me to accompany him to The Order, along with Greg.  We were to be Collin’s character witnesses, or something like that.  I wasn’t sure what the Brotherhood called it, but that’s what I was tapping away to find out.  That and more about Tribunals and what was involved.

Apparently Aidan hot gotten his ass into a sling and although I wasn’t inclined to want to help The Assassin, in a roundabout way I was.  To aid Collin in this madness was to aid my Commander’s brother.

Who was also the father of my friend’s soon to be born twins, and I wasn’t about to do anything to upset Sierra.  The girl was a train wreck already as it was, and now this?  Naturally, we were all keeping recent events concerning Aidan and Collin, hush hush but I was certain that something of this magnitude, a Brotherhood Tribunal against Aidan?  Yeah – the girl was going to sniff that out in no time flat.  The girl already had a clue that something major was going on.

“Anything else, Commander?” I asked since Collin was just standing there glaring at me, hands clasped behind his back.  I had the impression he was debating with himself over ordering something else of me, but apparently he decided against it.

“No, Captain – carry on” he told me, and then sharply turning on his heel, Collin exited my data center and was gone.

Thank God, I thought as I went back to work.  I needed to speak to Greg but to go running to the Captain-Major so soon after Collin’s visit would be unwise, or at least would be if Colonel Jones should notice.

That prick had his finger on the pulse of this base and no one could fart without Eric knowing it.

Greg and I were still under suspicion of kibitzing about verboten topics and so we just kept taking precautions to be as subtle as possible about getting together.  Typically Greg would craft some legitimate reason for us to have a meeting, during which we would discuss official base business as well as unofficial base business.

When my Palm chirped I stopped what I was doing to see who wanted what now.  Looking at the screen it was from someone I really had little wish to communicate with, not to mention why The Order’s Head of IT was bugging me at all.

See you soon, read his one line message, or rather taunt.  Bryan was a frigging Elite-Assassin and there was just like something way wrong about an IT geek who was also a lethal killing machine.

And he wasn’t just a killer on the battlefield of cyberspace, either.

Grumbling something crude I now slipped the device back into my pocket and continued to work, but didn’t get far before it chirped once more.  Now what?  Pulling out my Palm I peeked at the screen – it was Greg, but his message was almost as short as had been Bryan’s.

Aidan needs to speak with you, it read – and that was that.  And like, so?  Did that mean I was supposed to head for the hills?  Not, I knew, and so I replied to Greg, telling him to have Aidan meet me in my office.  I had a hunch Aidan was with Greg and wasn’t about to budge until he knew where to find me.

Slipping the Palm back in my pocket I now left the data center and went down to my office.

No sooner had I gotten there and that’s when up popped Aidan.

“Captain Wong” he said in greeting, actually bowing to me.  “Is there somewhere we can speak, in private?”  Now, why he thought my office wasn’t private enough was beyond me – but then I got it.  He wanted to make sure Sierra didn’t pop in on us.

“Sure – the IT conference room?” I suggested, which was adjacent to my office.  With a nod of acceptance from Aidan we then walked down the hall and then went inside the conference room.  With the door closed behind us I prompted him to take a seat.

“What can I do for you?” I asked, only sitting once Aidan had.  He didn’t answer me right away,  but that was Members all over.  They actually thought before they opened their mouths, I considered with an inward chuckle.  So unlike Collin they were – but Collin was a Member and that was something I knew I needed to never forget.

“How is Sierra?” the assassin now asked me and I was like – huh?  Taking note of my confused state, Aidan now said, “Family.”  This didn’t help a whole lot, though, because if he was considering me part of the O’Reilly extended Family then I should be heading for them thar hills, I thought, and trying not to swallow hard.

“Haven’t you spoken with Kelly?” I answered his question with a question, which probably annoyed the shit out of the man.  After all, he was there to ask me questions and not the other way around.

“Kelly is not her friend – you are, Master Wong” he told me.  That said a whole lot right there and frankly scared the crap out of me.

“Yeah, well – I wouldn’t betray her confidence” was my stupid come back, because I felt myself going on the defensive.

Studying me at great length, I just waited him out.

“No one is asking you to, Kevin” Aidan returned in a low voice, using my first name which just made this personal, I understood.  “I am concerned about her and our Unborns.  Sierra doesn’t seem understand that I have a job, and not for lack of my trying to explain this to her.  She is keeping things from me, I know – in her effort to keep me from worrying about her when we ae apart.

“Since you are her closest friend, I was hoping you could give me some insight” he said in conclusion and it was clear as day the amount of concern he held for Sierra.  Screw that, he just plained loved the girl as much as she loved him.  The thought of Sierra having a thing for the big, bad assassin turned my stomach most days, but the choice was hers and I kept my feet off that turf.  She knew what I thought of Aidan, after all.

“I doubt I can tell you much different than anyone else” I began with a shrug.  “Sierra is a mother hen type, you know?  The girl worries about everybody but herself.  Every time you or Collin go off wherever, you guys could tell her you’ll be basking on a sunny beach and Sierra would still worry, you know?”  I wasn’t sure what he was looking for, or what he wanted to hear

“I wish there was something I could do to make things easier for her” Aidan began.  “My brother tells me he has confiscated her Palm” the assassin now got down to the meat of things.

“She abused the privilege, Aidan” I defended my Commander, for it was the right choice, even as much as it had pained him, and pissed off, Sierra.  “Collin did the right thing.”

“I won’t argue that – however, perhaps you can find an outlet for her… creativity?” the man actually suggested.

“With all due respect – this is a conversation you need to be having with your brother” I told him as I leaned back in my chair.  No one was going to tell me how to run my TechCenter, least of all the enemy, since that was how most all the AFA viewed The Order.

“I have, but Collin likes to oppose me just for the sake of being opposite” he explained with a slight grin and the guy was right.  Sierra was a bone over which the two brothers fought, and I had listened to her ramble on about each of them.  It was scary to say the least – scary because she loved Aidan with all her heart and Collin?  Well, to her he was a friend, except when they’d brush up against one another and then hormones would go into overdrive and things would get hot and heavy.

And real fast.

Just as had been intended for the genetic creations who were the main characters in The Furtherance.

For all that chemistry between Collin and Sierra, Sierra’s heart belonged to Collin’s Elite-Assassin brother, the Order’s Head of Assassins and Chief Defender of The Faith of The Order.  Not to mention High Council Member was well.

A guy couldn’t have many more titles than that within the scheme of the Brotherhood.

“Sierra is dangerous” I now got down right blunt.  “There really isn’t anything I can have her get involved with where I would not worry about her getting into stuff she shouldn’t.  I’m sorry, but that is my professional opinion” I tacked on.

“Which carries much weight with my brother” Aidan conceded.  “Are you sure there isn’t more to behind your decision?” the assassin now probed.  “What will be, must be, Captain Wong” he now offered.  “Sierra will sniff out rumors either with or without ‘net access.  It will look bad for my brother should it appear that he is trying to shelter her.  You are trying to do the same, and I understand that you also want to protect her.  The Plan and The Furtherance, these my brother might consider to be fairytales – regardless, even in a fairytale grains of truth can be found.”

“Well, sure – I can’t argue that, but let her stumble across the tale at all?” I put to him.

“For the reason that sooner or later, it is going to reach her ears, Master Wong” was his cool assertion.  “The Plan and The Furtherance were rumors long before the demise of our world.  All because they had not reached your ears until you deciphered those files, this doesn’t mean that the rumors weren’t still alive and well, and being perpetuated.  These rumors walk hand in hand with several prominent Brotherhood legends, and the most Faithful among us Believe.

“As I said, it is just a matter of time before those rumors reach Sierra’s ears.  My brother can with ease discount his own place in these rumors.  Will Sierra be able to do the same?  No, and so the woman will dig, especially if she thinks this information is purposely being kept from her.”

“All the more reason to make sure she can’t dig” I countered, not understanding what he was trying to accomplish here.

“That which she cannot have is that which Sierra will fight tooth and claw to posses” was his simple reasoning.  “Give the woman some purpose to her life, one that involves her love of computer technology, and perhaps she will, like my brother, just laugh off the rumors of a woman matching her description being cited in The Furtherance.”

“Collin would have my head if I gave her that data” I made clear.

“Who said anything about you giving it to her?” was his prompt challenge.  “All I am saying is this – without or without access to technology, those rumors will reach Sierra.  One way or another, they will.  Especially after the Tribunal, another wave of rumors will issue forth.  It won’t be long before before they make the rounds – a Tribunal is a public affair, if you have yet to do your reading.  And it also won’t be long before Sierra picks up on Mandy’s bad habit of eaves dropping on everyone.  All I am saying, Kevin, is that it is a matter of time.”

“Look, its not like I don’t agree with you – but I do what I’m told, and I’m not up for bucking chain of command” I flat out told him.

“Because Collin and Jonesy already reamed your tail once?” was Aidan’s bold assumption, making me realize just how much data got exchanged between the two brothers.  For as close as they could be, concealing things from each other out of necessity, as open they could also be, between themselves.

And I seemed to keep forgetting – all because Aidan seemed aloof and unsocial, this didn’t mean he was like that with his brother.

The were brothers, after all – fraternal twins with a rather tight bond regardless of what most might think.

“Food for thought, Captain Wong – things are seldom what they seem” Aidan now told me.  “And thank you, for agreeing to Attend Collin for my Tribunal.”

“It was an order” I was happy to inform him but surprisingly, the assassin smiled.

“You could have begged off, Kevin, for any number of reasons – and Collin would have let you” was his spot on assessment.

“Yeah, well, Greater Good, I suppose” I offered and now Aidan laughed.

“We’ll make a Member out of you yet, Master Wong” was his assertion, now getting to his feet.  “Good-day” Aidan said with a bow of respect and then he was gone – leaving me to sit there and wonder what had just happened.

It would be one cold day in hell before I would become a Member – and even then, it would have to be over my dead body.

But somehow, I didn’t think that Aidan was joking.

After all, The Assassin never joked.

Feeling rather ill at ease, I let out a weighted sigh as I slumped down in my chair.  I wasn’t sure how long I had spaced, sitting there with my thoughts racing, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Blowing off your messages, Captain?” Colonel Jones asked of me and when I came out of my daze I saw him standing in the doorway, hands clasped behind his back.  Collin had given the man free rein to nip at my heels whenever he wanted – punishment for my transgression.

I no longer reported directly to Collin.  Instead I now reported to King Prick himself, Colonel Jones.

“No, sir” I said, quickly getting to my feet.  “What can I do for you, Colonel Jones?” I asked as politely as I was able, which was pretty damned polite.  Eric liked to play things by the book, unfortunately for me, so I was now always conscious of minding my p’s and q’s around him.

Pulling out my Palm while I waited for his answer, I noticed two emails from King Prick himself.  Eric didn’t respond and so I assumed he wanted the matters in his emails addressed ASAP.

“I’ll get on these right away, sir” I told him, delivered along with one very respectful bow.

“They would have been done by now had you first ministered to your work instead of the Commander’s brother” was his rather dry assessment and what could I say to that?  My meeting with Aidan had been personal.

“Correct, sir – I’ll get on these right now” I tried to just get beyond his observation.  Would he have said no to The Assassin?

Yeah – Eric would.  So the dude had bigger balls than I did.  Whoopee.  I was just a Captain, after all.

“And what punishment should we find befitting of an AFA TechStaff Captain who has private meetings with the enemy?” Eric now bowled me over.  And like, what the fuck?  Was I supposed to have run that by him too?

Yup.  Sure looked that way.  Any little misstep Eric would keep his eyes open for, just so he could come down hard on me.

Maybe some time at The Order wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all.

“Begging the Colonel’s understanding – but it was personal and not business” I went on the defensive.  “Aidan is concerned about Sierra – and given that I am as a friend to her, the man was looking for personal insight where the mother-to-be of his children are concerned.  That’s all it was, sir” I lied through my teeth.

“Such a… meeting… needs to be cleared through me – do I make myself understood, Captain Wong?” he asked in a low voice, almost a growl.

“Absolutely, Colonel” I returned and then bit my tongue so I could not say what I was really thinking.

“It is interesting just how quickly you agreed to accompany Commander O’Reilly to The Order” Eric put to me with a slight grin and there was nothing amusing about being accused of treason.  Even if it were only implied at this point.

And now a clammy feeling crept over me – was I that transparent?  Granted, The Order wasn’t high on my list of destinations, but it would afford me the opportunity to speak with The Order’s Head of IT – in private.

“To set the record straight, Colonel – Commander O’Reilly ordered me to Attend” I made clear.  Eric only considered me, still grinning, for several moments before he again spoke.

“Indeed.  Well, don’t pack your bags just yet, Captain” the prick said and then turning on his heel, he was gone.

Leaving me standing there, staring.

What the hell was going on?  It didn’t matter, because I didn’t have to time to dig.  I needed to take care of what Eric wanted done and so making my way back to my office I did just that.

Just as I was about done, I felt eyes on me.  Slowly glancing up from my laptop I saw Sierra hovering around the doorway.

“Can I come in?” Sierra asked me, biting her lip and clearly undecided.

“Sure, why not?  Everyone else has” I grumbled as I finished up the email I was composing to send to King Prick notifying him that his requests had been completed.  “I’m sorry, girl – don’t mind me, just about done here.  Take a load off – I just need to ask Eric if its ok for you to be here” I told her and now the girl dropped her jaw.

“That guy is an asshole” Sierra offered her heartfelt opinion along with an angry pout.

“That’s Colonel Asshole, to you” I laughed.

“Fitting name for a dude whose got a stick shoved up his butt all the time” Sierra chuckled but then turned serious real fast.  “You’re serious, aren’t you?  Now you have get permission to interface with people on this base?” she wanted to know but I only shrugged.

“Damned if I know, girlfriend – but I do know that my ass is getting damned sore from being reamed all the frigging time” was my complaint for all the good it would do and then realized I shouldn’t have said what I did.

“And just what was it, again, that you and Greg did that got Eric and Collin all bent?” Sierra wanted to know, looking at me through narrowed eyes and what was that Aidan had said to me?  About Sierra’s tenacity?

“Nothing for you to concern yourself with, kiddo” I tried to dissuade her as I sent off my email to Eric.  “Honestly, though – I need to clear your being here with Eric.  You ok, though?”

“I’m the size of a frigging house, do I look ok to you?” was her testy comeback and ok, what to say to that?

“Speaking of, you really should be resting, taking it easy, you know?  Not wandering around the base” was my gentle scolding.

“Who can rest with all this shit going on?  Collin and Aidan are taking off again for God knows how long this time” Sierra complained.  “I guess neither of them wanna be here when… I…” and that was it, the girl started to cry.  I wanted to tell her I would be here when she gave birth, given Eric’s recent advice for me not to pack my bags, but really didn’t have a clue just where I’d be.

Getting up out of my chair I went round to my friend, crouching beside her chair.

“Hey, hey – c’mon, girl.  Nothing’s that bad, honest.  They got jobs to do is all, it ain’t like they don’t wanna be here, Sierra” I tried to soothe her but she continued to cry like she hadn’t even heard me.  “They both want nothing more than to be here when the twins come, really.  Hey, I got some names for you, girl” I tried to coax her out of her crying jag and no through her sniffles she looked at me.  The look on her face, in her eyes, did nothing short of rip out my heart.

“Kaden” I told her with a smile.  “Means fighter – that’s for the little assassin you got going on in there” I laughed.  “And Kiran – that means ray of light, nice for a little girl” I reasoned and now Sierra grew quiet, mulling over the names.  Names which Aidan had picked out, no less.

“Kaden, Kiran” she tried them on for size, seeming to like them.  She asked me to search for some good names that started with the letter k since she didn’t have ‘net access.  My friend also told me that Aidan was never around long enough to ask his opinion and she didn’t want their kids to be born without having names already picked out, in case Aidan wasn’t present.

“I like those, Kevin” she said with a smile, now drying her eyes.

“Kaden Kael O’Reilly and Kiran Fiona O’Reilly” I told her and now she brightened, so I guess she liked the names.  At least she wasn’t crying anymore, so that was something.  Sierra had mentioned about some freaky naming tradition the O’Reillys had, mostly for male children.  The firstborn male got the father’s middle name, after that I lost track of the rules.  Kael was Aidan’s middle name and Fiona had been his mother’s first name.  Well, I could have cared less what they named their kids, but to make Sierra happy, I helped her out – which meant I got in touch with the father and asked him.  I wasn’t no dummy, after all.

“Thanks, Kevin – thanks a lot” Sierra said, reaching out to squeeze my hand.  “At least someone cares about me” and there she went, right back to being dark and moody.

“Girl, that kind of talk is going to get me in some serious trouble with your men” I laughed and then getting to my feet I offered her a hand up.  “They care about you more than you’ll ever know, Sierra – so just stop it, ok?  Let’s get you back to your room so you can take a nap or whatever moms-to-be do when they are about to have a breakdown” I chuckled and now she slapped my arm.  “Of course, if Eric sees me he’s gonna ream my ass – again” I complained as I now led her out of my office and away from the IT section.

“Yeah, well – we’ll see about that” the girl mumbled under her breath and I wouldn’t want to be Eric just then should he cross paths with Sierra.  “I’m feeling like a snack – can you take me as far as the mess hall?” she asked and so I nodded – and was actually able to get her there without being spotted by Eric.

Before leaving Sierra there, I cautioned her one more time to not stress over Aidan and Collin.  She assured me some food would do her good, but I wasn’t so sure.  After I took my leave I messaged Kelly and told her where to find Sierra and that the girl needed some company.  I knew that Sierra would tell Kelly to get lost at times because she’d get to feeling smothered – but right then Sierra needed smothering.

Praying that my day did not get any stranger, I went back to work – making the rounds now with the rest of my techs, trying to pick up some of the slack.  There was always a mountain of work to do, and the more I had, the less ass reaming I’d have to take from Colonel Jones.  After all, it was harder to hit a moving target.

By the time the day had drawn to a close, and then some, long into the night, actually, I got a summons from the man.  Collin wanted to see me in his quarters.  Ok, was he going to ream my ass now?  Not sure, but Collin usually launched reprimands either in his office.  Maybe he just messed up is PDA again, I considered, or blew up his laptop.  The man and software did not get along, that was for sure.  He was a Windoze holdout, didn’t wanna have to reacquaint himself with SE Linux – against orders from AHC, no less.  However, who was I to argue with the base Commander?

When I had asked him what was so great about Windows, his weak excuse was that it was better for music.  I could only blink at him but whatever.  He was an eccentric guy and it was pointless to argue with him.  I had gone as far as setting up a really boss laptop for him with Ubuntu Linux, sixty-four bit speed machine with everything he could ever want or need to slice and dice audio.

The man didn’t say a word, just looked at me like I was nuts – although he did thank me and said he would give it a try.

It was still gathering dust in his office.

Reaching Collin’s quarters I knocked on the door and then waited until I heard his customary one word grant of entrance – come.  And so in I went and found him in his sleeping quarters, packing.

“What can I help you with, Commander?” I asked, standing there with my hands stuffed in my pockets and ready for the unexpected.

“Got your bags packed?” he now asked, paying me scant attention.

“Colonel Jones told me not to pack them just yet, sir” I told him and now he cast me a glance.

“You know, I believe I owe you an apology, Captain Wong” Collin actually said to me.  “Things are seldom what they seem” he told me, echoing Aidan’s assertion to me from earlier that day.  Pausing for a moment, my CO looked down and then closed his eyes for a moment before again looking to me.

“Let’s sit” he said and then led the way into his sitting room. Motioning me to take a seat on the couch I did just that, while he in turned parked his butt down in a chair next to the fireplace.  “I’m aware of just how hard Eric has been riding you – and you need to know that’s not my doing.  I had told Colonel Jones to handle you and Greg as he saw fit.  Mine was to merely lead him on, Kevin – so that he would truly believe my assertion.  That the Plan and Its Furtherance are fairytales and therefore hold me no interest.”

I swore my jaw must have hit the ground in that moment.

“Don’t look so shocked, Captain” Collin chuckled.  “There are a lot of things going on lately that I just plain don’t understand, and one of them is why Eric tried so hard this evening to change my mind about taking you along, for the Tribunal.  Eric played it from the angle that it would give you and Greg opportunity to continue your quest to unravel the past which continues to influence our future.  That probably does hold much validity – however, as much as it does, I don’t believe this is the primary reason Colonel Jones wants you to remain behind.”

“Well, sir – then, why?” I asked, because he had me at a disadvantage.  I didn’t have a clue what was going on and hadn’t all frigging day.

“Because he wants to Attend – although he did not say as much” Collin now told me.  “However, if you do not Attend then the natural conclusion would be that he would.  Now, why is my Second so anxious to go to The Order, eh?” he put to me and now I was really really really lost.  Why he should broach any of this with me was just blowing my mind.

“Maybe he just wants to make sure you’ll be ok” I suggested.  “I mean, you guys are friends.”  Collin seemed to find this amusing, however.

“The more things stay the same, the more they change” was his twist on an old saying.  “I need your help, Master Geek, and that of Captain MacNamara.  There’s research that needs to be done – you have my leave to continue your present and ongoing pursuit, so long as Eric is none the wiser.  However, I am certain that you and Greg have been dodging his bullets along the path of breaking my orders, hmm?” Collin posed with a shrug.  You just could not pull anything over on Collin and that was the truth.

“How would you feel about working with Bryan?” Collin totally now floored me.  Was he fishing?  I wasn’t certain, because he was one cool customer when he needed to be – like any good Member, I considered.

“I’d rather nuke my data center” was my hasty reply and this made Collin laugh.

“Sleeping with the enemy by any other name” Collin now inferred the exact same thing Colonel Jones had.

“Look, sir – I don’t know what kind of test this is,” I slowly began, “and I don’t really care, I just wish you’d come right out with it.  I kind of feel like I am the butt of some twisted joke and I don’t even know what that joke is, if you take my meaning.  I just want to do my job and not get hassled all day.”

“And Colonel Jones has been, and will continue, hassling you – a lot, Captain Wong” Collin” was his assurance.  “I do have one piece of advice for you, though – try to make the best of it.  Who knows how long I will be in command of this base, and when I no longer am?  Well, you can rest assured, Eric is next in line.  Are you getting my drift, Captain?”  I could only look at him – I was more confused now than before.

The thought of Collin not being base Commander scared the crap out of me.  At least he was a fair and impartial man, if but a hard one.  Eric on the other hand?  Well, he was Hitler come again and without Collin’s presence to temper the Colonel’s heavy hand then I might as well be stationed right back at AFA High Command.

“Yes, sir” I affirmed, swallowing hard and again, as when I had seen him earlier that day, I sensed there was something else he wanted to say to me but was reluctant.  “Is there something else, sir?  Off the record, perhaps?” I laid down my cards in hope I could flush him out.

“Well, this whole conversation is pretty much off record, really” Collin mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment as he pinched the bridge of his nose.  With a weighted sigh, he again looked to me.  “Aidan wants me to give Sierra back her Palm – and give her open ‘net access” the man now blew me away.  “My brother would not go into the specifics, however, but assures me that in the long run, it may well save lives.  Now, I can’t imagine just how that might be, but Aidan would never ask something like that of me without facts to back it up.  So, what does he know that I don’t?  Lots – but his kind of knowledge, for the most part, I could live happily ever after not knowing.”  Ain’t that the truth, I thought in total agreement.

“I hate to even suggest it, but could Aidan be setting you up?” I asked but Collin shook his head.

“Aidan isn’t divisive” was his matter-of-fact response.  “Look, IT is your area of expertise, Master Geek.  I trust you, your judgment, and will go with whatever you advise.  Admittedly, I am not in a position to make a sound decision, given my feelings towards Sierra” my Commander actually conceded.  The question was – was I in any better position?  Probably not but I had an edge – I loved my network more than I loved Sierra.  Sierra was, after all, an unrequited love.

“I can’t trust her, Collin – and that’s the sad truth of it all” I said my piece.  “It’s not like I think she’s working against us, or anything like that – its just, well, something just isn’t right, you know?  Her alleged past versus what I personally know of her from Pre-Time.  Things don’t mesh and hey, granted – everyone has skeletons in their closets, but Sierra?  Well, she’s got so many you can hear them rattling a mile away.  Now, does this mean that I think she will sabotage us?  No, not at all – however, there is no way you can set limits or boundaries for her to follow and expect that she actually will comply.  It just ain’t going to happen – she’s already demonstrated that a Palm in her hands means trouble.

“My advice is no – keep her cut off” I said in conclusion but Collin didn’t respond, at least not right away.

“You can always look at it as never ending threat defense proving for your network?” Collin suggested with a grin.

“Commander, I have enough work as it is without having to chase around Sierra all day – sir” I told him while trying not to sound too cranky about it.  However, it was doubtful that I pulled it off.

“I know, you are right, Captain Wong – and I agree.  So, it boils down to this – your advice or my brother’s” he put to me.  “AFA High Command is at me, constantly, to build a stronger relationship with Aidan – although they offer up no suggestions on how I should accomplish this” the Commander complained, almost as if talking to himself instead of his grunt.  It was kind of pointless, his line of thinking, because Aidan and Collin were tight with one another, regardless that they held opposing allegiances.

“I would think giving Testament on his behalf for the Tribunal would be one major way to do it, Commander” I offered.  “After all, Aidan knows how you feel about going to The Order, given that they keep trying to get you to willingly Reaffirm.  One of these days they are going to stop asking nicely, if you know what I mean.”

“Well, put” Collin grumbled as he now got to his feet, and so I did the same.  “Status quo, Captain Wong – although I am unsure how Aidan will feel about that.  It is a matter which requires grave consideration, that of letting the cat back out of the bag, as it were.

“See my tailor asap, Captain.  You cannot wear dress grays to a Brotherhood Tribunal” the man now told me.  “I guess you haven’t read that far yet, eh?  Fact of the matter is, The Order does not recognize the AFA as a legitimate society.”  With this I could only blink.  “We are infidels, Master Geek, in their eyes, at least, and that is the truth of the matter.  Andrew will set you up with the proper attire for a Brotherhood Tribunal.  Dismissed, Captain” Collin now sent me off and so with a bow I did just that.  And off I went on my way with yet one more thing to accomplish before I could get some shuteye.

Although something told me I’d be sleeping on the flight up to Zion at the rate things were going.

And that was about the size of it – we were to leave in the morning and I had way too many things to cross off my list before I could go.  I was forced to hand them off to Brad, one of my Senior Techs, with instructions to contact me whenever the need would arise.  Tribunal or no, my first priority was our base’s network and data center.

After getting my ducks in a row, and picking up my new threads from the base’s Wardrobe Master, I was as ready as I would ever be.  In passing I ran into Colonel Jones, who only leveled me one extremely icy look.  This I returned with my best game face in place and a bow of respect.  Just to be out of reach from his cattle prod for a while would be like heaven – even if it meant doing a stint at The Order.  That could take a while, if what I had read about Tribunals was correct.

As we gathered at the main entrance, waiting for a transport to taxi us down to the airfield, I saw Greg working away on his Palm, as was I doing the same.  Trying to get our business done before taking off.

We were an odd bunch, that was for sure.  Aaron looked as calm and collected as any Member would be – however, knowing what I knew about The Order’s unsanctioned quest in Pre-Time to whack all Ascendancy Members?  Well, I was sure Aaron wasn’t exactly thrilled about walking into the lion’s den.  Finney probably wasn’t any more thrilled, since he was Legion.

Sierra and Aidan arrived together, with Kelly trailing behind.  The young assassin from The Way was a nice girl, I had to admit – but kept in mind that she was, or had been, a Member.  The Order did not recognize female Members and so, by her marrying Bryan had lost her status.  After a fashion, anyway.

To watch Sierra with Aidan turned my stomach but, whatever.  The guy truly loved her, and she him.  When they were together, it was almost possible to forget what Aidan was, and how many men the dude had probably killed with his bare hands.  Being with her, though, he was just like any other guy, which made me wonder – was this truly who he was?  Did he have his game face on only when he wasn’t with Sierra?  I had to wonder.  You’d think it was an act, the way he was with her – but no, I was pretty damned sure not.

Once Collin decided to grace us with his presence, being fashionably late per usual, we got underway.  Sierra stood there, dejectedly, watching us as we got into the vehicle which took us away.  Crying her eyes out she was, but the girl was pregnant, what did we expect?  I gave her a subtle wave good-bye, along with a wink and a smile – I would miss her, I knew.

After we were in the air, I wasted no time in falling asleep.  I was exhausted and within moments had dozed off – dead to the world until we landed.  It was easy to do – no one was feeling very talkative on that flight, I noted with interest.

I had never been to the Head State of the Realm of The Order, as Members called it.  Infidels weren’t welcome here, after all.  They had picked a great spot to setup housekeeping, I thought – the old Zion National Park was perfect, and in keeping with The Brotherhood’s green philosophy.  They were, as a whole, ecology minded – then as now.  Zion was a good blend for them.  Just enough infrastructure as far as paved roads and the like went, and plenty of nature with its dirt roads and goat paths.

Once our plane was on the ground, I prepared myself for god only knew what.  Everything pretty much was a mystery past the point of getting there.

We were greeted by Aidan’s Captain of Assassins, Brennan Dunne.  However, Bryan was in attendance and when no one was looking, he winked at me.  He just made my blood boil no two ways about it.

“Everyone must surrender their Palms” Aidan announced.  “That means your PDA as well, Collin” he tacked on, but Collin didn’t hesitate, not one iota he was so happy that he would not be dogged by technology at The Order.  He whipped his evil Windows CE device out of his pocket and handed it to Bryan.

I almost keeled over backwards that piece of shit was so hackable it wasn’t even funny!  Regardless all the mods I had made to the damned thing.

Bryan’s happy little wink now made a lot of sense.

In a huff, I dragged mine out and gave it to him.

“Here, knock yourself out” I grumbled, shaking my head.  So much for my being reachable if there was an emergency.  It was clear that when in Rome was the order of the day.  In The Order, only Lords had access to technology, and those who were the equivalent to our officers in The Order’s militia.  It was kind of funny – they did not call their armed forces, well, armed forces, or even the military.  Militia is how they labeled it, as if to down play its effectiveness or something, or perhaps to give appearance that they were only trying to defend themselves.

Which, from what I had gathered, was what they had been trying to do – just keep everyone off their backs.

Greg next surrendered his Palm, along with a respectful bow – something that I hadn’t bothered doing and was certain I’d hear about it later.

Finney and Aaron didn’t make a move to surrender theirs, though and so I just kind of gawked.  They were considered to be Lords, then, even if neither man was Order.

Well, if that didn’t make me feel like chopped meat I didn’t know what could.

“Special occasion?” Collin now asked his brother, with a nod towards the hybrid vehicle which was waiting for us.

“Its a long walk to my home and I don’t have quite enough tame saddle horses on hand to accommodate” was his explanation and slam all rolled into one.  Aidan probably figured I’d fall off a horse – that was my guess.  Then it dawned on me – he said his home.  It hadn’t occurred to me that assassins had homes.  Greg and I exchanged a brief glance – his said I told you so.  The Captain-Major had told me that The Order had a roaring economy in place, it wasn’t some slung together society.  Theirs was one which honored The Ways, no less – and was as green as could be.  Technology – this was the enemy in the Eyes of not only The Order, but The Brotherhood as well.

There were Members in attendance who were stowing our baggage into the vehicle, and I noticed that each had a tattoo on the back of his left hand.  Aidan had slaves?  The only reason I knew about slaves of The Order was from my stint at one of their secured subterranean bases.  Some had been assigned to babysit me.

“Will your guests be Attending the Emergence Ceremony with you tonight, milord?” Captain of Assassins Dunne asked Aidan.  This one puzzled me, but Greg appeared to know what it was, this ceremony.  After all, Greg had ferreted out all the information he could on The Brotherhood, both Pre-Time and Post-Time.

“I at least will be there, Brennan – wouldn’t miss it” Aidan said with an uncharacteristic open smile.  “What name have you chosen for your son?” he asked and now I just about keeled over.

His Captain of Assassins had a wife – and a child!  I kept forgetting that for some reason – just like I seemed to keep forgetting that Members of The Order were actually normal people.

“Liam Trenton” the man returned and so Aidan nodded with approval.

Suddenly I felt myself being subtly elbowed by Greg.  Apparently I was standing there gaping.

“Please make yourself at home” Aidan now addressed Greg and me.  “My servants will see to it that you get settled in” and with that Aidan bowed to us and then the Members started walking.

“Gentlemen, until later” Collin said in parting and then joined the others for the walk.

Greg and I were being treated differently, because we were not Members, and although on the surface it would appear a courtesy, a lift to Aidan’s home, I was sure that it was meant as a slam.  However, if you thought about it – Collin always made us walk from the airfield back at his base.

The more I found out about Collin’s brother, the more alike Aidan and Collin were, which was more than I was comfortable in considering.

Knowing better than to argue with our host, Greg and I just did like we were told.  We piled in and were soon on our way.

The ride was a welcome luxury at any rate, and an eyeopener at that.  The Members of The Order had not been idle in building their society – they had a bustling little township going on.

Aidan’s home was on the outskirts of civilization, if you could call the small burg that.  The Order’s Head of Assassins had a sprawling estate – but as we drew near it was clear most of this spread was devoted to horses.

Pulling up the long driveway, I could now see a figure waiting by the entrance – and there went any happy thoughts I might have entertained.

It was Quade – Aidan’s favorite shark-partner.  Wonderful, was my black thought as I locked eyes with him and now the shark grinned.

The two slaves who had seen to our luggage and drove us there now got out of the vehicle, and went straight over the Quade.  Each got down on the ground, on their knees, but the driver went one further.  After bowing extremely low to Quade, he then lay prostrate upon the ground.  Greg and I exchanged a curious look as we got out of the hybrid.

“Captain-Major MacNamara, Captain Wong – greetings; its good to see both of you” the shark said, all smiles now – and the scary thing was it appeared that he meant it.

“Has this man done something wrong?” Greg asked, cutting to the chase of what we both wanted to know.

“This slave used technology forbidden him” was his matter-of-fact explanation but then went one further.  “Censure is required.”

“For, what?  Driving us back from town?” I had to go ask.  “Didn’t Aidan command him to pick us up?”

“That doesn’t negate the offense, Captain” Quade returned matter-of-fact, like this was supposed to mean anything.  “This Member volunteered, understanding Censure would be in order as a result” he then added in clarification.

“I think we’re missing quite a bit of the picture, aren’t we, Master Quade?” Greg decided, and yeah – I had to agree.  Aidan was a big shot here at The Order.  He couldn’t find someone else to pick us up who wouldn’t get the shit beat out of him afterwards?

“Naturally, since you do not Belong” was Quade’s now very overt insult.  “Member,” he now addressed the man lying prostrate on the ground, “Lord O’Reilly will deal with you upon his return.  You and your associate may go about your duties.”  With this both men rose, bowing to Quade before they both set about their task of unloading our baggage from the vehicle.

“Come, this way” Quade instructed, pleasantly enough but it was hard to picture this shark functioning as welcome wagon.  He led us into Aidan’s home which was, as expected, spartan.  Functional comfort was how Members referred to their style of living.  Just past the entrance, hanging over the archway which led into the great room, was a crucifix – one that looked damned old at that, from antiquity I had no doubts.  A reminder of the Faith of The Order – something to be reckoned with since each and every Member was a Devout.

“Lord O’Reilly instructed me to tell you that his home is your home” the shark now told us as he led the way to the guest rooms.  “Aidan apologizes for the lack of accommodations, you will have to double up.  Facilities are at the end of the hall – when you are ready please help yourself to refreshments in the kitchen.  A servant will be in attendance should you require anything.  Until later, gentlemen” Quade now concluded, delivering respectful bow which both Greg and I returned, to varying degrees.  At least we remembered to bow Brotherhood style, I considered.

After Quade had melted off, Greg and I just looked at one another.

“Well, this is creepy” I muttered under my breath, looking around.

“How so?” Greg asked as he now sat down in a chair by the window.

“It’s well – normal” I chuckled but was then startled when one of the slaves materialized with Greg’s and my bags.

“To Serve” the slave told us, bowing his head for a moment, but not getting down on one knee.  After all, Greg and I were AFA and not Brotherhood.  “Is there anything you require?” the Member politely asked.

“No thank you, Member – that will be all” Greg sent the slave off with a nod and so the guy did just that, backing away with a bow to then disappear through the doorway.

“Ok, so it’s not home,” Greg offered with a grin and a shrug, “but it’s not hell either.  It is pretty much what I expected, though” he mumbled, glancing around.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but Collin appears relieved to be here, instead of being scared out of his wits” was my observation as I now sat down on the edge of the bed.  This seemed to trouble Greg, though, my comment.

“Yeah, that’s interesting, given that The Order has been pressuring him to Reaffirm, and Reaffirmation is our Commander’s worst nightmare” he stated and yeah, it didn’t make a lot of sense, but then again, nothing about Collin did.  The dude was like a Rubik’s Cube – just one big puzzle.  Funny thing was, he also seemed to be a key piece in a much bigger puzzle – one called The Furtherance.

And that was one mystery yet to be solved – one I wasn’t sure, come the end, that any of us would be thrilled once ferreted out.

“Did you ever take her dancing?” I asked Aidan off-the-cuff as I wiped the sweat from my brow.  PDA in my possession or no, songs always accompanied me wherever I went, rolling through my mind and one in particular had presented itself this time.

Aidan and I had stopped to take a break at a stunning overlook into the valley below.  The beauty   of Zion was enough to knock out the eyes of most anyone, and so it was clear why The Order had chosen this place to establish its society.

And here my heart felt at peace, surprisingly enough – regardless the bleakness of purpose which had brought me to this place.

Crouching down, my brother didn’t answer my question – but then again, I had not expected him to.  Mira was, then as now, a subject which was taboo.

And then hell froze over.

“Yes – as often as I could, but I am nowhere near as good a dancer as you are, Collin” he told me, and then hell did more than just freeze over – it froze rock solid.

Aidan actually smiled.

“Miranda remarked on more than one occasion what a great dancer you were – she said you could sing like an angel and dance up a storm” my brother actually laughed, shaking his head in fond remembrance of a woman whom he had greatly loved.

I, in the meantime, was waiting for the other shoe to drop – which generally consisted of Aidan grabbing me by the collar, or laying me low with two strategically placed fingers.  Discussions about my former lover, his deceased wife, always tended to end in this fashion.

Sitting down next to where he was crouched, I looked at my brother for a long time before I spoke.

“You’re in deep shit, aren’t you?” I bluntly put to him, abruptly changing the subject.  Surprisingly Aidan nodded in affirmation as he now sat down as well.  “You never did tell me what you did to piss of the Grand Head to make him rescind your Bonding Proposal with Sierra” I went a little further, but perhaps too far.  My brother now became as silent as a clam.

“I have been protecting someone” was Aidan’s explanation when he again found his voice.  “Whatever it takes.”  Now there was a scary assertion – whatever it takes.  When my brother would utter this string of words?  Well, then no one and nothing had better get in his way.

“To the point that you would allow your Station to be threatened?” I asked but obviously I didn’t understand The Brotherhood as well as I should have.  I could clearly see this reflected in my brother’s eyes.

“I am a valuable asset – Dmitri and the High Council understand this, accept this” Aidan told me.  “I am Brotherhood, I am Order – to the very core.  However, this doesn’t mean that I am a mindless killing machine, Collin.”

“No?” I asked with feigned surprise but then grinned – often I had accused him of being the very same.  “This place is beautiful, brother – I feel like I could live happily ever after here” I again changed direction, and now my brother was beginning to get tweaked.  If there was one thing Aidan hated, then that was when I would emulate a ping pong ball.  Leveling me one rather stormy look he just slowly shook his head.  “The lack of technology is like a breath of fresh air” I made mention and then did just that – drew in one very long, deep breath of pristine air.

“Its not like we don’t have any, Collin – rather instead we confine it, restrict its use” he explained, which brought to mind what Greg had told me.  My Captain-Major recounted for me that one of Aidan’s slaves was to be Censured for driving him and Kevin back from town.  I wasn’t comfortable in knowing this, any more than I was comfortable with the idea of Lords of The Order possessing God’s children as slaves.

“Gotta ask, about your, uh, slave, and his Censure?” I tested but my brother only released a weighted sigh.  “Couldn’t you have found someone else to drive?” I asked in part, holding back the rest.

“At present, I am under what you might call house arrest” he informed me and I was certain as result my jaw must have gone slack.  “I was allowed to attend, briefly, the Ceremony last night for my Captain of Assassin’s newborn son, but that’s about it, Collin.  Until the Tribunal is over and the cost of my disobedience decided, I have about as many restrictions placed upon me as my slaves.”

“No shit?” my tongue got ahead of my brain.  “Who have you been trying to protect?” I probed, just plain getting nosy.  Aidan thought about it for a moment before looking to me.

“You” was his simple response.  “You are my priority, Collin.”

“You know, you keep saying that but never bother to tell me why in any detail” was my acrid return for each time he’d make this same assertion it would thoroughly weird me out.

“You are my brother” he wasted no time in countering and then, disturbingly enough, he released a weighted sigh.

This said more to me than could any words.  He was worried about me, and when Aidan got worried he always had a damned good reason to back it up.

“There are a lot of things as of late that have been making me feel rather ill at ease” I confessed and so now Aidan glanced at me.  “Aaron for one – and before you go off on his being Ascendancy, that is not a factor.  This Member also feels a need to protect me – has he bought into the same legend as have Members of The Order?” I set up my hand and then laid out my cards by saying, “And what is this Alternative Faith of which he speaks?  Is that the wellspring of the this legend?” and that did it.  My brother actually stiffened.  “Aidan?” I now prompted, laying a hand to his arm.  Casting his eyes to the ground, my brother drew in a deep, measured breath.

“I cannot continue to protect you, brother, if you insist on remaining AFA” Aidan spoke in a soft voice.  Well, if he was trying to protect me from danger within The Order, then the AFA should be my safe haven.

Shouldn’t it?

Suddenly I thought not and so a chill crept over me.  Aidan never made assessments without possessing data which would bear them out.

“The enemy within” my brother now mumbled and then ran a hand over his eyes.  This was distressing, the gesture, since it was one I myself favored when feeling great discord.  “I can never speak to you of my concerns, Collin – you are AFA and will defend your comrades tooth and claw.  Anything I might say you would dismiss because of my relationship with your… confidants” Aidan told me and now it was my turn to go stiff.

Jonesy had made one hell of a concerted effort to get me to change my mind about who would accompany me to The Order.  So he could go in Kevin’s stead, I was certain.  And now Aidan brings up this small matter of an enemy within?

One thing I did know about my brother and this was that he did not play games, nor did he make false accusations.

“There’s a book” I now spoke up, clearing my throat and wanting to avoid the matter of my trusted friends perhaps not being worthy of my trust.  “A book that Aaron wanted to show me, one that speaks of this Alternative Faith, the one of which The Ascendant Believes” I told him and now Aidan was all ears.  “He was supposed to take me to see this book, but other affairs took precedence before we could undertake our journey” I explained with a shrug.  “You know me, I’ll follow any and all leads in the search for The Cup, even if they might lead me astray.  It’s this Alternative Faith that was, is, the bone of contention between The Order and The Ascendancy, am I right?”

“Yes” my brother made admission.  “It was a text, however, that could neither be confirmed nor denied, and thus the contention.  Unless, of course, what it portends should come to pass.”

“Aaron said that he could not personally enlighten me because this book was part of the official Repository of The Ascendancy,” I told him, “and since I was not Ascendancy, then he was unable to reveal its content or nature, and thus he would arrange for me to read it myself.  Does this ring true?”

“Correct – the same can be said of the Repository of The Order” the bastard now revealed and so I just gawked.  The Order had a library?  One filled with books that were off limits to me, unless I Reaffirmed, I had a hunch.  This was like an irresistible sweet treat, such ancient texts.

“And you were going to tell me this, when, exactly?” I asked in a low voice.  “About The Order having a Repository?”

“Had you made the effort to learn more about the Fraternity of Man to which you Belong…” Aidan began but then shrugged.  “The text of which Aaron speaks is not in our official Repository, Collin – so even if you Reaffirm, I can be of no help on that front.  I can, however, tell you the basics.  This book speaks of the Son of God who comes to this Earth during a time of crisis.  And it is not the Second Coming, Collin – the book speaks instead of the Second Son of God.

“With the help of the First Son, the Second Son will unite our world and bring to us Everlasting Peace” my brother told me.  This sounded suspiciously like the legend he had told me about not long so ago, after we had made our exit from the aged copper mine far below God’s Earth.  “And yes, this is where the legend of which I spoke to you had its beginnings.  The text the Ascendancy tried to Promote, this very text was banned by The Order.  Blasphemy it was labeled.  Ancient in its nature, the original scripture, some said it must Truth but, who really knows?  Rumor had it The Ascendancy did not possess the original – they had a copy which was made in antiquity, but ever did they persue the original.  I would venture to guess that your friend Aaron is still in search of this.

“I suppose that it boils down to Faith, Collin – and why the Faith of The Ascendancy differs from that of The Order” my brother said in conclusion.

However, to my mind, this was in no way a closed topic.

“Is this what you are trying to protect me from?” I asked point blank and so without hesitation he nodded.

“Rumors and speculation run rampant among the masses – in any society, Collin.  Military or otherwise, rumors circulate, they take on a life of their own, they grow – exponentially” was his determination.  “Often times leaders will use these to their own advantage, and don’t think the AFA above executing such maneuvers, brother.  You think yourself well-connected to AFA High Command, but you know so about little those who chart the course of the AFA.”

“And you know more about your own allegiance?” I had to go and ask, and yup – there was the you moron look in his eyes.

“I am a High Council Member, I have more of a clue about The Order than you do the AFA” he was now more than happy to point out.  “The AFA is a much larger pond than The Order.  You could hold the rank of Elite-General and still not have any real clear idea, Collin – no offense intended.  Regardless, I refuse to let my brother become some pawn in a twisted game.  And let’s face it, brother, you are rather open to suggestion, and more importantly, the fantastic.  Who better to target than you?  Given your hobby.”

“I may and may not be a lot of things, Aidan,” I spoke in a controlled voice, “but I am not a simpleton, nor I am not that gullible.  I am not so hung on myself as to entertain for a single moment that I might be the object of this Alternative Faith” I made clear.  That notion was just plain absurd.

“That would work in their favor as well, those who would seek to paint you into the role of Second Son” he reasoned.  “Reluctance is a useful guise, after all.  What I am saying, Collin, is simply this – eyes wide open.  In my quest for the Truth, I have found it necessary to color outside the lines, a lot, and then use to advantage my intimate knowledge of Brotherhood Law in order to negate consequences.  And so my impropriety has come into question on more than one occasion now by the Grand Head.  Hence his recommendation to the High Council of a Tribunal to sort out the matter.  I knew I could not keep dodging bullets forever, Collin – but you are my priority, you are Family.”  What could I say to that?  Not much I knew.  He was my big brother and had been watching out for me my whole life it seemed – from day one, probably even while we were together in the womb.

“It is downright freaky that so many of us O’Reillys survived” I opined with an aggravated sigh.  “I’m sure that doesn’t help much when it comes to promotion of this legend, this… fairytale” I told him and now he offered me a curious look, fleeting though it was, and had vanished no sooner than presented.

“Would you consider Reaffirmation?” my brother now asked and here we go again, I thought in dismay.  How many ways could I say no?  Not knowing what I did about The Order’s intentions for the Cup of Christ should they recover it.  It went against everything I believed and Aidan damned well knew this.

“I’ll tell you what – if The Order recovers the Cup, then I will Reaffirm” I told him flat out.  “Does this work for you?” I wanted to know, sounding testy but oh well, I was.  Fact of the matter being that at times I was sorely tempted to align myself with my Brother and The Order.  However, with me in one camp and him in another, we had more resources, and rather diverse ones, at our beck and call.

“Yes” was my brother’s simple reply.  “Swear, Collin, Swear to me, personally, and I will never again ask you to Reaffirm” the man now shocked me to the point that I almost keeled over.  I wasn’t sure whether or not I would miss his incessant nagging of me.

“Ok, let’s do this up right – got your knife on you?” I asked, knowing he always carried one and sure enough, he was now quick to present it.  Taking hold of the handle of the lethally sharp blade, I paused before drawing it across the palm of my hand.  “Uh, you guys haven’t already found It, have you?  The Cup?” I asked with a laugh of unease.  Since Aidan just held my eyes and did not dignify my affront with an answer, I went ahead and drew a shallow slice across my palm.  I went deeper than I would have liked because my hand was not as steady as it should have been.  In all honesty I was rather reluctant to commit but wasn’t about to back out now.  Once done I then handed him the knife, prompting him to do the same, which he did without second thought, or even a first.

We then pressed together our palms, my blood mixing with his own.

“I Swear to you, Aidan Kael O’Reilly, my Brother, that should the Cup of Christ be Recovered by The Order, then I will, without further delay or hesitation, Reaffirm my Oath to The Brotherhood and Its Order” I swore, hoping I had worded it well enough for him and apparently this was acceptable to Aidan.

“This might just save your life, Collin, in more than one way” was his solemn assertion as he now licked the blood off his palm, and from his knife as well, making me feel a bit queasy as he did so.

Mostly because I could discern just how much he relished the taste.

“You know, you guys are just way too melodramatic” I grumbled in complaint as I watched him.  With a sly grin my brother chuckled.

“Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?” Aidan put to me and yeah, probably – but I was of the mind that Members were far more into melodrama than was I.

Now licking the blood from my own palm, mainly because I wasn’t about to wipe it on my running pants, this action of mine now made my brother laugh out loud.  The man had been in one rarefied mood the past day, no two ways about it.  I had the distinct impression that he loved being here, being home – and again, Zion was certainly a place that knocked out one’s eyes with its beauty.

So peaceful it was that I found myself sorely tempted to stay.

“C’mon, we should be getting back” Aidan decided as he got to his feet.  “Your friends are concerned about you, I’m sure.”  That was Truth enough, and they had a right to, no less.  I had been feeling adrift as of late, and when I felt that way I would often gravitate towards what my comrades would consider unhealthy pursuits.

We started back at a leisurely jog, but had gotten no further than a few hundred feet before Aidan took hold of my my arm.  Stopping me in my tracks, he considered me at length before saying what was on his mind.

“She could never shake you out of her soul, you know” my brother got downright candid about his wife, my ex-lover and mother of my daughter.

Gawking at my brother as I stood there, I wasn’t sure if I should deck him or embrace the fact that for the first time in literally decades, he and I were having a civil conversation about the woman we had both loved.

Well, this time he was having the conversation and I was the one being silent.

“Is there a purpose in this?” I snapped out of impatience, and not to mention pain.  So many years down the road! I thought in dismay, and still to me the excruciating agony of Miranda’s passing was as recent as if it had happened just yesterday.  Aidan only held my gaze, but I could read the words in his eyes – you started it, that’s what he felt like saying.

“So much of our lives together we have missed, because we are constantly on the move in an attempt to evade our pain” was how he answered this question.  “The pain of her death – it has separated us for decades.  What is it about her, or you and me, that keeps us from getting past this one tragedy?”

“Ok, that’s it – never did I think the day would come when my brother the assassin would admit to running away… from anything” I told him and then drawing a hand across my eyes I let it linger there for, per usual, a head-throbber now threatened to pay me a visit.  Gathering up my braincells, which were on the verge of scattering in a panic, I lowered my hand and then looked at my brother.

“Aidan, what is going on that you suddenly feel a need for catharsis?” I put to him point blank but now he shut up tight as a clam – at least on this subject.

“We should get back” was what he said once he finally decided to say something at all.  “There will be a midday meal waiting, and then I need to go to Confession before the Tribunal gets underway” he informed me and so rose my level of concern.  This Tribunal was not just a slap on the hand, it was clear.  It was my turn now to latch on to him, before he could jog off and leave me there staring.

“I should have perhaps had greater cause for concern, then, I assume,” I slowly began, “because our cousin has had precious little to say about the Tribunal process beyond forwarding to me a document to read” was my summation, and now it made sense.  Seamus, who normally was one rather talkative Irishman, would turn as silent and reticent as any Member of The Brotherhood when I tried to broach this topic.

“It must be determined whether my actions were in Accordance with Furthering the Greater Good of The Order” Aidan explained matter-of-fact.  “Once this has been settled, then the Tribunal either gets very long and drawn out, or extremely brief.”  Blinking like an idiot, I was afraid to ask what he meant.

This was because I understood – implicitly.

“I don’t want to suppose the worst,” I responded in a low voice, “but I refuse to lose my brother over some perceived guilt!  You could apply for asylum with AFA High Command – you know I would sponsor you in a heartbeat.  You are too important to this Post-Time world to suffer being put to death!” I barked but Aidan only shook his head in refusal.

“Collin, I appreciate your heartfelt stance – but I am Brotherhood, I am Order” was his dour reminder.  “I well understood the risks involved when I took them.  My actions were in the spirit of Greater Good, however – will the Combined Councils agree?  Sometimes to get closer to a thing, one must move further away from it.  This is what could be my undoing, the misinterpretation of these actions” was his candid admission and now my blood ran cold.  “Now, do I suppose they would throw away this tool just so they can make an example of me?  No, I don’t – however, there’s a power struggle going on and since the verdict of the Tribunal is dependent upon interpretation?  Well, I would not risk wager on the outcome.”

“Fantastic” I grumbled and then released a weighted sigh.  Looking down for a moment I tried to reel in my emotions.  To lose my brother in the line of duty was one thing.  However, a senseless death decided by those who held a grudge against him?  This I would never be able to reconcile.

I then felt a hand clasp my shoulder and so as I looked up at my brother, I saw he was now offering me a smile.

“Greater Good will have to Serve” was his assessment.  “That’s how We Members Judge in all things.  If my life should be forfeit then so be it.  At least I can take comfort in knowing that I can count on you to help Sierra raise my children.  Knowing this, then come what may.

“C’mon, let’s get moving” Aidan now prompted, squeezing my shoulder before he then set off at a jog.  So easy for him, I considered in aggravation as I took off after him.  I could be just as black-and-white, I knew, but I was still frequently prone to gray areas.  However, most often times these were of benefit to me – and where I would advance myself and my position, executing the unanticipated.

Aidan was correct – when we returned there was indeed a midday meal in the process of creation.  I could scent its aroma the nearer we drew.  Suddenly, and most unwelcome, a picture of the Last Supper came to mine –  disconcertingly so.

Greg and Kevin were sitting on the back patio when we made our approach.  My Captain-Major was quick to his feet, but Kevin, by contrast, was dozing away.  The geek could sleep anywhere, and through anything, I would swear.

“Go on, brother” Aidan said to me, playing part of the gracious guest.  “You can get refreshed first – I need to take are of a few things down at the stable” he told me and so I nodded in acceptance.  Watching him as he jogged off towards the stable, I released a weighted sigh and then turned to face Greg.

“Yes?” I prompted for my comrade certainly had something he needed to convey.

“How are you holding up, sir?” Greg asked in a low voice and so I could only blink at him.  His question was a discerning one, and on a number of levels.

“My brother is in serious trouble, so what do you think?” was my terse response.  “Aidan can hold his own” I reminded him of the obvious.

“If you haven’t noticed, Aidan’s not exactly big on words” I now heard the tech-geek speak up, not even cracking open an eye as he did.  Prompted by his observation, Greg and I exchanged a glance.

The geek was right, but it was a fact I had been avoiding having to face.  There were no trial lawyers in The Brotherhood, per se, even though there was no shortage of laws.  Not to mention that one was considered emphatically guilty until upon which degree of guilt was decided – and this was precisely what my brother was up against.  And Kevin was right – Aidan wasn’t exactly an orator, much less a seasoned one.

On the other hand – I was, and so was hopeful that my testimony would heavily weigh in his favor.

“Aidan knows Brotherhood Law inside and out, Commander” Greg tried to ease my mind.

“Be that as it may, this doesn’t mean the man is qualified to defend himself” I grumbled, running a hand over my face to let it linger there a moment.  “At least, not in a court of law, at any rate.  Now, if you gentlemen don’t mind I need to shower.  After our meal, we will be going to Confession before Attending the Tribunal” I informed them and now Kevin decided to sit up straight, his hat, which had been shielding his face from the sun, falling away to land in his lap.

And his look was precious.

As he was about to protest, I shot up a hand to curtail his words and said, “No arguments, gentlemen – and that’s an order” I tacked on and then turning on my heel I headed into the house.  When in Rome, after all, or so was my rationale.  None of us went to Confession nearly as often as we should, and Kevin and Greg not at all.

Neither was a good Catholic – and actually they weren’t Catholic at all.  However, that mattered not to me – they were going to Confession with the rest of us and that was that.

Letting the cleansing water of the shower wash away not only trail dust and sweat but a torrent of misgivings was well, by the time we sat down for our meal I was feeling more hopeful.  I said Grace in accordance with Brotherhood Tradition.  I was Aidan’s brother and this was his home, so the Saying of the Grace fell to me – it was considered to be an honor.  I was not as eloquent as I perhaps could have been, given the circumstances, but the words were fitting none the less.

Also in the Tradition of The Brotherhood, all business and differences were put aside while bread was broken.  And so what did talk turn to in their stead?  Equines, of all things.  Here I again found myself feeling like the odd man out.  Aidan and Seamus, in the tradition of all O’Reillys, were fascinated with the beasts, as was Aaron.  Perhaps it was just a Brotherhood thing, I considered – since Aidan’s slaves appeared to be all equally intrinsed with the creatures.

Once we had had our fill of both food and talk, we retired to the patio out back.  Quade and Ryan took their leave of us, heading into town.  Aidan excused himself to check in on the horses in his stables, extending an invitation for the rest of us to tag along.  Greg and Kevin politely declined, preferring to remain at the house – with intent to dissect conversation held while we had broken bread, or so was my suspicion.  I would have preferred to remain behind as well, but that would not have been proper.

Besides – it would serve as a good warm up, playing the part of mediator between Aidan and Aaron.  And I needed all the practice I could get before giving Testament at the impending Brotherhood Tribunal against my brother.  As we made our way down to the stables, I found myself hoping I would be up to the task – after all, my it was clear that my brother’s immediate future was greatly dependent upon its outcome.

Anxious I had been to see what horses Collin’s brother had down in his stables.

Yes and no, in all honesty.  It would be bittersweet if my suspicion panned out.

“Aidan could ride before he could walk, Aaron – and that is no lie” Collin told me of brother, his voice full of pride.  How this man loved his brother! I thought in dismay.  Love was a powerful enemy, and ally as well.  In all I would be required to do where Collin was concerned, I would have to battle his brother – or rather his love for his brother.

One hour, one day one minute at a time, Aaron Gallagher, I cautioned myself.  Those days would be long in the coming, but making their approach they were, looming just over the horizon – much like the stable ahead as we drew near.

One high pitched whinny of greeting stood out from amidst the rest, its owner now visible as the stallion charged up to the fence to say hello to his master.

Which master?  This was the question, now, wasn’t it?

Aidan first reached the stallion who was highly excited – so much so that his master had difficulty calming him.  Clearly, the magnificent beast was focused on me and before Aidan could voice his questions, I addressed my long lost friend.

“Medallion” I spoke in greeting to the stallion,  Even Collin recognized the steed.  How Aidan had come by the animal was one tale of which I was eager to audition.

Without asking permission, I now slipped through the rails of the paddock while Aidan watched in wonder.  The stallion came right up to me, tossing his head and then nosing my cheek as I drew my arms around his neck.

“Of all the men in this world who he could find as a new master, Medallion chose your brother” I called to Collin who was clearly amazed.

“In this, Aaron, you and my brother are very much alike” he returned with a huge smile, finding joy in at least one commonality between his brother and me – beyond our being Brotherhood, that was.  “Your love of horses knows no bounds” was his compliment and slam all rolled into one but I did not take offense.  Collin had made the comment on more than one occasion that his brother valued the life of an equine over that of a human – any day.

“You were his master” Aidan now stated as he slipped into the paddock, notably using past tense, but then quickly corrected himself.  “Or rather, you are his master” he conceded.  “How did you come by way of losing each other?”

“Aaron had to set Medallion free, after we first met, so he could fly back with me to my base” Collin now chimed in as he took a place along the fence with his cousin Finney.  “Although I dare say that if he could have fit the beast into the plane and brought him with us, then he certainly would have done so” he chuckled with a sly grin.

“At least this explains his state of excitement since your arrival” Collin’s brother said in a low voice, but I had the impression he wanted to blame the Medallion’s agitation on something else.  “He is an amazing creature, this stallion.”

“You’ll get no argument from me” I was quick to return as I stroked his cheek, the beast now having been calmed by my touch.  “It broke my heart to turn him free – he had been my companion for years” I told Aidan.

“He will always have a home here, until you can make other arrangements, that is” was is gracious release of the beast, but I could see how deeply Collin’s brother was saddened.  Reaching out, he firmly patted Medallion’s neck.  “Medallion, eh?  So that’s your name, huh?” he asked as the horse now swung his head around to nose him, and rather affectionately at that.  “I suppose it makes sense, now, why he responded to the name I gave him.  It would sound close enough to a horse’s ears the name Marillion.”  This, for some reason, appeared to amuse Collin to no end.

“I thought you didn’t like music?” he taunted but Aidan didn’t respond.  I would have thought the name to be a Tolkien reference, but perhaps that wasn’t the inspiration.

“Horses readily take to me, but this one behaved towards me as if I was an old friend” Aidan explained to me, seeming somewhat perplexed.  Granted, Aidan and I did look alike, but the similarity stopped right there.  And this horse was no dummy – he could tell one human from another by scent, having no need to rely solely on sight.

And now Aidan wasn’t the only one who was perplexed – I was, too.

“Medallion looks amazing, Aidan” I lauded him.  “Life on your estate agrees with him” I laughed, smiling, for it was indeed truth.  The stallion’s coat was sleek as could be and he looked to have put on a little weight in addition.

“He has more mares available to him here than the two in his possession when we met” Aidan was pleased to reveal and this made me smile.  After all, hadn’t my last words to Medallion upon setting him free been to go and find some mares?  “The mares are here as well – as wild as they were, they refused to be parted from him.  Quade and I rounded them up and brought them along.”  And here Collin wondered where Aidan would disappear, and for long periods of time.  I knew for a fact that his brother was very often not on errands which concerned their search for the Cup – a curiosity, that.

During recent years, Aidan seemed to have had an awful lot of leisure time on his hands.  His hobbies of horsemanship and sailing, neither suffering to any greater extent.

Collin’s brother now took us on a tour of his stables, and there were indeed some very fine animals that he had collected.  The brothers’ cousin was enthused with the equines, and so naturally Aidan and Finney became engaged in a rousing conversation.  Sadly though, Collin hung back – he just did not share our enthusiasm for all things equine.

Hanging back as well, I walked alongside Collin who had quickly turned reticent.  Hands clasped behind his back his eyes were trained on the ground beneath his feet.  I reached out to take hold of his arm to stop his progress – the man’s mind clearly was elsewhere.  His brother cast a brief look over his shoulder at us, but otherwise continued on with Finney, leaving me and Collin to ourselves.

“What is it that troubles you?” I asked and then, exhibiting a quick lane change of emotions, Collin glared at me, but then was equally as quick to relent.

“Actually, nothing – at least, not as you might suppose” he told me.  “What should hold my concern isn’t nearly as troubling as what doesn’t” was his explanation – which, in essence, explained nothing at all.  Now he grunted a laugh, grinning.  “Sorry – that makes no sense to you, I’m sure.  It’s just that I… well, being here feels like being home for some reason.”  His words did not surprise me, however.  Inescapable it had been, and practically from the moment he set foot off the plane.  It was as if a weight had been lifted from Collin’s shoulders – now only to be replaced by another.

“This Province – this was more along the lines of how we, as God’s children, were meant to live” I offered up, which was Truth.  The evils of technology, of course, were the work of Lucifer.  My friend only held my eyes for several heartbeats before speaking.

“Note to self – no more friends who are Priests” he muttered, looking away for a moment.  This assertion made me want to laugh, but luckily I was able to bite my tongue – just in time.  I understood any commentary to the contrary would not win me favor.  “I take your meaning, though – and wholeheartedly agree with the green philosophy of The Brotherhood.  However, it is… more than that, but I’m just not able to put my finger on it.”

And, God Willing, Collin never would – to discover his destiny, one so contrived, would destroy him as a man.  However, even knowing Collin only a short while, it was clear that it was easier for him to believe something of the the fantastic, such as the Plan and the Furtherance, than to believe himself Touched by the Hand of God.

“How many I best aid my brother?” he now diverted from an uncomfortable subject – for him at least.  I would just as soon see Aidan go down in flames.  This, though gratifying from my perspective, would be to devastate Collin – and so in my effort to ease my friend along his intended path, I would have to tolerate the brother, even save his sorry tail if so required.

“I have read all I could regarding Tribunal” Collin told me as we now started to slowly walk along.  “Seamus gave me an overview, and tried to drill into my head the necessity for Decorum.  However, its what he is not saying that has me worried.”  Spot on, I thought – and although I was certain his cousin had done a fair job of preparation, it could never be deemed sufficient.  For all intents and purposes, Collin was still an outsider when it came to the Ways of The Brotherhood.

“You can best aid your brother in two ways” I began.  “One is to follow the advice of your cousin.  Decorum is a must – speaking out of turn and emotional outbursts will do more harm than good.  And even though you are an Officer of the AFA, and have yet to Reaffirm your Oath to The Order, do not think yourself above Censure.  In the Eyes of The Order, you are Brotherhood with the AFA being nothing more than a mere afterthought.

“The second is to be calm, sincere and truthful when called upon to give Testament.  They are going to rake Aidan over the coals, my friend – and there is nothing you or any of us can do to alter that reality” I concluded, hoping he would take to heart my advice, but I wasn’t so certain.  The man meant well, but his actions would get him into trouble when it came to those matters closest to his heart.  As Aidan would defend Collin, so Collin would defend his brother.  The two were thicker than thieves, and that was one reality against which I found myself virtually powerless.

“Do you know any good loopholes?” the man now asked with a slanted grin.  Actually there was one, one that I knew Aidan would be loath to invoke, and if he should then it would be as a last resort.

However, in matters of Tribunal, it was best not to speculate.

“I thank you again, for your offer to Testify” Collin now moved beyond the question of an out for his brother.  “I have to wonder, though – doesn’t this put you in conflict with the Greater Good of The Ascendancy?” was the first thrust of his rapier as he lent me a sidewards glance.

“Greater Good isn’t Sect specific, Collin” I now chuckled, wondering if he was testing me.

“And just what is this Greater Good, Aaron?” was his next thrust, and I wasn’t sure if he was just looking for a way to exorcise his frustration or if there was a more poignant reason behind his inquiry.  “For all the years I’ve had to listen to my brother and my cousin utter these words, I still have no clear idea just what this Greater Good is, or rather should be.”

Reaffirm, Commander, and you will find out – this is what I wanted to tell him.  However, anything that would push him closer to Reaffirmation of his Oath to The Order I would avoid, and in earnest.

“Have you read the Bible?” I now asked, in all sincerity, no less.  “Cover to cover, Commander” I added in clarification and so now he raised an eyebrow in question.  “Its message en total is all about Greater Good, but if you dissect it, then it certainly doesn’t seem that way, eh?” I put to him but my answer only served to annoy.

“And so a history lesson?” he accused in a low voice.

“There is only one true religion, but even in this among the devout you will spy division” was my assertion.  “You are aware who has survived as a group, one with a singular religion” I pointed out.  “This makes The Brotherhood very powerful, despite its disadvantage of numbers.  At the end of the day, the Arms will once again Unite.”

“To rise up against the AFA?” Collin could not resist asking.

“To defend our way of life,” I corrected, “to shelter our convictions.  I think we both understand it is only a matter of time, yes?  Once the Cup is recovered, and if done so by the AFA, then The Order won’t be long for this world – the AFA will see to that post haste.”  And here I hit the nail right on the head – for Collin, in his quest for the Cup, had no intent whatsoever of turning it over to his superiors.  Granted, his conviction was that the Cup never be blasphemed by man.  However, in addition, his was also to spare his Brothers from a precipitated extinction – for he most certainly did count himself among the Members of The Brotherhood.

A fine line Collin walked with his Masters, though, and had done a very convincing job at that.  When I had met with Supreme-General Karloff, I could sense their perception that Collin was wholly dedicated to the AFA.  Naturally, since Collin was not only chasing the Cup, but bucking for a promotion as well in his never ending quest for power.

Or so one would think – but there was an even greater power awaiting Collin, far superior that that of obtaining an even loftier rank withing the AFA hierarchy.

And the Commander was positively clueless as to its existence.

No response did Collin have to make in regards to my supposition – but he didn’t have to utter a syllable for me to suppose his mind as well.

Once again stopping, he now turned to me – questions in his eyes and on his tongue.

“Why do The Legion and The Way remain in the shadows?” he asked a question which I knew he had long been wanting to ask.  “Shouldn’t they be helping The Order?  Their Brothers?” Collin put to me.  “You are Ascendancy, and yet you are helping Aidan who is Order.  Or are you helping my brother solely for my benefit and not that of The Brotherhood?”

“Greater Good” was my pat response, but in this case, Collin was the Greater Good to which I would now and forever cater.

“Say that one more time and I will most certainly clock you” was his threat, and although he meant it, Collin understood that he was no match for an Elite-Assassin.

“The Legion and The Way are not just bands of brigands,” I felt a need to inform him of what he already should know, “even though they might appear so to you.  The AFA does not have eyes everywhere, Collin – and you need to remember, Ours is to live in harmony with the natural world that God created for us.  The Americas are vast, and human population is alarmingly sparse.  And all because the AFA hasn’t taken notice where these Arms have settled down, this doesn’t mean that others haven’t.  Ask your brother – I’ll lay odds that Aidan knows where The Legion and The Way have staked their claims, even if your Masters do not.”  The look I received in return spoke one thing – that he and his brother did not, and never would, share every detail of their existences.

“They want Aidan to fail” was his bleak assessment as he again changed lanes, an assessment which I felt was accurate none the less.  “The Legion wants him out of the way before they step in, and The Way probably wants the same, for all I know.

“What I do know is that my brother must have some fairly evil dirt on the powers that be within The Order.  Otherwise he would have been out on his ass by now” was his dead-on summation.  At least he had learned that The Brotherhood was a zero-tolerance organization, and when a Head of Assassins set as poor an example as Aidan?  That was immediate grounds for execution.

And yet the question remained – what was the nature of this dirt in Aidan’s possession?

“We cannot see how all paths will end” I offered up as I grasped his shoulder.  “C’mon – let’s catch up with your brother; else wise he’ll think we are plotting against him.”  To this Collin grunted.

“Well, that would be different from any other day, how?” was his inquiry, one delivered with a deadpan look, but then he grinned.  Releasing a long, low breath, though, he now nodded once.  “Yes, let’s get moving.  This day can’t be over soon enough for me” he complained and I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the Tribunal could go on for days and days.  However, it was likely he knew this none the less.

After we had caught up with Aidan and Finney, we concluded the tour of Aidan’s estate and then it was time to ready ourselves.  I had a sense that Collin’s men weren’t overly thrilled about first going to Confession – and so it was likely that the Commander had ordered them to do so.

Mass was held prior to the Tribunal, which we all attended as well.  Nothing was unexpected or out of the ordinary for Us Members, but Collin and his comrades were like ducks out of water.  Not so much Collin, however, but they all handled the unexpected fairly well.  There was no amount of briefing that could be done which could adequately prepare those who did not Belong.

The Brotherhood was, and always had been, a secret society – if one did not Belong then you pretty much didn’t have a clue.  And even then, the degree to which one held knowledge was dependent on his Station within The Brotherhood.

And Collin, unfortunately, was pretty much low man on the totem pole – regardless the fact that his brother was Head of Assassins.

Throughout the Pre-Tribunal proceedings, Collin’s Captain-Major stayed close by his side.  It was easy to forget that his brainiac Third was a man of war, as was Collin’s TechStaff Captain.  There was more to these men than met the eye, even though they both gave impression otherwise.  Greg, at least, had been an Army Ranger in the Time Before, which was nothing at which to sneeze.

A parting of the ways came, however, once we made entrance into the Meeting Hall.  Collin’s men were not First Witness, and so would be seated apart from Collin, Finney and myself.  Unsettling this was to his Captain-Major – not so much outwardly but I was able to…sense… Greg’s reluctance to leave his Commander’s side.  A curiosity I found this to be – and wondered what was the impetus.  Two answers came to mind – both being equally unsettling.

With a bow his men took their leave, escorted to their seats by Members in Attendance – which meant Assassins.  Nothing was done in The Brotherhood without muscle to back it up – subtle and with finesse, not overt or obvious.  Collin’s men were outsiders, after all – and Collin himself wasn’t that far above his men in this consideration.  At least, not until Collin Reaffirmed.

Which would be one very cold day in hell, I understood.

The Tribunal began promptly at nine o’clock.  It was a somber haze which presided over the gathering, and over Aidan’s brother as well.  Although the Commander had on his game face, his grave concern for the wellbeing of his brother rolled off his person in undulating waves – up and down with the rise and fall of the proceedings.

It was immediately apparent to him that this Tribunal was not about equality, nor was its intent to seek out every facet of which Truth was comprised.

And in the Brotherhood system of Law, one was considered Guilty from the onset, otherwise if not?  Then a Tribunal would not be necessary.  Degree of Guilt was the thing to be decided, based on mitigating circumstances.  And I wondered if Collin understood that this Tribunal could be used as a conveyance for telling all, if permitted – but otherwise the High Council would be quick to squash any line of reasoning which they were not so inclined to audition.

In short, the degree of Aidan’s Censure was dependent upon his relationship with his fellow Council Members.

And it was my suspicion that this group was split down the middle.

For days the proceedings dragged on – much to the dismay of Collin.  Not once had he or Finney or myself been called upon to testify.  However, by the fifth day, that was all to change once Collin was called upon to Testify.

And clearly no matter how much he had been coached and how much he had read, the man was ill prepared.  Aidan’s brother was chomping at the bit to help his brother, to explain each and every detail of Aidan’s latest Transgression – however, Collin was cut off at every turn.  The High Council just wasn’t interested in mitigating circumstances as recounted by an Officer of the AFA, and thus Collin’s testimony was more damning than anything else.

And it was clear that with each question, that his temper was waning – even if he held himself in check his patience had grown beyond thin.

During Session break on that fifth day, Collin and I went outside to stretch our legs.  At least, that was my intent – his was to blow off steam.

“They want to nail Aidan’s ass to a cross and that’s that” he growled under his breath as we walked along under the stars.

“Correction – his ass has already been nailed” I told him, which was quick to garner me one very black look.

“Enjoying that, are you now?” was his attack, although I understood this was just his way of venting.

“No, Collin – but The Brotherhood has a strict set of Laws and an equally strict Code of Ethics” I made attempt at reminder.  “Your brother has broken more than one Law, and I’m sure he’s done many things which are less than ethical – this guilt has already been established and hence the Tribunal.”  Stopping dead in his tracks, Collin now turned to face me.  Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back I could see the anger ranging behind his eyes.  The moon was slightly less than full and so I could clearly read his expression.

“This whole Tribunal seems as if it is nothing more than a conveyance for driving home nails into Aidan’s coffin” was his complaint and now it was apparent that he did not understand the Tribunal process.

This was what a Tribunal was all about, after all – Confirmation of the Transgression.

Hanging his head, my friend released a long, low breath of exasperation.  I clasped a hand over his should in comfort, but did not go beyond this.  After all, we were being watched and it was prudent to not give away just how distressed he was.

Looking back towards the Hall, I now saw Greg and Kevin approaching.  Oddly enough, during Session breaks Collin’s cousin Finney kept his distance from Collin and Collin’s men.  This was gravely disturbing and spoke to a more troubling undercurrent which was had been steadily gaining strength across the days of the Tribunal.

“Commander” Greg said in greeting and so now Collin glanced up at him.  His Captain-Major didn’t have to say a word more, though – his thoughts were the same as Collin’s.  Standing there with his hands stuff in his pockets, Kevin conveyed the same, but he was more vocal.

“Nothing like railroading the dude” the TechStaff Captain mumbled.  Granted, he was not a fan of Aidan’s, but I could tell, and from day one, that Captain Wong was a righteous man.  One who wanted to see justice done in a world where the word justice had been summarily removed from the common man’s dictionary.

The Captain had hit the nail right on the head, however.  Aidan was being railroaded – even in Brotherhood terms he was, but I had assumed the intent of undue harshness was to make example of Aidan, who held one very high Station within the Order.

But perhaps it went much deeper than this, and deeper even than that since half of the High Council appeared to not be in his court.

“I may have more success when I am called upon to Testify” I tried to give Collin something upon which to cling.  “I am Brotherhood, I have a much better understanding than do you, Collin.  There is no way you can adequately outmaneuver their Examination – although you have put up a good fight” I made sure to throw praise into the same opt with criticism.

“Oh yeah?” Collin said under his breath, and I knew what he was thinking.

“I said I would help your Brother” I reminded him.  “This Tribunal of Aidan’s – this is new business, Commander, not old business.”

“Well, they’ve done a fair job of making me look like a fence-sitter” Collin complained, but why he should eluded me.  He was a fence-sitter – it was a fact that need be established, and was.  It mattered not the benefit behind it, for The Order as well as the AFA.  It meant that Collin was a man with divided loyalties – and in the Book of The Brotherhood, such was a man not to be trusted.

None of us made comment in response to Collin’s words – to do so would have been most unwise.  The man was in a black mood and was just begging for confrontation.

“What reason will you provide, Aaron?  When asked why you have chosen to not become One with The Order?” was Collin’s inquisition of me – a valid question, but I had the perfect dodge for that one.  A dodge which worked on many levels and did not require explanation – or at least not that I was required to submit.  After all, I was not Order, whereas Collin and Aidan were and therefore they were required to proffer answer.

Deigning not to respond, we now stood there in silence until the break was over.  When the five minute warning bell rang, Collin released a heavy sigh.

“I am beginning to think this wasn’t such a smart move” Collin began, slowly shaking his head.  “To help my brother was a nice idea, but we’re hurting him and not helping him.”

“In for a penny, in for a pound” I told him.  “Ride it out, Commander.  Your brother has yet to speak on his own behalf” was my reminder and now Collin actually laughed.

“Yeah, well – that will be the last nail in his coffin, I’m afraid” Collin explained with a shrug.  “Aidan is no wordsmith after all” he grunted as we now all started back towards the hall.  His comrades appeared to be in silent agreement with this – but I begged to differ.  In a different life, a different world – I had occasion to listen to Aidan publicly speak, and his tongue, though silent for the most part in the everyday world, could be every bit as deadly as any other weapon this assassin of assassins could wield.

And the quality of his voice would drive home his point – almost as if he could talk the birds out of the trees.

Which I was certain that Aidan could.  His voice was unnatural, in my opinion – a gift straight from God, one would surmise.  It had the ability to mesmerize, to persuade men – it was a deadly thing all its own, but a weapon that Aidan seldom used.

Although, I was fully confident that during this Tribunal he would dare brandish it.  The veracity of his convictions, regardless if they be right or wrong, were strongly portrayed in the tonality of his voice.  This consideration, however, made my heart freeze – wasn’t the result the same when Collin spoke?  Granted, Collin’s voice did not have the same melodic quality as Aidan’s.  However, it was unique in it’s own right and when Collin spoke, his men would listen with rapt attention.

Well, almost all his men – his TechStaff Captain easily tired of Collin’s droning on ad infinitum, as Kevin would put it.  Then again, though, Kevin was curiously out of place in our world, given his skill with computer technologies.

Once back inside the Meeting Hall and seated, it wasn’t long before I was called upon to Testify.  The order of those testifying was rather chronological – Aidan would be last.  Collin had already been questioned, now it was my turn and afterwards would be his cousin.

Drawing in several well-measured breaths I readied myself to be raked over the coals.  I would not be looked upon with kindness by many – the question was, who would these men be?  All were pretty much an impossible read.

As with all those who had gone before, when I reached the floor I paused at the altar off to the right side.  Crossing myself as I bent to one knee before the altar and its cross, I uttered a brief prayer and then getting up I now walked over to take my place at the stand.

Recitation of what would amount to my resume came first – a list of my achievements within The Brotherhood.  This also included my schooling and training, which had culminated in my Ordination as a Jesuit Priest.

Whereas I had quite an impressive lineage to recount within The Brotherhood, Collin had been somewhat embarrassed to recount his own.  Granted, he had gone to West Point, which was nothing to sneeze at, and shown exemplary service to his country when a Colonel in the United States Army Rangers – but that was pretty much that.  He had joined The Brotherhood and The Order in the Time Before, but had not involved himself any further.

Much to his chagrin, since his resume was exceedingly short and sweet.  His discomfort upon recounting his accomplishments had been palatable.  It mattered not to those in Attendance that he had an astronomical IQ, or that his knowledge of religious antiquities far surpassed those of most scholars present at the Tribunal.  What had he done for the Greater Good of The Brotherhood and The Order?

Zip – and that this was more than apparent was what had unnerved my friend.  It made not only Collin look bad, but also Aidan – since his brother was the one who had Sponsored his Membership.

Once I had finished reciting my lengthy list, the questioning began – and it did not lead in the direction I had supposed.  The Inquisitor seemed more interested in why I had not chosen to Align myself with The Order in this Time After.  There was one very hot topic, that – but one which I was prepared to answer none the less.

“Family” was my answer, one to which a hush ensued among those in Attendance.  The Inquisitor just held my eyes, but what could he say?  Nothing, I knew – Family was a private matter, after all.  There was not a single question he could ask, for clarification or otherwise.  After all, business was business, family was family – and in the world of The Brotherhood, never the twain shall meet, so to speak.

Family was every bit as much important as was business, but it was as separate as church and state had been in the United States Constitution.  In this Collin had yet much to learn.  He felt that because his brother was Head of Assassins this would win him inroads and special treatment.

And in this he could have never been more wrong in his thinking.  Granted, Aidan could beg favor on behalf of his brother, but that would be a rarity.

Once the shock of my response had subsided, the Inquisitor went on to question me about the night that I saved Aidan’s life.  A story not yet told, one known to few – and an eye opener it was indeed.

Members did not lie, after all – and incredibly enough I was allowed to recount every detail, to the rapt attention of those present.  A Vision of the Virgin Mary was no small matter, especially when combined with Her Divine Guidance.  However, as intriguing as this all was, it did nothing by way of mitigating Aidan’s guilt – but it did pose a question.  Why would the Virgin Mary show me the way to the location of the two brothers?

Unfortunately, this placed unwanted attention squarely on Collin – so much so that I could see him shift uncomfortably in his seat.  For a man who was ever at ease in the spotlight, this reaction he displayed was out of character for the man.  Aidan, on the other hand, was unreadable as ever – and whether this attention drawn to his brother suited him or not, it was impossible to tell.

As my tale drew on, I could sense that Collin was fighting against an urge to take flight.  Apparently, he had not supposed that my recounting would be in such detail – which included his laying hands on his brother.  With these words uttered, followed by the miraculous account of Aidan’s phenomenal recovery, there was now a noticeable stir from everyone in the Hall.  Here the division could be felt, if not seen.  Those who had bought into the prophecy of the Second Son and those who had not.

All eyes were now on Collin, who had turned still as stone.  He had even captured Aidan’s attention and suddenly it was plain as day to me – Collin had not spoken of that night in detail with his brother!  For all the two would share regarding the fantastic, in this Collin had not.

Once the murmur had subsided, I was prompted by the Inquisitor to continue my tale.  Casting a quick glance at Aidan it appeared he was about to object but oddly enough his cousin Finney took hold of his arm to keep him in check.  He was right – it was too late to turn back now, the tale needed to be told in full.

And so it was.

After I had finished and was dismissed, the tale then continued courtesy Ryan and Finney.  Finney’s testimony corroborated my own, since his included medical details regarding Aidan’s treatment upon rescue, or lack there of.  His findings were an open book as the brother’s cousin spoke Truth.

As I sat there next to Collin, listening to his cousin Testify, I could sense panic growing within Collin.  The man was barely breathing – he needed to clam himself because chances were great that he would be Recalled to the Stand.

Which he was, once Finney was done giving his Testament.  At first Collin did not budge and thus an uncomfortable silence fell over the Hall.  After several more heartbeats Collin rose to his feet.  Straightening out his suit, the man then marched up to once more take his place at the Stand.  He was ready to do battle.  However it would be a battle he could not win – no matter which side Collin might choose to take he was bound to lose.

“Member O’Reilly” the Inquisitor began, reminding Collin that he was a Member, like as not.  Just as I had cautioned him would be the case.  “How did you do it?” was the first question Collin had thrown at him, one which blindsided him.

“Pardon my temerity, Inquisitor,” Collin slowly began in response, “but it was my understanding  that the purpose of this Tribunal was to determine the validity of my brother’s actions.”  I could sense that Finney and Aidan were each suppressing a groan – as was I.  Wrong tact to take! I thought in dismay but was otherwise powerless to act out.  All because the Tribunal had been arranged to call into question Aidan’s activities, this did not mean that it was a closed book to all else.

“You healed your brother, is this correct?” he was now directly asked and I could only pray to God that Collin would take his cue from the rest of us who had testified.  The man needed to keep it short and sweet – especially since the Meeting Hall was now filling up.  Word had gotten round with lightening speed about a reported Faith Healing, and since the Tribunal was a public affair, one and all could Attend.  The increased in headcount had not gone unnoticed by the Commander.

“I have no answer” Collin returned.  He was going to make the Inquisitor pull teeth, it seemed – which was perhaps not such a bad idea.

“Do you truly have no answer, or is it that you prefer not to answer?” the Inquisitor played along.  The man was one sharp Priest with a singleness of mind.

“Knowingly, I did nothing” the Commander answered, waiting for the next volley – which did not come, and so Collin went further.  “I believe that the extent of my brother’s injuries was…  misgauged” was his line of reasoning, one of which I knew he had talked himself into believing.  Otherwise, he could not reconcile what had transpired that night, and he refused to believe himself special, much less of the Divine.  This possibility he had been fighting tooth and claw for as long as I had known him – although his whole life he had been this way.  He had fought left and right to downplay that IQ of his.  For all intents and purposes, Collin’s only desire was to be perceived as one of the guys.

Sadly enough this was not to be his Fate – for the man was anything but ordinary.

“You are inferring that the Testament of those who have gone before is… false?” the Inquisitor put to him and now the anger could be seen flaring in Collin’s eyes as they turned a fiery gemstone green.

“I merely suggest that the events of that night are subject to interpretation” Collin returned in a low voice.  “What Aaron Gallagher recounts, at face value, is truth – I laid a hand to my brother’s chest as he lay there, incapacitated by his injuries.  However, due to my having lost consciousness immediately thereafter, I am unable to testify as to what took place.  I did not knowingly perform a Faith Healing, if that is what you seek to confirm – that what transpired was indeed a Faith Healing.  I find it highly unlikely the the Lord Almighty would bestow such power upon a lowly AFA Commander-General” he opined, reminding all present, once again, that here was a man who did not count himself among the Members of The Order.

“I should hardly think, Member O’Reilly, that you possess the qualifications to Judge the Ways of God” was the huge slap the Inquisitor landed across Collin’s face.

“And you do, is that right?” was Collin’s equally rude comeback – however, in actuality, it was improper for any mortal to suppose that he knew the Mind of God.  Collin was daring the Inquisitor to make such a blasphemous claim.  Collin was perhaps one of the few among us, though, who could claim such right.

“Caution, Member.”  This was all the warning the Inquisitor gave Collin and fortunately it appeared that the Commander took it to heart.  Lowering his eyes as he bowed his head, I ventured that Collin was biting his tongue.  He knew what he needed to do, but would he do it?  Get down on one knee was required after his affront, but there the Commander stood, waging war with his pride.  However, after a few moments hesitation, Collin did as was required and bent to one knee.

After all, his was an affront on The Order, and The Brotherhood as a whole – not just on the Inquisitor.

On the Inquisitor now went, pressing forward in his attempt to maneuver Collin.  However, being the wordsmith that the Commander was, he artfully dodged each question, offering up responses which were also largely subject to interpretation.

Having finally tired of the cat-and-mouse game, the Inquisitor now Released Collin from the Stand.  And so it was that Collin got to his feet, and with one very respectful bow he made his exit from the Stand to retake his seat in the Audience.  The man might have no longer been at center stage, but Collin was very still the center of attention.  Even as his brother now took the Stand, eyes still lingered on Collin.

After being sworn in, Aidan immediately got down on both knees – unheard of for a Member who held such a lofty Station.  However, this was his way of apologizing to one and all for the lack of decorum on the part of his brother.  And true to form for an Elite-Assassin, Aidan kept his responses to the barest of minimums wherever possible.  No dodging as had been with Collin – however, like his brother’s roundabout answers, Aidan’s also left much room for specualtion.

When questioned about his own personal opinion as to his physical state after the attack of that night, Aidan responded, “I should have been dead, but that’s not the first time in my life that this had been the case,” he again spoke Truth.  The life of Collin’s brother had been fraught with physical threat at every turn.  The man was an assassin, after all – then as now, he made his living with lethal hands.  Aidan would have been subjected to hundreds of close calls, I would wager – and one in particular, in a distant past, where he would have died.

But did not.

And who had rushed to his bedside, though, during his darkest of hours?

Collin.

And that very day, that very hour no less, Aidan’s condition had done a complete about-face.

However, all the other times when Aidan had stared down death, Collin had been nowhere to be found.  That a man could cheat death so many times as had Aidan, this consideration left me distinctly troubled.

Again focusing my attention on Aidan’s Testimony, and his calm but assertive recounting of that night, I found myself in awe of his voice.  There was a true gift from God, I thought.  After only a short while of answering the sharp questions put to him, with his voice and demeanor Aidan had drawn attention away from his brother – not as a whole, but in part.  There was no direct proof that it had been Collin’s touch, and his touch alone, which had healed Aidan.

However, The Brotherhood had interesting ways of fleshing out its theories.  I could only pray that this would not be one such case for which they would invoke the unthinkable.  I felt confident, though, that the evidence was not enough to warrant such actions.  This combined with the fact that Collin had yet to Reaffirm his Oath.  Once he did, however?

His ass would be grass, as he himself would have put it.

“Your Master did a bang up job, Captain Wong” Bryan tossed at me – a combination of respect and insult all rolled into one.  The guy just weirded me out big time – but I supposed that all Elite-Assassins had the same effect on me.

After the astonishing Session of the Tribunal the previous night, an Intermission had been called.  Good Lord, Wong – now you are even thinking in capital letters, I thought with an inward laugh, finding it necessary to bite my tongue.  That the Brotherhood had a love affair with capital letters could not go unnoticed for long by anyone.  Members pretty much had their own slant on the English language, and the written word often validated the extent of someone’s understanding of The Brotherhood.  It took the saying crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s to a whole other level.

“Yeah, well – Collin didn’t do so bad, considering” I grumbled in comment, but fell short of finishing the thought.  Sure, Collin was AFA, but he was first and foremost Brotherhood – at least in the Eyes of The Order he was.  And a poor example of a Member they all thought him to be.

Whatever.  I just wanted this damned Tribunal to be over.  I had a strong hunch we AFA Members had worn out our welcome long ago.

I was sitting in a chair in Bryan’s office, which was in the Administrative Complex of The Order.  His digs were as Spartan as everyone else’s – perhaps even more so.  Clean mind, clean workspace, clean network – the guy was guilty on all three accounts, I’d wager.

“Well, if your Commander’s intent is to perpetuate rumor of the Furtherance, then he’s working miracles in that arena, at least” he told me.  Bryan was standing by his desk, off to one side, his dark eyes boring holes into me.  And he expected me to do what about Collin’s antics?

“Do you need a reminder of how rank works within the AFA?” I grunted at him but he just held my eyes.  “Hey – everyone worked to prepare Collin for this Tribunal, but no one bothered to tell him that he was going to wind up on trial instead of Aidan!” I snapped in defense of my CO.

“Great prep work there” was his desert dry humor as he leveled me one rather threatening glare.  “This whole bit about healing would have been best left buried” Bryan now opined as he decided to take a seat at his desk.  “My Master thought to deflect attention away from his brother and that he had possibly performed a Faith Healing – but in certain circles, this has done more harm than good” he explained and so now I offered him a curious look.  And since he did not answer – I got it.

Aidan had testified it hadn’t been the first time in his life that he knew he should have died – but somehow he would always pull through, recover.  I knew this from stories Collin would tell when he’d tie one on.  He would tell everyone that Aidan had to be a cat because the dude had nine lives – or more like nine hundred and ninety-nine lives.  And if you were up for putting stock in the words of a confirmed partier, then Collin also maintained that Aidan had never been sick a day in his life.

And neither had Collin, I came to find out.  I had occasion to ask Greg, who had known the Commander one pretty damned long time.  He had at first looked puzzled by my inquiry, but then reaching back into the depths of that database mind of his – he then shook his head.  No, he told me – that as long as he had known Collin, he had never had so much as a sniffle, only headaches and it was then that Greg’s eyes glazed over.  And neither have I, not even a headache, he proceeded to floor me.  And ok, Collin and Aidan never getting sick was one, thing, Greg never having been either was another – but it had not stopped there.

An impromptu investigation of sorts had begun – and the results were chilling.  Collin’s family and familiars, including Eric, had all been healthy as horses, having avoided childhood diseases and maladies that no one in the general populace would have ever escaped.  Unless they were raised in an isolation chamber, which they weren’t.  And we were talking about large Irish Catholic families here.

Well, I had not been so lucky – I had had my share of misery in Pre-Time.  But then I had to stop and think.  In this Post-Time world?  I had not been sick once – and come to think of it, I never noticed anyone else getting sick, either.  Maybe all the diseases died out along with most of the human race when the Apocalypse came cruising through.  Who knew with any certainty?

But I just knew that wasn’t the case.

And so Bryan’s chilling reminder of our nanos theory was now driven home.  Their creation, and intent, in Pre-Time had been as a medical professional’s helper.  Granted, it had all been theory, that such a feat could be accomplished, but various groups were actively working on development.

And I’d wager the Department of Defense was one such agency.

“Well, perhaps someone should have clued in Aidan?” was my sarcastic supposition.  “Look, Greg and I can understand keeping Collin in the dark about the nanos – the dude has got a really volatile temper.”

“And so does his brother” Bryan reminded me – and yeah, he was right.  It was rather that Aidan held his Irish temper in check – but when he let it cut loose?  Men died.  “Take a man like my Master and tell him he is being controlled by an enemy that he can’t even see?  Much less fight?  Well – I doubt I need to paint you a picture, Captain Wong.”

Nope – he sure the hell did not.

“You gotta wonder though – at the end of the day, what can any of us do if your theory is right?” I put to him.  “Wrong or right or sideways – the guys holding the controls are there under Groom Lake.  How do we know that anyone whose infected with nanos, that their actions, or even thoughts, are their own?  I mean, shit, man – we don’t even have a way of testing people to find out if they are infected with the damned things!” I exclaimed.  It was all frigging conjecture, after all.

“I have a companion theory” Bryan offered after several moments of dead silence.  Great, another theory.  “The nano server is offline” was his simple summation and so I could only blink.

“So what?  I doubt they just up and forgot about redundancy?  Surely there would be backup servers, and backups for the backups.  Besides, even if there was only one server and it is offline, how do we know that isn’t by design?  And if not, you can bet your sorry ass they have been scrambling to fix it” I told him but he just shrugged.

“Not if it is out of their reach” Bryan countered with a grin.

“Uh, dude – I sincerely doubt there is any place the madmen of Area 51 can’t reach” I challenged.

“I won’t argue that,” the guy was quick to return, “but I am of the mind that the server is not a place but rather a person” he now bowled me the fuck over and I knew then that I had turned whiter than white.  “Why do you suppose that Collin was drawn to Area 51 right after the Apocalypse?  It was out of his way, and from where he reported himself to be when he just happened to notice there was a lot of activity in the vicinity of Area 51?  Activity which attracted his attention?  Well, you would need to pay a little visit to that location to understand there was no way on God’s Green Earth that your Commander would have had any sense whatsoever of anything going on there, not from his location.”

“Uh, well – wouldn’t Aidan have found that odd, too, then?” my mouth shot off the question before consulting my brain.  “And how the frig would you know where that was anyway?  That journey is not something Collin will openly discuss, the one from Vegas to Groom Lake – not  with anyone.  And I can’t image Aidan getting all chatty with you about something like that.”

“Your girlfriend has a big mouth” was his flatly delivered accusation and then I got it.  Sierra had told me about the talk she had with Aidan and Collin, one day way back when out in the desert before we were to make a raid on the old DoD database.  He must have at some point told her where he had been when he saw all the activity that lead him to Area 51.

I just gaped at Bryan.  Apparently Sierra had been pretty free with her words to Kelly, who had in turn delivered them straight to her husband, who was Bryan.

I was seeing red and all I knew is that I needed to have another serious talk with Sierra about keeping her mouth shut.  The girl was her own worst enemy at times, I would swear.

“I think Collin’s subsequent, as well as unexpected, separation from Groom Lake took the Masters there by surprise” he ventured.  “Its a fair guess that their intent was do to server maintenance on him, a little debugging of a few programs, perhaps – but something went wrong, about as wrong as the Plan did.  Maybe they had to disconnect him from their network in order to safely troubleshoot an issue, and it was during this time that Collin woke up, so to speak.  After all – he and Aidan had had a pact.  Should the world end and either survived, they would head for a remote, clandestine location due southwest of Groom Lake, on the off chance that they had both survived.

“Now, you know as well as I do Collin’s dedication to his brother, and vice versa.  That was one appointment your Commander would have kept above all others – journeying to that location” was his assessment, and I had to agree.  Collin never broke a promise, especially not one to his brother.  Well, not usually at any rate – at least, nothing of that magnitude.  The Commander would have been fraught with concern for Aidan.  And that he would make a detour to Area 51 his first priority instead of upholding a vow made to Aidan?  I had never really thought about that before – however, in light of recent discoveries this consideration added weight to Bryan’s theory.

“You do know how insane this all sounds, right?” I joked with an awkward laugh, but Bryan wasn’t laughing.  Damn these Assassins! I thought.  All the frigging same, and this one reminded me so much of Aidan it wasn’t even funny.  And why not?  He had been protégé to The Assassin, after all.  From what I understood, right after the world had checked out, Aidan took this guy under his wing, grooming him for The Brotherhood.

“Take all those disassociated pieces left in your bag of evidence, Kevin, and spread them out” was his advice.  “You will see.  Everyday, new pointers, new indicators, new evidence – how many can you turn blind eye?  It’s not a matter of us against them – because we are them.  Not a single one of us is untouched, I’ll wager.  I’d also lay odds that in our respective camps there are those whose only task in life is to make sure that the Furtherance says on track.”  Well, that was a cheery thought, but nothing I didn’t already suspect.  Eric had to be a Conspirator, or one of their creatures – he was just too damned preoccupied with Collin and keeping him in check, or in other words, on track.  And I sincerely doubted that Eric’s obsessive interest in Collin was because he found the dude irresistible.

But that was another indicator right there, that perhaps Collin was indeed this leader that had been created as part of The Plan.  The guy was irresistible.  He could shit on you and you’d take it with a smile.  Well, something like that anyway – but whatever he did, it made you just want to give more, do better, to excel.  You couldn’t say no to the guy, but the scary thing was – you didn’t want to.

“Ok – let’s just assume that this nightmare scenario is for real” I slowly began.  “For as small as the world now is, at least people wise, it would still like looking for a needle in a haystack when you start talking about servers and trying to pinpoint those which service this manacle scheme would take forever.  I dunno about you, but that’s a hell of a lot of machines to try and hack between you and me.”

“And so, what?  Let’s just forget the whole thing?  Because the challenge is too difficult?” was Bryan’s inquiry, one laced with insult.  “All because a thing cannot be done in one lifetime, Master Wong, this doesn’t mean that it is not worthy of pursuit.”  I could only blink at him and then I recalled something I had once heard Collin say, he had been complaining about the Brotherhood and its hundred year plans.

“Well, when I croak, whose gonna fill my shoes?” I wanted to know.

“We cannot see how all Paths will End” was his simple reply, and there were those capital letters again.  I kept forgetting that for as irreverent as Bryan could be at times, he was still very much Brotherhood, and to the core.

Just like Aidan.

“Ok, well then – I suppose we’ve got a hobby to last a lifetime, then” I accepted with a shrug.  “Collin wants to validate or invalidate the Plan and Its Furtherance.  Its a place to start.”

“They are both very real, Master Wong” Bryan assured me.  “If they were not, then Aidan would never have commanded me to get the details, come hell or high water, as he put it.  What we need to determine is rather the extent of each.”

“And what about those behind it?” I wanted to know but he just shook his head.

“That’s his worry, not mine” was his reply.  “He’s quite certain, however, that we won’t find any list naming those responsible – and even if we did, Aidan is of the mind that the Architects are all dead, perished in the Apocalypse, and by design.  An undertaking of this magnitude would have employed the utmost secrecy – and since it appears to have been Brotherhood driven, or at least carried out by Brotherhood Members, you understand that nothing would have ever been put to paper.  What was whispered in the shadows would have remained in the shadows.”

“Yeah, and so again – the fricking needle in the haystack” I grumbled in complaint.  “Well, one thing I do know, and that is someone has gotta pay for what happened, someone needs to answer for all those billions of deaths, you know?”

“Ah – a call for justice!” the assassin-geek laughed out loud, broadly grinning.  “We’ll make a Member out of you yet, Captain.  For the time being we’ll just have to work with what we have.  I am curious, however – what had prompted Collin to make a raid the old DoD database?” was his cutting question – cutting because what he wanted to ask was who and not what.  Blinking I didn’t have an answer.  I had always assumed that Aidan was the one who had prompted him.

“It wasn’t Aidan?” I asked but Bryan just shrugged.

“I have no idea” he told me.  “I never asked – have you?”  The dude could tell damned well I hadn’t either.  I just did what I was told and didn’t ask questions – in this I was as good a soldier as any other guy in the AFA.

“Well, I believe we have our starting point, then” he decided.  “The fact that amongst the data retrieved was a calling card from Klaatu still needs to be explained.

“Yeah, well – I think we both know that Sierra isn’t who she says she is” was my rather frank assessment and so up went on of Bryan’s eyebrows.

“Do tell, Captain Wong” he made comment, one dripping with sarcasm no less.

“Look – it doesn’t matter, really.  Sierra believes, and that’s the thing that’s just got my mind totally blown” I admitted to the guy.  “You’d have to be around the girl on a daily basis to get a sense, you know?  Granted – I have insider info on the Pre-Time Klaatu, and Sierra sure doesn’t add up with what I know.  She is either the best infiltrator, spy, there ever has been or the girl really believes that Klaatu is who she is, and was, for that matter.”

“Hmm” was all he would say on the topic as he held my eyes, thinking.  “Cross cloning” the dude now shocked me.  The idea was insane!  This was all sci-fi bullshit.  “Genetic memory, after all – cellular memory, to be more concise.”

“You have got to be shitting me” I said in a low voice.

“Look at the facts, Captain.  This woman is a dead ringer for the Aidan’s deceased wife, at least as far as her beauty goes, she’s otherwise a midget where as Miranda Maria Mendez was a tall and regal beauty.  You can’t deny that both brothers have fallen for her, again, in this they again possess Miranda.  Giving this cross clone Mira’s memories, though – well, that would not have been an option, obviously.  However, what if they gave her the memory of a woman with talents and skills which would better suit their cause, given that the Plan did not quite turn out as they planned?

“You have to admit, given what we suspect about the nanos, and Collin potentially being a server, the skills of one Pre-Time woman named Klaatu would come in damned handy, eh?” and now I had to swallow, and hard.  “So what is easier to believe?  Contrived spy, or cross clone?  And by Aidan’s account of when he found Sierra, she did not look to have just been wandering around the desert for seven years.  That she could be an amnesiac doesn’t cut it, that’s for sure” Bryan now chuckled.  “Sierra has a built in history which mirrors that of the real Klaatu – we’ve verified pretty much everything she has ever let slip about her life in Pre-Time.”

“You know, she loves both Collin and Aidan, and she’s not faking that, dude” I felt a need to tell him.

“Well, she doesn’t have much of a choice but to love Collin being that her DNA was designed to be the Eve to his Adam” the guy pointed out.  “If the Plan is for real, then Miranda was the woman who was designed for the Second Son.  Her untimely death put a kink in the Plan and Its Furtherance.  Some purpose behind their synergy, that of Collin and Miranda.  Since we do not have a full scale accounting of either the Plan or Its Furtherance, we don’t really know why the synergy was of such import.”  Me either, I thought – but if Sierra was a cross clone, then something did make sense, then.  When she and Collin would brush up against each other?  Watch out world.  It heated up fast and got really steamy – and they didn’t have to do one outward thing for you to feel the heat, as the old Robert Palmer song went.  That some like it hot would be an understatement.

“Sierra loves Aidan more” I now tossed out.  “I mean, her heart belongs to him.  Now, if Collin is supposed to be the Second Son, why does Sierra’s heart belong to Aidan?  It was the same in Pre-Time with Miranda – she lusted after Collin and he her, but she married Aidan instead.  Talk about things not adding up, you know?”

“And that’s the problem, isn’t it?” he conceded, releasing along low breath.

“Could Aidan be this Second Son, and not Collin?” I suggested, unlikely as it seemed.

“Well, Aidan tends to scare off people, not attract them” Bryan grinned.  “And he just doesn’t fit the prophecy, and to the best of my knowledge, Aidan has never healed anyone.”  No kidding, I thought – the exact opposite was true, though.

“And you think Collin did?” I wanted to know, because I sure the hell didn’t.

Bryan didn’t answer right away, gathering his words for a rebuff I supposed, but then he surprised me.

“I Believe” and there he went again – the capital letter I could here it loud and clear.

“Well, ok then” I returned having no inclination to take it further – the fanaticism of The Brotherhood was one thing which I would never understand, and wasn’t sure that I wanted to understand.  “Then, doesn’t that negate everything?  If Collin is, uh, really touched by the hand of God?”  There.  I said it.  I was getting off into fringe areas now where geeks really had no business being.

“Why should it?  God Works in Mysterious Ways” was his reasoning.  “God does have a sense of Humor, Kevin – don’t ever forget this.”

Alright – it had just gotten too weird for me and I knew when to bail.

“Yeah – uh, well, I really need to get back” I excused myself, getting to my feet and feeling inclined to run out of his office screaming like a sissy girl.  I was an atheist, after all.  “We’ll hook up again before I leave?” I prompted and so nodding once to me, I had my answer.  “Cool – later, then” I said and then headed for the door, feeling infinitely more sane once it was closed behind me.

Not for long, though.

Just down the hall, bent to one knee right where I had left him, was the salve of Aidan’s who had been assigned as my escort about town.  When he saw me he was quick to his feet, but did not bow – naturally since I did not Belong, as Members would put it.  A huge slam it was meant as, but I didn’t give a shit.  I had no desire to be a Member in any way, shape or form.  I’d rather nuke my data center.

“Uh, do you know where Captain MacNamara is?” I asked Steve.  It had been like pulling teeth to get a name out of the guy.  Apparently slave in terms of The Brotherhood meant no sense of self – but that could be said of all Members, really.

“He is with Member O’Reilly” the guy told me and I must have looked confused.  “Your comrade is with your commanding officer” was his clarification, sounding rather uppity at that.  What did I care?  I just wanted this whole ordeal of the Tribunal to be over so we could go back to base and put as much distance between this madness called The Order and us as possible.  Thankfully their numbers were rather limited.  A world ruled by The Brotherhood, the notion seriously chilled my bones.

“Lead on, dude” I prompted and with an icy look the slave did as he was told, leading me straight me to Greg and Collin.

The day was bright, crisp and clear.  I had kind of lost track of time while locked up in Bryan’s office.  Force of habit caused me to reach into my pocket for my Palm but – oh, yeah.  Kept forgetting that the thing had been confiscated upon my arrival at Zion.

“Uh, what time is it, exactly?” I asked my escort and then much to my surprise, and consternation, he reached into his pocket and drew out a Palm.

“It is exactly eleven-thirty-two a.m., and – thirteen seconds” he informed me and then was quick to stow the device.

“I thought slaves can’t carry those?” I just had to ask and so he nodded but that didn’t exactly give me the answer I was looking for.  Not up for a game of twenty questions, I decided to wait until I could ask Greg or Collin about that.

“Member O’Reilly would like you to join him and Captain MacNamara for lunch” he now told me what had apparently already been decided.  What the hell.  The sit down meals were spoiling the shit out of me.  At Collin’s base in Monument Valley, I never really had the time to spare on eating in the mess hall.  I lived on what amounted to grab-and-carry type foods.  I just had way too much work to do to sit down and have a normal meal.

Members, however, made a distinct habit of having meals at set times, sitting down and breaking bread as they called it.  No matter what they were doing, when time rolled around for a meal, they quit working and ate.

Freaky – at least from my point of view.  They even prayed at the same time, it was a truly scary thing.  And who heard of going to Mass every single frigging day?

Religious zealots, that’s who – and here was something that we best not ever forget.  In the end, religious nut-cases were the reason the world had come to an end.

As the slave led me along the road going through the center of the small town, I now spotted Greg and Collin sitting at a table in front of an outdoor cafe.  The Order was all about green ecology, this I knew, but it was really obvious when you came to a place like their City State.  Members like to be outside as much as possible, or so I had read, but the idea was really driven home here.  They only moved inside for special occasions, or if the weather turned inclement.  Besides, natural light was free and didn’t place a burden on the environment.

As I approached, both Greg and Collin stood up – and I found myself still being weirded out by Collin’s attire.  Since he had been at The Order, unless he was at the Tribunal he was dressed in the same garb as all the other Members.  It was a style of dress that, I had to admit, well-suited him.  But then again, Collin could make anything look good.  He was a leader of men, no doubt there – he was a guy that others aspired to be like, even me I was loath to admit.  And that was kind of a freaky thing, when you got down to it.  The guy had the same effect on just about everyone.  And women?  Well, there weren’t a lot around, but I’d venture they all wouldn’t mind being with Collin.  I had even seen Kelly looking at him that way.

“Dudes” I said in greeting, kind of absently since I was preoccupied.

“Excuse me, Captain?” Collin got all formal on me and so now I got my act together.

“Uh, sorry, Commander – must be all this fresh air” I said with a shrug.  “Commander, Captain” I now corrected myself and then we all sat down.  The slave, however, just hung back, getting down to one knee again to wait for me, or us this time I had no idea but it was weirding me out beyond belief, this leech.  “Uh, can we make him go away?” I asked out of frustration, crooking a thumb over my should at the slave.  Collin just held my eyes for a heartbeat and so I was then quick to add, “sir?”

“Member” Collin called to the guy who then got up off his feet, walking round to where Collin sat.  “You are dismissed” he ordered but the slave just stood there.  “Captain Wong is now in my company and will remain with me until such time we return to the home of your Master” was his reasoning and again, I could hear those capital letters.

Still the slave did not budge.

Greg and I were to be in accompaniment at all times by a Member.  Collin was a Member, but not one who had Reaffirmed, so I wasn’t sure what that meant in the scheme of things.

“Am I not a Member?” my CO went and asked, his patience now waning.  “Has there been some Parliamentary Declaration to the contrary?” he put to him, demanding answer.

“No” was the one Collin got – plain and simple but still the slave didn’t budge.

“Did Lord O’Reilly command you to not leave your charge in the company of another Member?” was his tricky inquisition.  Apparently not and the dude said so.

“No” was his once more simple reply.

“Then you will not be going against the Word of your Master, nor will you be breaking any Laws.  So, off with you, then” Collin ordered the guy as he leaned back in his chair leveling the slave a look I knew all too well.  It was a challenge which dared the slave to disobey.  Unsure what to do, the slave finally relented.  Offering Collin a quasi bow of respect, he then retreated to leave us to ourselves.

“I’m surprised he didn’t whip out his Palm and message Aidan” I grumbled under my breath.

“Of course not – that would have been most improper” Collin said in return as he now leaned forward with his elbows on the table, speaking in a low voice.  “However, I’ll wager the slave his making his way back to his Master where he will lay prostrate at Aidan’s feet as he Reveals all.  Aidan will then decide what is to be done with the man, if anything – that’s a matter, after all between Master and Slave.”

Greg and I exchanged a glance but didn’t dare comment.  We would have, but there was a waiter heading our way.  Besides, it probably wasn’t safe to openly criticize the Ways of The Order while we were in public.

“Member O’Reilly” the man who approached our table said in greeting.  “My name is George, the proprietor of this eatery” he informed us, with a half bow to Collin.  I supposed this represented the fact that Collin was only half Member since he had one foot in The Brotherhood and one in the AFA.  “What can I get you fine gentlemen?” was the guy’s cheery inquiry and I swore I was going to fall off my chair.  This guy was actually pleasant!

I just kind of looked from Greg to Collin – uh, like, menus? I wondered but no, that would require paper.  Then I noticed there was a chalkboard out front with items listed there.  Collin and Greg had better than perfect site, but I sure the hell didn’t.  I could not see that frigging far away but I was damned if I was gonna get up and walk over there.

Collin rattled off what he wanted, which was corned beef and cabbage, and Greg ordered the same.  That was just way too gross for me.

“What’s the special?” I asked, trying not to laugh, and praying at the same time that is was not corned beef and cabbage.

“You mean, in season?” the proprietor asked.  “That’s what we call it – and that would be lamb” he told me and so I nodded.  I was one of the few and the brave, I supposed.  I actually liked lamb.

“Don’t suppose you got mint jelly to go with that?” I asked, just being a pain but to my delight he nodded.

“Sure thing, Captain” he confirmed, and then with another half bow to Collin, off he went to fill our orders.

“The sooner we get out of here the better” I muttered.  “Sorry, Commander – this place is just, well, you know” I said in a low voice, since the tables were starting to fill up.  Were we drawing a crowd?  No, it was just noon hour was all – time for the masses to stop toiling and eat.

“Takes some getting used to, the Ways” he conceded.  “At least you always know what to expect” and funny thing was – he was right.  There wasn’t exactly a run of the unexpected here at The Order.  Everything was very much, well – in order.  “Did you have a nice chat with Master Bryan?” Collin now asked with a growing grin.

“What do you think… sir” was my less than respectful response but Collin caught me off guard as he openly laughed.  He sure was in a good mood for someone that rumor had it was the Second Son.  The whispers about it I could even hear – it was a topic of great debate, and here was the master statesman out in public.  That eyes were drawn to him was pretty fricking obvious.

“Lighten up, Captain – and that’s an order” Collin told me and he wasn’t joking.  Greg seemed like he could not care less if he tried – but I knew he was soaking everything in like a sponge and later on, in private, would dissect it all bit by bit.  “C’mon – its a beautiful day, gentlemen.  The sun is out, the sky is blue – and we’re about to be served delectable food.  What’s there to not be happy about?”

Well, I knew of a few things, but I kept my mouth shut.  Later on I would tell Greg about my weird conversation with Bryan, but right then I was just gonna keep it zipped.  Unless I was ordered to be social, that was.

Once the food was served that was easier to do, since my mouth was too busy chewing.

Collin and Greg, on the other hand, found plenty of opportunity to talk.  And actually, Collin did most of the talking.  How easily he could separate business from pleasure, but then again – wasn’t that a Way to which all Members adhered?  It sure was – and so more and more things didn’t mesh.  For all the times I had heard Collin deride The Brotherhood and Its Order, here he  was, embracing all things Brotherhood.

And it all came as naturally to him as breathing which made me think back to my conversation with Bryan.  It was almost like Collin was custom made to rule the world with the Brotherhood to back him up.

Scary thought but there it was.

For someone who had not been an active Member in Pre-Time, their Ways seemed came so easily to my Commander.  Sure, there were gray areas where he kind of fumbled, but for the most part Collin blended in pretty darned well, even if he still stuck out like a sore thumb.

Happily eating away, I considered just how much I missed coffee.  It was pretty much taboo here.  Every damn meal, however, was served with wine and I just wasn’t much of a wine drinker, never had been, but it was better than mineral water or just plain water.

Once the meal was finished, the proprietor again popped up – it was then it dawned on me that he was catering to only our table, no one else’s.  There were waiters who were taking care of them.  So, Collin warranted special treatment, then?

“May I interest you gentlemen in some desert?” the man now asked and so Collin perked up.

“I thought sugar was as big a sin as coffee?” he asked the proprietor who nodded.

“In a manner of speaking, but you are a special guest, after all” the man told Collin and now I started to feel more ill at ease then I had.  Was this guy, like Bryan, a Believer?  Was he trying to curry favor with Collin on the off chance that just might be the real deal?

In a very un-adult-like move I kicked Greg under the table.  He was equally fascinated by the exchange.

“Now I know why Aidan insisted we lunch here” Collin laughed under his breath and so the proprietor winked.

“Yes – Lord O’Reilly mentioned your fondness for chocolate” he began with a grin.  “I understand that you like chocolate cheesecake?” he put to Collin and the Commander almost had an orgasm on the spot.  That Collin had a love affair with chocolate was an understatement.  It was the same with him and coffee.  “I assume your Captains will also partake” and to this Greg and I nodded – I wasn’t about to turn down chocolate and sugar, it was a good substitute for coffee in a pinch.  “And can I interest you gentlemen in some coffee to go with that” and this time Collin practically fell off his chair.

“Indeed – with soy milk, if you have it?” Collin told him and the guy nodded so that meant, yes.  Greg and I accepted as well, expect black, which was how we always drank it.  The idea of soy milk in coffee, though, just about made my stomach do flips.

With another bow of respect the proprietor now took his leave and we three sat there salivating while we waited.

“That was very thoughtful of my brother” Collin remarked.

“It was of me, wasn’t it?” a voice said, shocking the shit out of us.  There was Aidan, suddenly taking a seat at our table and patting Collin on the back as he did so.  Collin returned the gesture in kind, grinning from ear to ear.  He had had two glasses of wine with his meal and so was feeling pretty mellow.  “What’s this I hear about you sending my slave packing?” he now got down to business but Collin just shrugged.

“He was weirding out Kevin” was his simple explanation.  “Thank you for suggesting this eatery” he then glided beyond Aidan’s inquisition.  “The food was amazing.  How far in debt will I be for this?” he asked, and I kept forgetting.  The Order was all about commerce, after all – they used a bartering system for everything.  Way complex from what I had gathered and gave me a real headache if I thought about it too long.

“Consider it my way of saying thanks, to you and your men” he returned, actually smiling.  It was then I realized that the other patrons were furtively observing the brothers’ exchange with great interest.

“You are my Brother” Collin palmed the thanks – and again, I heard that capital letter.  All Brothers were required to help each other, and so that’s how Collin was looking at it his testifying at Aidan’s Tribunal, although he also wanted to help his brother.  Collin’s words did not go unnoticed by those who were sitting within earshot.

Aidan then pressed his palm to Collin’s cheek, a gesture of endearment I had come to understand.

The two brother’s now just acted like two guys, conversing about common interests until the proprietor reappeared with our deserts, four count on the cheesecake and as the man put one down in front of Aidan, I almost keeled over.  Like, wasn’t that a sin or something?  For him, anyway?

“I’ll be back with your coffee” the proprietor said as he then hurried off.

“Don’t tell me you are gonna have coffee too?” I just had to ask, which won me a side glance from Aidan.  That meant no I supposed.

Coffee was served, and Collin was in seventh heaven, as was I.  Just the coffee alone put me in a good mood, that was for sure.  I had been going through serious caffeine withdrawal since I had been at The Order.

We actually had a decent time, and stayed there much longer than the other patrons.  While we were talking away, they had filtered off to return to their tasks and duties.

“Where’s Seamus been hiding himself?” Collin now decided to ask a question, one that had kept dogging me as well.  The brothers’ cousin seemed to only join us for Tribunal and evening meals.

“He’s playing darts” was Aidan’s shocking response.  Darts?  Ok, back again to being weird, this place.  “Finney is over at the Recreation Hall having an informal competition – you’ll find Aaron there as well.  You should go cheer on our cousin” he suggested and so Collin grinned, nodding.

“Aye, I think we’ll do that.  I’ll wager Seamus is holding his own – Uncle Sean taught him well, after all.  And he’s got a lot of natural talent, too.  C’mon, gentlemen – lets go give my cousin some encouragement.  We’ll see you back at your place for dinner?” Collin asked his brother, and apparently nothing else had been planned for that day since Aidan nodded.

“Until then” Collin said in parting, bowing to his brother.

We three then took our leave, but I had the distinct impress that our whole luncheon and encounter had been a setup.

“Sorry, Andy – that wasn’t as subtle as it could have been” George quietly offered as he sat down next to me.  We were the only two there now that everyone had finished lunch.  Out in the open we were, just enjoying the sun and the day which was a gift straight form God.

And thus no one would consider our conspiracy.

“Well, time is running short” was my complaint as I folded my arms across my chest.  “What’s the word?” I asked, glancing at him.  George and I went way back to the Time Before – we were old friends in every sense of the word.

“The populace is drawn to him like moths to a flame” he told me, and I could see the worry in his eyes.  “They just can’t understand why Collin doesn’t divorce himself from the AFA, even if they have been told that we need AFA resources and your brother is our link to those.”

Well, that was to be expected, I knew.

“A wee bit of proof is all they would need” he went on in a low voice.  Apparently, everyone needed to see in order to Believe that Collin had within him the power to heal.  I wasn’t proof enough, though – since my healing had taken place in the middle of the wilderness, under the dark of night with a Member of the Ascendancy present.  After all, The Ascendancy was the Arm of The Brotherhood which promoted the Prophecy of the Second Son.

“Let’s pray that the High Council doesn’t decide to Test your brother” my friend now spoke aloud of what I had been fearing.

“It will come to that, sooner or later – but for now, no.  I don’t believe that time has come” I decided.  Even though I could have been wrong, the possibility was slim, although any margin of possibility left me feeling ill at ease.

However, God worked in Mysterious Ways, I knew.

“He’s well received, so that’s a curiosity, even though he is AFA he walks among us as if he’s been Brotherhood his whole life” George made comment and I understood what he meant.  That Collin had been bred for this – that was if he was indeed the one for whom the Furtherance had been scripted.

“Perhaps it is a show of Members who are in my court?” I posed.  “Or maybe I am more feared than I suppose myself to be?” I now laughed under my breath.  Who could tell?  The public was a fickle creature, after all.

“Do you Believe” George now cut to the chase, but was it a question I was willing to answer?  No, because I could not be honest with myself, knowing what I knew about The Plan and its Furtherance.

Above and beyond what any of my familiars were aware.

“Something happened that night, my friend – but just what?  I really don’t know” I was as honest with him as I was able.  “I’m too close to my brother to be objective at times” I confessed and then my Palm chirped in my pocket.  Pulling out the device I glanced at the screen and then released a weighted sigh.  Slipping the device back into my pocket, I now got to my feet.

“Thank you for taking care of Collin today – charge what is appropriate” I told George as he got to his feet.

“On the house, Andy” he said.  “Always happy to help – just keep your nose clean, ok?  From what I hear Dimitri is in a foul mood these days.”

“I’m that transparent?” I inquired with a straight face but then grinned.  Our Grand Head was the only one who could elicit such a response from me – George well knew that.  By my reaction, it had been obvious who had just summoned me.

“Of course not, milord” he said with and equally straight face but then grinned as well, bowing to me before he went back about his business.

It was a short walk to Dmitri’s office, but enough time for me to compose myself.  My friend was right – our Grand Head was on the warpath and I was his target.  The Tribunal was not going his way and so therefore even more reason he had to further his disagreeable mood.

Per usual, once arriving I was required to wait – which didn’t really matter to me.  This just gave me more time to calm my soul before facing the man.  It was highly unusual that the Grand Head should meet with the Accused during the course of Tribunal.  However, Dmitri wasn’t the only High Official besides myself who colored outside the lines of acceptance.

After an hour of waiting, I was finally granted Audience, being prompted by his Adjutant to enter the office of the Grand Head.  In I strode, not bothering to knock – he was expecting me, after all.  As soon as I was in with the door closed behind me I dropped to one knee.  Head bowed I made a fist of my left and pressed it to my chest in waiting – wondering how long this time I was going to be required to wait for his leave.

Fortunately for my patience, not long.

“Rise” was his terse edict and so I did as was told.  When I looked up, in his extended hand he held an envelope.  I accepted after a moment’s hesitation – which was improper behavior but I really did not care just then.  I knew official documents when I saw them – and official documents always meant trouble.

“Deliver these to your brother – without delay” Dmitri tacked on for good measure, which was a slam.  I knew damned well to do his bidding without dragging my feet – and so did he.

“By Your Command” was my formal response as I took the envelope.  Turning it over in my hand, I could now clearly see the seal impressed into wax on the back and so my heart froze.  It was not the Seal of the Grand Head, but rather instead the Seal of the Council of Priests.

“I believe my command was without delay” my Master prodded my tail since my feet had become rooted to the floor where I stood.  “You brought it upon yourself, Andy” Dimitri now decide to get informal.

“And that would be what, exactly?” I dared inquire, not sure if he meant my Tribunal or whatever bad news was contained within the envelope held in my hands.

“Pick something – its all the same.  Some stones are best left unturned” was his sage advice and all I could think of was no kidding.  However, this didn’t mean that I would stopping turning them over.  “You don’t know when to fold, Aidan – you never did.  You push it to the limit and beyond – a desirable trait for those whose trade is Elite-Assassin, a killer in the field.  However, you are Head of Assassins – you need to leave the assassin behind and become the statesman that your Station requires.  For the love of God, man!  You have a talented Captain of Assassins at your disposal, one to whom you should delegate far more responsibility.  And instead, what do spend your time doing?  Chasing God only knows what in pursuit of that which you cannot corner, that which you cannot kill – and you could go at it for a hundred or more years and be no closer to the kill for the trying” was his observation.

“Lecture over?” I wanted to know.  “I have your bidding to do, My Lord” was my reminder but interestingly enough, my Master only slowly shook his head, as if in exasperation.

“Dismissed” Dimitri now released me and so bowing low I then turned on my heel as was gone.  It was an aged conversation between us – one sided though it was.  We did not see eye to eye, and he would have had me removed if not but for the fact that I was an extremely useful tool, but one that he sought to rein in.  This and the fact that I did have a rather sizable backing of Members.

Notably Elite-Assassins, most one and all, and thus I was a danger to Dimitri, was well as The Order as a whole.  Or at least, those who were foolish enough to go up against me and those loyal to me.

With purpose I made my way to the Recreation Hall to find my brother.  An ill feeling was growing in the pit of my stomach – mine was to protect my brother, but with what I held in my hands?  It could very well destroy him, but I dare not disobey Orders which had been uttered to me by the lips of the Grand Head.

The gravity of what I was about to deliver weighed heavily upon my shoulders.  Any Decree handed down by the Council of Priests was grave in its nature.  That I, as Chief Defender of the Faith, had not been consulted beforehand did not bode well.  Then again, I was in Process of Tribunal and here the Council of Priests took advantage of this technicality.  Anyone undergoing Tribunal was, for all intents and purposes, Relieved of Station.

I was starting to feel like a pariah – but every dog had its day and sooner or later I would have mine.

Arriving at the Recreation Hall, upon entering I saw that quite a crowd had gathered.  There was a competition going on – one between my cousin Finney and Aaron.  Darts had always been a favorite competition of us Members.  It required skill and accuracy, essential for any marksman.  Everyone was having a good time, and no one more than my brother – here he was in is element.  This establishment was basically a pub atmosphere, minus the drunks and drunken brawls.

My brother had been involved in many of those in his past, I thought with nostalgia.  Place him in a setting where there were a couple of Marines and it would only be a matter of time before they started swinging at each other.  Naturally, the Marines would always throw the first punch – incited by rather witty reposts on behalf of my wordsmith brother.

I slipped up behind Collin and lay a hand against his back.  Quickly he turned his head to look at me.  Smiling he was until he saw the look in my eyes.

“A moment of your time?” I asked, but it was no request.  With a nod he agreed and so I led him over to a booth in the corner, away from the clamor of competition.  Once seated I slid the envelope to him across the tabletop.  For a moment he just looked down at it, but then he let out an aggravated sigh.  Closing his eyes he bowed his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Every time you guys issue something that looks like this it contains bad news” my brother grumbled and then lowering his hand from his face he looked to me.

“At least we are consistent” was my droll remark, one which won me a black look from Collin.  With a heavy sigh he now picked up the envelope and proceeded to open it, slowly.  His hands, I noticed, became none too steady when he turned it over and saw the Seal on the back.  Reaching out, I placed a hand on his arm.

“What will be, must be” I told him, an attempt to comfort but this only made him angry.

“That’s a fucking crock” he snapped, now drawing the documents out of the envelope.  Collin read them once, then twice, before giving me his attention.  “Blackmail by any other name” he mumbled, handing me the papers and it was then I noticed that both Aaron and Finney were paying us quite a bit of attention.

Accepting the papers I read them as well – and I could not argue with my brother.

What was inscribed on the parchment was, indeed, what amounted to blackmail.  However, it was worded so as not to present such intent.

This in and of itself was bad enough, the blackmail – however, what had Collin truly troubled was the cc at the end.  A copy was being sent to his CO, Elite-General Hastings and also Supreme-General Karloff.

While Collin considered his options, I now glanced over to see Aaron and Finney approaching with Kevin and Greg in tow.  Apparently Aaron had won the competition, but now he’d have a whole new challenge on his hands.  My brother would turn into an absolute bear when he felt cornered.

Folding up the documents, I slipped them back into the envelope for Collin and turned it face up so the Seal of the Council of Priests was not visible.

“Is everything ok, lad?” Finney asked of Collin in a low voice as he slipped into to the booth, sitting next to me.  My brother, however, didn’t utter a word.  His friends all exchanged looks of concern.

“Members only” Collin finally spoke up, summarily dismissing his Captains without even so much as looking at them.  His men knew better than to argue and so took their leave, going back over to the dart competition which was in now in progress between two other Members.  Neither officer was thrilled with the dismissal.

Aaron now slipped into the booth next to Collin, his eyes riveted to the envelope lying on the table.

“I’ll share if you will” the Ascendancy Member spoke first, reaching into his breast pocket to pull out an eerily similar envelope.  When he turned it over my breath caught in my throat.

His was also from the Council of Priests.

“Since this is show and tell” Finney mumbled, he did the same, withdrawing an envelope – although when he flipped his over, I could see that his was from the Grand Head.

However, I sincerely doubted that their offers held the same fear for them as did Collin’s.

My brother was unmoved, however – too unnerved by the contents of his own envelope.

Without asking permission, Aaron now reached for Collin’s envelope and then opened it, drawing out the documents.  Reading each at length he then passed them on to Finney.

Neither Member had a whole lot to say, though.  They knew Collin’s mind on the matter, as did I.  However, my brother wasn’t the only one who would have a say in his own Fate – thanks to his superiors being copied on the offer.

I would have been ecstatic should Collin accept – but I wanted my brother to become a Reaffirmed Member of his own volition, or not at all.  Forced into something, Collin would fight against it every inch along the way, regardless if doing so was beneficial to him or not.

“Does this mean that your ass really is grass?” was the Priest’s rather uncouth inquiry as he addressed me.  Sadly enough, however, I presumed this to be the case.

Collin’s offer was simple – if he should Reaffirm and accept an Honorary Seat on the Council of Priests as an Advisor of Antiquities, then the Tribunal against his brother would be dropped.  To accept would be, in a sense, Collin’s Admission that he was indeed Touched by the Hand of God and so in the saving of my life had performed a Faith Healing.

I wasn’t sure what my brother found more disturbing – the offer itself and its detailed account of the events of that night, or the fact that his superiors were now going to be privy to this as well.

Our cousin was particularly disturbed by the offer – after all he was Legion, and I had a hunch that the Arm of The Brotherhood which had been charged with driving on the Furtherance in the Time After was the Legion.  They had breached our shores and were gathering in ever greater numbers.

And secrets our cousin had to keep, I was certain.

“This needs to be said, lad” Finney began as he reached across the table to lay a hand to Collin’s arm.  “Aidan is a big boy, he can take care of himself.”  True statement, but that mattered not to Collin.  He looked out for me as I did him – it was ingrained into both of us.  Almost as if programmed, coded into our genes, as it were.  It was downright maddening at times, often coming into conflict with my Oath to Further the Greater Good of The Order.

“Finney is right, Collin – don’t let some threat prompt your Reaffirmation if you are not prepared” I told him, and so now he leveled me a stormy look as his eyes turned a sea green.  “I had nothing to do with their offer, Collin – I have been left out of the loop, not only in regards to yours, but to Aaron’s and Finney’s as well.”  There, that calmed him a bit.  “I am on Tribunal, after all – suspended from duty, as it were” I tacked on just in case he had forgotten and so he nodded.

Deciding to see what offers were made to our cousin and Aaron, Collin first reached for Finney’s.  Reading it carefully, he then passed it on to me, and once I was done I passed it on to Aaron.

Our cousin had been offered a Place among The Order – he would be equivalent to a Lord.  All he need do was Swear.  There was a clause included that at such time as The Legion would become reestablished, then The Legion would be compensated for their Loss of one Seamus-Patrick Finnegan O’Reilly.  This was standard protocol.  The reason for the offer being that our cousin was a medical practitioner and the Order was in need of his skill.  Well, that was a stretch.  We had quite a few fine doctors, but in this case more was definitely better – and our cousin had a lifetime of experience as a general practitioner.  He was a generalist, and these, in Truth, we did not have in any great number.  And so being a generalist was advantageous.

My brother now took the envelope which sat on the table in front of Aaron.  I had a fair idea what he was being offered – the same as Finney, except a Priest’s equivalent.  However, the ramifications where much more dire, given that The Ascendancy upheld belief in the Alternative Faith.

The very one which had given rise to the Prophecy of the Second Son.

Releasing a long low breath, Collin now handed me the papers, and it was as I had feared.  It was an even more lucrative offer than the one made our cousin.  I read it twice so I would not forget any of it, and then passed it off to Finney.  When he read it, up went an eyebrow – he was sufficiently impressed.

“That’s almost too good an offer to pass up” was our cousin’s comment as he now tucked the papers back into the envelope.  Aaron just shrugged – I knew damned well he wasn’t going anywhere without my brother.  This… man… or whatever he was, had intentions of sticking to my brother like a piece of cholla cactus.  I could never erase from my mind the day that Aaron had touched me – and had shown me what was in store once I left this world.

At any rate, for as much as Aaron loathed The Order, if Collin should Reaffirm, Aaron would do the same and take part in the Crossing, which was the Ceremony of Transition from one Arm to another within The Brotherhood.

“Each man needs to do what is best for himself” Collin finally spoke up, looking round the table.    The words, however, fell on deaf ears – we were all Brotherhood and would do what was best for the many and not what was best for the few.

“The Order has more doctors than the AFA” was Finney’s all but spoken declination of what was offered him.  There was another reason behind his refusal, I suspected.  He, like Aaron, wanted to stick close to my brother – to protect Collin.  And herein lay another curiosity – we three suffered from a compulsion to keep by brother from harm, and once again, as if by design.

“And the same can be said for Priests, for The Order has far more than the AFA” Aaron made note with a slanted grin.  Another true statement, but Aaron as well had a covert reason for his passing on the offer.

“I’m to blame for your present circumstances” Collin now told me.  “If it hadn’t been for me sending you off at every turn, chasing down this lead or that – then your actions would not have come into question.”  And so my brother would take the weight of the world upon his own shoulders; how that would infuriate me!  But again, it was his way of trying to protect me – the big, bad assassin as he was fond of referring to his brother here.

“I could have refused” I told him, but in all honesty?  Not likely.  When Collin gave me an assignment, the thought never crossed my mind to refuse.

And this realization I found disturbing.

Certainly, I would become agitated because he failed to understand that I had a Master to whom I must first answer – however, I would do Collin’s bidding, regardless.  I would fall on my own knife for him, should he ask it of me – Truth.

“Doesn’t matter – the fact remains, I overburdened you” he took responsibility.  “Perhaps if I could just speak with the Grand Head, explain to him…” Collin began but trailed off once he auditioned the looks on our faces.  There was nothing he could do – short of Reaffirmation.  This simple act would in turn absolve me and my actions, and a Cease Order would be issued.  The Tribunal would be terminated and life would go on, back to normal.

“Collin, we made a pact, you and I – let’s hold to that, ok?” I pressed, sensing his panic which was born of guilt.  “I have no fear of this Tribunal, nor its resulting Censure.”

“No?” my brother was quick to snap at me.  “Do you want to make getting flogged a habit?” he growled in a low voice.  Aaron now offered a curious look while Finney just cast his eyes down to the table.  Our cousin had seen the welts on my back the night of my rescue, those which were a result of my last Censure, but apparently Aaron had not.

“Sorry” my brother now quickly apologized, apparently having forgotten that there were others present.  “Besides, it doesn’t matter what I choose – my superiors could with ease just make it a command that I accept the offer to Reaffirm.  They have come so close in the recent past” was his revelation, and whether or not he had meant to reveal this it was out of the bag.

It came to me then that Collin wasn’t overly terrified of Reaffirmation – he was in great fear of leaving behind his comrades and the AFA.  For his whole life he had been in the military – from military school to West Point to the Army Rangers – it was all my brother knew.  It was what had kept his tail on track, it had actually been his salvation.  Of course he would be afraid to leave behind that life.  In addition, I surmised, Collin was worried about the men under his command at his base.  They counted on him, looked up to him, worshiped him, when you got right down to it.  They were, in essence, his flock and he wasn’t about to leave their tending to another.

Which would have been the officer next in line – Colonel Eric Austin Jones, Stalin-come-again, as I had heard Collin’s men not-so-affectionately refer to his Second.

Sitting there in silence, each to his own thoughts, I was roused from my ruminations by a chirp from my Palm.  Pulling out the device I glanced at the screen – it was my Captain of Assassins and he needed to see me.  Loath I was to leave Collin in his present state, but if Brennan needed to see me, then it was urgent.

“Little brother, I have to go” I told him and so Finney now slid out of the booth so I could get up.  The pain of indecision that I saw looking back at me from Collin’s eyes was almost enough to make me stay.

Almost.

However, I needed to be on my best behavior – and so postponing a matter of urgency just then would not have been a wise choice.  Even though my heart was telling me to do the contrary.

Covertly I signed to Finney, talk some sense into him – he doesn’t need to Reaffirm because of me, hoping he could help ease Collin’s mind.  I would not fault Collin for refusing the offer to Reaffirm – however, Time and Circumstance was against my just then so I would be unable to convey this myself.  Bowing to my fellow Members, I then turned on my heel and went to discover what was so urgent that my Captain of Assassins felt a need to contact me when I left orders not to be disturbed.

I knew, at least, that Finney and Aaron would talk sense to Collin.  Neither wanted Collin to Reaffirm his Oath to The Order.  I didn’t either, because his heart would not have been in it – he would feel cornered and that would only work against me.

Making my way to the stable, I collected my thoughts.  Whatever Brennan needed to discuss with me, it required privacy, and hence a jaunt by horseback into the surrounding forest.  It would do me good to get out and away – I had never been one for staying put.  Wanderlust was in my blood and at times the administrative aspects of my Station left me feeling weighted and smothered.

However, one does what one must, I knew.

One of my favorite mounts was in the community stable – I had ridden the equine into town that morning.  Ash was a firey dapple gray stallion of mixed Arabian blood – he was sure footed, light and fast.  I was still in mourning, after a fashion, over Marillion – or rather Medallion.  That he had been Aaron’s companion during all those years he had been wandering the deserts just blew my mind.  Or rather the fact that after he had set the creature free that I should be the one to retake the stallion.

And what was that again about God Working in Mysterious Ways?  Was He trying to tell me something?  Not likely, for if my own suspicions about myself panned out, then in the Eyes of The Brotherhood, I did not possess a soul.  This would also have dire implications for my Unborns for my curse would in turn be theirs.

However, I knew better than to worry about that which had yet to be proven.

I found Brennan right where he had told me to meet him – it was not all that far from town, but far enough to ensure privacy.  Sliding off the back of Ash I stood to face my Captain of Assassins.  After curt bows had been exchanged, Brennan then reached into his breast pocket to withdraw an envelope.  Not yet accepting, I let my eyes first linger on it – and so this day I was to receive a disturbing offer as well?

Taking the envelope from Brennan I then turned it over to look at the seal and now I dropped to one knee.

It was the Seal of The Legion – an archer’s bow superimposed atop a shamrock, both of which were encircled by a ring of which was inscribed with a single word.

Aontacht.

This Irish word roughly translated to unity or unison.

“Were any assassins lost as a result of this… delivery?” was my question – after all, business first.

“Nearly, milord” was Brennan’s response delivered with a touch of dessicated humor.  I’ll bet, I thought as I considered the envelope and its seal.

Drawing in a measured breath, I now slipped a finger under the flap, breaking the seal.  Inside was another envelope, one smaller, and after pulling out this one, I did the same as with the first.  I turned it over to look at the seal.  This time I just stared at it.

And for one very long time.

The seal was one with which I was intimately familiar – it was the seal of the O’Reilly Clan and identical to my own.  Except for the accompanying initials, however, which were TKO.

With the eyes of an eagle, Brennan spied this as well and so we exchanged a grave glance.

The initials stood for Tristan Kael O’Reilly but how could this possibly be?  My Father would have been quite aged even at the time God’s Hand changed our world, back when the Apocalypse had come to pass.  To have survived that and beyond, however?

If this was indeed the case, then a lot of things began to make sense.  My Father had abandoned Collin and me when we were but lads of ten, and had seemingly fallen off the face of the planet.  To most all, perhaps – but once I had become a CIA agent in good standing, I had used resources at my disposal to track him down.

With reluctance I now opened the envelope and withdrew its contents.  Opening the single sheet of paper I read what was written upon it, which was one word.

Wellspring.

This was accompanied by the symbol for the Vernal Equinox.

A place and a date – this was all the message my Father had to send, if Tristan was indeed the man behind this communique.  I ventured such was the case – the handwriting was his.  During the Time Before I had well studied it, which had paid off in the end.  In my worldwide search for the scholar of religious antiquities who was my Father, it was anonymous handwritten notes which had led to my discovery of Tristan having continued to draw breath.  The suspicion that our Father still walked the God’s Earth had been validated, but to think he could have survived the End of Days?

Fascinating.

A lot of foot work I now had to do, and not much time in which to do it.  And so the Tribunal could not end soon enough for me.  Providing that my Censure did not ground me, that was – and if it did, then that was going to require some creativity to circumvent.

“Never a dull moment” was Brennan’s assessment and I could not argue him that.  Getting to my feet I handed him the letter and so up went an eyebrow.  “It could be a setup” he postulated, and again, I could not argue.  I was a renegade Conspirator, after all, and although I had never known with any certainty who were my fellow Conspirators I would venture to guess they had survived the Apocalypse as well.

Too keep The Furtherance on track, naturally, which led to the conclusion that somewhere there were Overseers.  Those monsters who dwelt under Groom Lake and rest assured they were keeping tabs on everyone in this Time After, especially us Conspirators – and I was one who had strayed from the Path of Intention.

And I was almost dead certain that my Father had been an Architect of The Plan.

All in the Family, of course, or so was my dismal consideration.

Brennan was one of only two men who knew of my role in the greatest of all crimes committed against Mankind.  At first I had no idea in what I had been chosen to participate.  However, across the years many fragmented pieces of evidence did not fit, and one which I had stumbled upon by sheer accident led me in to a frightful revelation.  This then, in turn, put me on to the scent of The Plan.

Handing me back the document, words were poised on his lips but were wisely kept behind them.  We knew each other’s minds very well – and I understood the earnest contained in his unspoken words.  Travel in pairs.  My Captain of Assassins would caution me to not go alone, and although the invitation did not expressly demand that I do so, it was heavily implied that this was a requirement.

“Perhaps it is time,” Brennan said in a low voice, “to take a more direct approach to our problem” was his heartfelt suggestion and again, I could not argue that either.

“We won’t have the support we would need from key Council Members” I told him.  “By design no one was selected to survive who knew the full scope of the Plan and Its Furtherance – at least, not within The Brotherhood.  Even though We had driven the Plan in the Time Before, the Architects were not to have survived – again, by design, I am certain.  I’ll wager, though, all the Conspirators survived – each with a set of tasks but none the wiser about the big picture of which they are part.”

“However, you are the unexpected, Aidan” he reminded me and sure, I was.  Although this didn’t mean that anyone would believe me.  Key Council Members, with whom I had already made attempt to discuss the reality of the Plan and Its Furtherance, were still of the mind that these were just fanciful rumors.  “Do you suppose your Father to be a Conspirator?” Brennan put to me and that was a distinct possibility – but something in my heart told me that he was an Architect.  The unexpected, like Father like son, I was of a mind.

“I can’t say for certain, Brennan – but the fact that he has survived?  Being as old as he would now be?” I began but then trailed off to thought.  “If this is truly from my Father” I said as I folded up the document to slip it back into its envelope, “then there is more going on here, and I think we both understand that.  The Legion was charged with safety of the Cup by the Combined Brotherhood Council, until it left their custody and made its journey to these shores just before the Apocalypse.  Curious, that” I pondered and so Brennan nodded in agreement.  That there were those who sought to derail The Plan and its Furtherance was wildly speculated – but the more I learned, the more I was inclined to believe, that this was indeed the case.  After all, at the base the Plan had gone horribly wrong – so many women had perished, so few left that we did not have a viable breeding population.  This would not have been part of The Plan and so spoke to others whose mission had been to thwart the Plan, and if not, later it and its Furtherance.

Hence the rumor had been among those in the circle of the well-informed, what became known as The Divergence.  A circle with which I had been intimately familiar, having been a prominent member.  In this Time After I had assumed myself the sole survivor of The Divergence – but that was not the case, I had come to find out.

“We’ve got a lot of footwork to do” I spoke in a low voice, mostly to myself and then glancing up at Brennan, he nodded once in agreement.  Again exchanging curt bows, we then took our leave of one another.

Both knowing what action we were now required to take and post haste.

I could only watch Collin as he paced back and forth at the foot of my bed.

My jaw was probably still open, but the man was so engrossed in whatever maelstrom he had worked up in his mind to pay me more than scant attention.

If even that.

“You just fucking got here!” I snapped at him and so now he stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at me from behind fiery gemstone green eyes.

“Excuse me?” he prompted in a low voice but in a heartbeat had gone back to his pacing.  “Sierra, my dear – why you believe yourself the center of my universe I will never understand” was his cutting remark and ok, Sierra – just zip it, I cautioned myself.  Fine.  No problem.  I was going to give birth any day, minute, and neither Collin nor Aidan would be present!

And so this meant that I rated where in the lives of the two brothers?

Dead last, apparently.

“Can you at least tell me where you are going?” I asked, adding a healthy dose of honey to the request, but this didn’t fool the great Commander-General.  Again he stopped in his tracks, eyes piecing my soul, but then surprisingly, or perhaps not, he softened.

“Back to The Order” the man revealed.  “I will be there about a week” he told me, but failed to mention where he’d be off to after that.  I could sense in his delivery that he wasn’t going to come back right away.

Releasing a weighted sigh, I bit my lip and then nodded.  Conversation over, I knew, and so snuggling further under the covers I closed my eyes.  If I did not deliver the twins soon I was going to kill someone and so was not in the best frame of mine to bicker with Collin.

“Is there anything you need?” he now thought to ask but I just shook my head, not even bothering to look at him.  Collin didn’t say a thing, but I could tell he had stopped his pacing and was again glaring at me.  “I am sorry, Sierra – Time and Circumstance” was his blanket excuse, but valid or not, I wasn’t in the mood.  There were just some things that you weren’t supposed to say to a woman who was on the verge of giving birth.  And telling her that the father wasn’t going to be in attendance was one of those things – but Collin had to make it even worse since he wasn’t going to be sticking around either.

“I’ll stop by before I leave” Collin now informed me and then that was it, he was gone.  I could picture him in my mind, abruptly turning on his heel as he marched to the door.  It wasn’t until after the door was shut did I let my tears freely flow down my cheeks.  What did I expect?  He was right – I kept thinking I was of importance when I sure the hell was not.

Laying there for some time, sniveling away, I stopped myself short when there came a familiar knock on the door.  It was Kelly, I knew, and in a moment there she was.  After all, she never bothered to wait for an answer – her knock was merely to indicate that she was entering my airspace like as not.  But she was a nice girl, and I liked her – despite the fact she was ex-Brotherhood and wife of my arch enemy Bryan Smith, Elite-Assassin and head IT geek for The Order.  You could say I was jealous, I guess – because despite Bryan’s and Kelly’s marriage having been arranged, they seemed to care a great deal for each other.

Which was more than I could say at present about any of the men in my life.

“Hi” I said, propping myself up on my elbows as she sat down on the edge of the bed.  “Are you leaving, too?” was my terse inquiry.

“Not that I know of” she returned and then smiled.  “Be happy while they are still here” was her advice and so now I perked up.  Who the hell were they?  “Want some help getting dressed?  You know how Aidan feels about you moping around” the little teaser told me with a grin.

“Aidan is here?!” I chirped, struggling to get my bloated body erect and so Kelly laughed at my response as she lent a hand.

“If you had given Collin a chance to tell you before you took his head off” she began but then shrugged.  Narrowing my eyes at her I held my tongue.  It seemed that everyone took delight at my expense.

“Is Aidan sticking around, then?” I asked with hope as Kelly helped me sit up, but she just shook her head.  Whelp, there goes that sliver of hope, I thought in despair while I sighed out loud.  She was right, then – I just needed to be happy while both Collin and Aidan were here.  After all, there would be plenty of time later to bawl my eyes out after they left.

With considerable fussing, I let Kelly help me get washed up and presentable.  After all, I didn’t want Aidan’s last memory of me before my giving birth to be that of his woman looking like a dead bird the cat dragged in.  I just had to keep reminding myself what important men both Aidan and Collin were.  Didn’t make me feel any better, really, but kind of put things into perspective I supposed.

Once I looked like less than death warmed over, I ventured out of my cell, with me hanging on to Kelly’s arm for support.  I could not recall how many times I had begged and pleaded for a c-section just to get the little devils out of me, but had been turned down each and every time.  Finney’s MedStaff techs probably thought I was kidding – but I sure the hell was not.

We slowly but surely made our way to the mess hall – it was well past breakfast but the cooks had gotten used to my late arrivals.  Breakfast in bed would have been nice, but there was a no coddling order firmly in place when it came to yours truly – and I wasn’t able to discern if it had been a command of Collin’s or an insidious threat handed down by Aidan.  Either way results were the same.

The two of us had a nice breakfast – or rather I did.  Kelly just watched me eat, per usual.  During a mouthful I glanced up to see Amanda storming into the mess hall and I could not help but think, there goes a perfectly peaceful breakfast.  The young woman was so like her true father Collin it wasn’t even funny.  A hothead and a half, and then some, I grumbled inwardly as she strode over to join us.  That she was looking to let off steam was obvious – but about what, however, I had no clue.

Sitting down across from me, and next to Kelly, Amanda had done to me as her father had earlier – glared at me from behind fiery gemstone green eyes.

“Trouble in paradise?” I asked through a mouthful of eggs but that just won me one very black look from Amanda.

Ignoring my inquiry, she instead turned to Kelly and asked, “May I borrow you for a few minutes?”  Naturally Kelly looked to me but before she could say anything I just waved her off.

“I’ll be fine – go ahead” I told her and in the blink of an eye Amanda was hauling Kelly away, without so much as even a hello or good-bye.  After all this time it shouldn’t have fazed me, but it did.  Amanda and I were not getting along any better than we had from the start – and I knew damned well that Aidan had mandated she make the effort.  Did she, though?  No.  Amanda treated me like an outsider, or rather an interloper who had infiltrated her family circle.  It was as if in her overt display of lack of manners that she was daring me to rat her out to her daddy.  Well, she might have believed that Aidan to be her father, but we all knew better.

Love was blind, I considered – all kinds, for that matter.

After I had finished eating, Jake, one of the cooks, came over to see if I wanted seconds.  Not having room I politely begged off, and so instead he sat down across from me for some idle chit-chat.  Collin’s men were all extremely friendly with me, after a very polite and platonic fashion.  I knew Collin had ordered them to help make me not feel so out of place or lonely – and this consideration brought a tear to my eye.  I seemed to keep forgetting all of the little things Collin would do, things to make me feel more at ease, to feel better about being there – the ones for which he never took credit.

“Are you ok, Miss Sierra?” Jake now asked, noticing that my waterworks were getting going.  Dragging a sleeve across my eyes I just shook my head.

“Just hormones, Jake – don’t worry about me” I explained away, my own blanket excuse for everything.

“Well, if you need anything, you just let me know” he said, now getting to his feet – break time over.  After all, he had the lunch crowd to get ready for.

“Can you liberate my Palm from me?” I asked with a straight face.  This made the man laugh, however.

“If I thought I’d have any success…” the cook began but then trailed off with a shrug.  “Good-day, miss” he now said and with a curt bow he then went back about his work.  I sat there for a while after he left, just sipping water and staring off into space, when I heard another familiar voice.

“Hey, girl” Kevin said in greeting as he plopped himself down across from me.  My friend looked thoroughly distracted – as distracted as he appeared was about as angry as Amanda had seemed.  There was something afoot – I had a sense of this already, from my encounter with Collin.  And then when Amanda showed up all in a snit, the inkling increased, and now it went off the scale.  However, I was of a mind if I played it cool, Kevin just might spill without realizing it.

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” I tossed out there, a very generic assessment which could fit anything at all.

“Tell me about it” he grumbled, slumping down into his seat.  Ok, Sierra – just relax, act like nothing is wrong – he’ll talk without you prodding him.  Or at least, that’s what I told myself.

“The more things change the more they stay the same” was my two cents’ worth of complaint.  This, though, was apparently the wrong thing to say, since Kevin was no dummy.

“Uh – that applies, how?” was his shrewd leading of me and so I only blinked.

Busted.

“Collin and Aidan leaving again so soon?” I tried to recover, but I wasn’t fooling him, that much was for sure.

“Shit – they didn’t tell you” he grumbled.

“Well, they couldn’t because Collin wasn’t up for conversation when I saw him this morning,” I began sounding rather testy, “and Aidan hasn’t bothered to grace me with his presence, and so…” I trailed off.

“Yeah, well – if you didn’t make a habit of getting up so late” was his reproach but then he shrugged.  “Sorry, girl – got lots on my mind today.”  That was a lie – he’d kind of been troubled ever since he had come back from The Order with Greg.  Greg was a lot better at concealing his feelings, though, but even he seemed to have a cloud over him.  The Tribunal had had a happy ending, however – the charges against Aidan had been dropped, so I figured all was right with the world.  And yet, a little black cloud seemed the persist in its wake.

Although Kevin and Greg had come back straight after the Tribunal, not so with the O’Reilly males and Collin’s new best-bud, Aaron.  They had remained behind – or at least, they didn’t come back here to Collin’s base straight away.

Of course this had me wondering, but wondering was eclipsed by other things, such as my feeling like crap every bloody damn day.  I swore that once I gave birth I was going to throw the biggest fucking party on the planet – a liberation party!  If I ever had to carry twins to term ever again, then I was just gonna shoot myself, plain and simple.  Midgets like me just weren’t constructed for such a burden!

“Who threatened to do what to you if you tell?” I asked with my best pout but Kevin wasn’t tempted – and this meant that he really was distracted beyond belief.  It had not escaped me that my friend had a serious crush on me – and a rather unhealthy one given my relationship with both Collin and Aidan.

As he was about to answer, or not, his Palm chirped.  Saved by the cutest little mobile device on the planet, I thought with longing as I watched him drag it out of his pocket.  Quickly he read the message and then deactivating the screen he stuffed it back in his pocket.

“C’mon – let’s take a walk” he said, getting up and offering me his arm, one which I noticed was none too steady as I looped my arm in his.

“Now what the hell is going on?” I asked in a hushed voice as he escorted me out of the mess hall.  “Amanda was seriously bent this morning, too – and now you.”

“Yeah, well – just another day in the salt mines for me, I guess” was his disjointed response.  We were heading towards the Collin’s office I could tell and so I put on the brakes.

“You know, there is just so much bad news that one pregnant woman can take!” I barked at him, making a scene, per usual.  Tugging on my arm, he urged me along, and none too gently at that, I took note.

“Look, its not like you think, but its also not my place to tell you” he told me.  “And it probably won’t matter much to you anyway, you’re so keen on The Order and all” my friend mumbled and now he really had me going.  What on earth was he talking about?  Well – I would find out soon enough and so shut my big mouth.

Once at Collin’s office, he knocked on the door and then went right in, and as I suspected, there was Collin and Aidan.  Two sizable rats I had smelled, and there they were.

And Lord only knew what turmoil they were now going to toss me into the midst of.

“Thank you, Captain – I trust your charge didn’t put up too much of a fight?” was Collin’s droll inquiry.  He was sitting behind his desk, leaning back in his chair – elbows to armrests with the tips of his fingers pressed together and then it came to me in a flash.

Collin was afraid of something.

“No more than usual… sir” Kevin said and then releasing my arm he bowed to Collin and then to Aidan, who was standing off to one side of Collin’s desk.  In a heartbeat my friend now made one hasty retreat, closing the door behind him.

“You fellas gonna make me stand or what?” I bitched, wrapping my arms about me.  It was just a cover, of course, the attitude.  I was worried as hell because there wasn’t much that would give Collin cause to be afraid.  “Where’s you buddy Aaron?” I now decided to ask, since I didn’t have a sense that one of the fourth horseman had come in with the brothers and their cousin.

“Sit, please” Collin now said as he got up and walked around from behind his desk to help me sit down.  Once I was seated, Collin then got down on one knee, taking my hand in his own to then kiss the back of it.  Before I could ask him what that was all about he was on his feet, retreating behind his desk to sit down.  I offered Aidan a shy look with a little half wave of my hand, and this amused him to no end for in return he rewarded me with a rare smile.  He sure was in a damned good mood, I considered – and this only served to nerve me out.  Was I gong to get dragged off to The Order or something?  That, I knew, would thrill Aidan to no end.

However, I knew better than to play guessing games when it came to these two men.  I would always lose when I did.  I did know, though, that whatever it was that had everyone else’s panties in a bunch had to be something that was beneficial to Aidan – or rather the The Brotherhood and The Order.  That came first, after all – that whole Greater Good thing.

“I wanted to tell you personally, before wild rumors reached your ears” Collin began in a low voice.  “It won’t change your life, therefore should be of no concern to you, however…” he started to say but then trailed off to silence – or rather, lapsed into a dramatic pause, I should say.  “I am to Reaffirm my Oath to The Order” the man then laid on me and I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or choke.

His eyes had turned a stormy sea-green and so I then knew that we wasn’t joking.  So, like, what?  He was going to go to the Order and leave me here with his Second in command?  The Colonel from hell?!

“Before you start to fret,” Collin now went on in a calm and even tone, “it is as I said, your life won’t change.  You will be here and so will I so please quit the deer in the headlights look, if you will.

“In an effort to foster a stronger relationship and better understanding, the AFA and The Order have reached an agreement.  I will Reaffirm my Oath the The Order, yet I will remain Commander of this IntelliCore base.”

“Isn’t that a conflict of interest?” I just had to go and ask, but Collin only grinned.

“One would think, but as far as the AFA is concerned, it won’t make all that much difference” he told me, now leaning forward with his elbows on his desktop.  “I have always been a Member – regardless.  It was rather that I had yet to Reaffirm my Oath in this Time After.”  To this I just made an o with my mouth but otherwise held my silence.  There was more to it than that – a lot more, I could tell.  Looking back and forth between Aidan and Collin I had to wonder who was getting what benefit out of this, and at whose expense.  I knew Collin well enough to understand the thought of Reaffirming was enough to scare the crap out of him.

As always, I was being fed bits and pieces – only the tidbits they wanted me to swallow and nothing more.

“Is that why Amanda is all bent?” I now prodded.  “And Kevin too?”  I could understand why Kevin would be worried, but why would Amanda give a rat’s ass about Collin Reaffirming?  Since Collin didn’t answer, I assumed that I wasn’t family enough to warrant discussing his daughter’s many moods.

“When can I have my Palm back?” I now navigated towards more dangerous waters, deciding to go for broke.

“You are about to give birth any day now and all you can think about is that damned toy?” was his harsh inquisition but I wasn’t cowed – I snapped right back at him.

“Funny, your officers don’t view their Palm devices as toys!” I was happy to point out.  “Your men live and die by those toys, if you haven’t noticed.”

“And here we have, in that proverbial nutshell, what is wrong with our world” Collin was all too happy to inform me, sounding Brotherhood for certain.  “Some evils just can’t be stamped out, I suppose – like cockroaches they just keep right on multiplying” he drew me a picture and then leaned back in his chair.  Well, there was no point in arguing with the great man.  After all, he left his shitty Windows CE device off ninety-nine percent of the time.  In retrospect, this was perhaps a good thing, I considered with an inward laugh – or so I had thought.  It came out anyway and so I hoped he would think I was laughing at his droll joke about roaches.

Not, I could now see.

“If you are done interrogating me,” Collin began, “then perhaps we can conclude this meeting.  Our intent was only to inform you of the facts, so you would not drive yourself into a frenzy of speculation.  For me, personally – this will open a door of great interest.  I will have access to The Order’s Repository, filled with ancient texts.  You know my passion in this area, yes?” he put to me and yeah, I sure did.  Collin would lose himself to everyone and everything else when he got sucked in by one of these good books.  Most times he would get so wrapped up I was certain he even forgot about me because at times I would not see him for days on end.  “You would not deny me this joy, would you?” he now went for the throat and like what was I supposed to say to that?

I’d give him the world if I could – and if I thought he’d take it from me should I offer it.

“No” was all I said and then biting my lip I looked down for a moment.  “Am I dismissed?” I now asked, politely.  To this, both Aidan and Collin exchange a look – one of exasperation, it seemed.  I knew that look in Collin’s eyes, though – can’t win for losing, that’s what he thought about being up front with me.

Although, I wasn’t sure whose idea that was, exactly, Aidan’s or Collin’s – or maybe it was joint.  Didn’t know and didn’t care at that point I was ready for a nap.

“Yes” Collin now gave me leave but just sat there, grinning behind his hand.

“Anybody gonna help the fat pregnant woman get up?” I wanted to know, glaring at the two who were both smiling now.  Great.  What was that Kevin would call the brothers behind their backs?  Oh, yeah – the twins from hell.  That was my own consideration right then as I sat there feeling like the unwitting butt of some joke.  “By the way, I’m happy to see you, Aidan” I said, holding back a tear as my hormones went to work on me again.  “I missed you,” and with this I could have sworn that I broke his cold reserve, melting it if but a tiny bit.

“You could have fooled me” was his smooth reply as he now walked over to help me up.  Accepting his hand it was now my turn to melt.  How I loved this man! I thought – and his brother.  It wasn’t right, not by a long shot, but there it was.  It was just that if I had to choose between the two, well – Aidan had a stronger hold on my heart.

Once on my feet, Aidan then leaned over to plant a kiss on my head and predictably, I could not help but throw my arms around him in a fierce hug.

“I thought you wanted to leave?” Aidan prompted and glancing up at him, his dark eyes were smiling down upon me.

“Well, I need an escort” I complained.  “Can’t waddle around all by myself” I grumbled and then Aidan pulled out his Palm.  “Whatcha doin’?” I asked, curious.

“Tracking down Kelly” was his simple reply and so now I stomped my foot in protest.

“What?  You don’t want to be seen with a whale?” I challenged and now, in an even rarer moment, Aidan burst out laughing.  Leveling him a cross look, I narrowed my eyes at him.  Collin was trying his best not to cut up laughing, but he lost the battle as well.

“All things nautical” Collin poked fun at his brother, who even I knew loved the sea and sailing.  “Too bad a Nantucket sleigh ride is out of the question, though – unless your aim is to hasten the birth of your twins, that is.”  Getting the lyrical reference from a song by Mountain, I however did not understand what that had to do with me.

“I’ll explain on the way” Aidan told me and so taking hold of his arm he now escorted me out of Collin’s office.  As I cast one last look over my shoulder at Collin, he was was no longer grinning from ear to ear, though – and clouds could now be seen moving in to mute the color of his vibrant eyes.

Once out and away from his brother’s office, Aidan stopped.  Taking my face in his hands he delivered one surprisingly impassioned kiss.  Not surprising because of its passion, but rather that Aidan didn’t give a flip who saw us.  Like his brother, Aidan was a private man – in this they were the same, except when it came to me.  Collin reveled in public flirting – and Aidan was the dead opposite.

“I have missed you as well, my love” he now told me once the kiss was, regretfully, over.  As we again started walking I was certain I must have turned eight shades of red.  The assassin had gone well beyond any normal form of rare mood.  “Do you want to go back to your room?” my night in shining armor asked but I just shook my head.

“Rumor has it that its nice and sunny – can we go outside?” I asked instead of being a pushy thing and demanding it.  With a smile from Aidan that would have melted any woman’s heart, I had my answer.  Making a quick pit stop at my quarters to take care of business as well as get my jacket, we were then on our way outside, under the brilliant north desert sun.  It was a spectacular day in the high desert, quite warm for March and it was such a pleasure to be outside under the sapphire blue sky with my favorite assassin.  We did not go far, however, finding a some boulders to sit on that were basking in the reflected warmth of a cliff face a short distance from the entrance.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit” Aidan told me.  “Almost full term and you are getting around just fine – you probably don’t even need anyone to lean on” was his shrewd observation.  I didn’t most of the time, but was so self-conscious about being so very pregnant that I seldom when anywhere alone.

“Compliment me all you like, it won’t stop me from asking questions” I informed him.

“Ask away, that doesn’t mean you’ll get answers, though” was his smart ass response and so I just sighed, glancing away for several moments.

“You’re in a damned good mood,” I now challenged him, “and don’t tell me that’s because you are here with me” I tacked on.  “What the hell did you guys offer Collin to get him to Reaffirm?” I now began my interrogation of him.  “There’s no way that Collin would Reaffirm just so he can get access to some musty old books” I laid out my assessment.  As long as I had known Collin, he had been afraid of something – and as I came to know the man, in combination with some snooping around, I understood his fear.  That of having to eventually Reaffirm his Oath to The Order.  Collin was afraid that his superiors might eventually call upon him to Reaffirm – and so I could not help but wonder if this was why Collin was finally going to go through with it.

Something told me not, though – it was between brothers, I sensed.  Between Collin and Aidan.  Would Aidan confess?  Not likely.  It mattered little – I’d find out given time and some delicate  prying, and perhaps a little blackmail.

Wholly ignoring my inquisition, Aidan now reached out a hand, laying it on my belly.  The kids were as cranky as I was and in that moment they were fussing about and so their father could feel this.  A smile full of joy took over Aidan’s lips, he was thrilled to no end it was clear.

“What did that comment of Collin’s mean?” I now switched gears.  “About the Nantucket sleigh ride?  I mean, I know its a song by Mountain but I don’t get it.”  Chuckling under his breath the assassin then shrugged.

“It’s just my brother’s way of being cleverly crass” he explained, which explained nothing at all.  Holding his eyes I just waited for clarification.  “Whalers of old used to go out in the freezing North Atlantic waters in long boats with harpoon in hand.  Once having harpooned a whale, the poor wounded creature would then flee, dragging the longboat along behind it.”  I just looked at him, I still didn’t get it.

“Nantucket is an island off the Massachusetts coast.  New England was the whaling center of the world at one time” he went further and ok, I supposed it made sense why they called it what they did – and then all of a sudden I understood Collin’s drawing parallel between harpooning and hastening the delivery of the twins.

Typical Collin – he would allude to sex wherever and whenever possible.

“Oh” was all I said, biting my lip.

“If you weren’t so heavy with children, I’d be up for a Collin’s suggestion” Aidan now told me, making me blush as he leaned in to deliver more than just a casual kiss.  Midway through the kiss, though, Aidan stiffened – barely noticeable but he did none the less.

Pulling away from me, Aidan now cast a look over his shoulder.  We were sitting outside the main entrance and so had a view of the road which wound its way up the air strip and motor pool.  In the distance I could now see a man making his way along the dirt road.

And I just knew it had to be one of the four horseman – Aaron.  That Member made my skin crawl, no two ways about it.

We now kept it civil as we watched Aaron’s approach – and after a while I noticed that Aidan and Aaron had their eyes in a deadlock.  Aaron didn’t like Aidan any more that Aidan did Aaron.  I wasn’t sure if this was merely because one was Order and one was Ascendancy, or if it was much more deep-seated than that.

“Good-day” Aaron called out to us as he drew near, pleasantly enough, but you could feel the undercurrent of tension.  And then it came to me – Aidan was afraid for me!  If I had only suspected this, then it was confirmed once I looped my arm through his.  The man was wound up as tight as a clockwork spring.

Aidan was in a rare mood this day, I thought – he was actually rude to Aaron by not returning the greeting.  Not wanting another feud to sprout to life, I did the polite thing.

“Hi” I greeted Aaron in return.  This Member had not been outwardly unpleasant to me – that was, until I had begun the tradition.  Even yet, in public Aaron acted like a true Member towards me, a woman, and so I was deserving respect on that account alone.  However, we had a mutual loathing firmly in place between us, unspoken though it was.

“How is the mother-to-be this fine day?” the priest now asked as he decided to get social, walking right on up to us.  Shrinking against Aidan’s side, I just shrugged.

“Ok, I guess” I finally answered the man.

“It’s a shame that you’ll not be able to legitimize the union before the children come into this world” Aaron addressed Aidan and now I could feel Aidan truly become tense.  It was like two pit bulls facing off every time these two encountered one another, when Collin was nowhere to be seen.  But when Collin made it a trio?  Aaron and Aidan were as congenial as congenial could be.  “Would you like me to put in a good word with the Council of Priests?” he asked but Aidan still didn’t have a thing to say.  At least, not right away.

“That would be appreciated – thank you” Aidan returned with a nod of respect and that was the end of the exchange.  Aaron smiled at me, offering me a bow of respect before he then continued on his way towards the entrance.

There goes a brave man, I thought – one who wasn’t afraid to turn his back on Aidan.

“How come Aaron only bows to you when there are others around?” I now asked, tugging on Aidan’s sleeve to divert his attention.  My assassin was still dangerously fixated on the harbinger of doom.

“That’s a good question” Aidan returned, tearing his eyes away from the priest to now give me his attention.

“And what is he talking about with the Council of Priests” I wanted to know.  “He’s not Order so what pull can he have?”

“Aaron Gallagher is Jesuit” was his simple explanation, and like – so what?  I didn’t get it, that was clear.  “God help The Order should he decide to Transition” he muttered, shaking his head, apparently forgetting I was present.  Aidan would never speak of anything regarding The Order and the business that went on there.  Obviously the man was distracted.

“You can’t have everything your way all the time, Mr. Assassin” I pointed out and now he smiled at me.

“I can sure try” he chuckled.  “There’s no way to dislodge this leech, either.  He’s my brother’s new favorite playmate and so… well… don’t you worry about him, Sierra.  Aaron is just one thorn in a desert of many.”  Well, if that wasn’t the cheeriest analogy I had ever heard.

“Well, I don’t like him” I complained.  “He’s… not what he appears” I tried to put to words without saying too much and now Aidan just looked at me.

“Don’t you mean who?” my assassin tested but I decided it was time to shut up.  “He checks out, I’m sorry to say – he is Brotherhood, and he is Ascendancy, and he is a Priest and he is Jesuit – his background is verifiable.  I can’t scare up one black mark against him.”

“Weak” I mumbled as I now wrapped my arms about me.  “Can’t you fabricate a few?” I posed in jest and since he didn’t answer right away, this meant he was thinking about it.  “I don’t know why Collin chose to get so cozy with that Member.  I’d rather he got cozy with Quade if he needs to make a new friend” I grumbled in complaint.

“You really don’t like Aaron, then, eh?” was his dry supposition, Aidan knowing what I thought of his shark-pal Quade, after all.

“He’s one topic we all avoid when Collin is around” I told him the truth, feeling somewhat like a snitch but there it was.  “Your brother gets all bent if we even mention his name – its like he prepares for battle or something.”

“Well, Collin is rather perceptive” Aidan made note, and this was true.  Collin had an eerie ability to read the hearts of men, and with ease, which was pretty disconcerting.  You couldn’t pull one damned thing over on Collin.

“Like brother like twin?” I suggested because Aidan possessed the same ability, if after a different fashion.  Aidan only shrugged, though, as he now looked towards the base entrance.  “Wanna go back inside?” I offered, understanding that he felt a need to get back to his brother now that the dark angel had come onto the scene.  Couldn’t say I blamed him – Aaron had a tendency to pop up out of nowhere and at the most opportune times.  It wasn’t natural.

“No – it can wait” Aidan declined as he now took my hands in his own, squeezing them.  “I would be here for the births, if I could” he told me, voice filled with true regret.  “I know you think I should be able to pull strings, and sometimes I can – but I am still in the dog house.  Regardless the fact that the charges are going to be dropped, I am still in hot water to varying degrees.”  This was about as open as he had ever been with me about what went on with him and his place amongst The Order.

“Are or were?” I quickly asked, since the tense he used made it sound like the charges had yet to be dropped.  And then suddenly, I got the picture – one which explained a whole hell of a lot.  Aidan just offered me a curious look.  “Let me guess – the charges will be dropped if your brother Reaffirms his Oath to The Order, isn’t that right?!” I accused in a huff.  Collin would do just about anything for his brother, and vice versa.  It was going to be the death of those two yet! I thought in dismay.

And Since Aidan didn’t answer, I now had mine.

“Your brother has got enough issues as it is” I grumbled under my breath.  Drawing a hand across my eyes I bowed my head, slowly shaking it.  Releasing a heavy sigh I then looked up at my assassin who still had nothing to say.  “Collin would do anything for you, and you just keep on taking advantage of that, huh?” I attacked, for all the filibustering that Collin would do, in the end he pretty much would do what his brother wanted him to do.

“It was not my suggestion” Aidan decided to defend.  “It was part of an offer made to him by others.  I wanted to talk him out of it, Sierra – this is Truth.  However, before I was able to talk some sense into him, I was called away on business and by the time I returned?  My brother had already accepted the proposal.  At that point it was out of my hands, my love.  I would never coerce my brother to Reaffirm – I would only want Collin’s Reaffirmation on his own terms.  No one knows better than I do that forcing Collin do something which goes against his grain benefits no man.”  Having made his case, Aidan now fell to silence.  He never lied and so no choice did I have but to believe him.  However, as always, there was a whole lot I’d venture that he was omitting.

Suddenly feeling drained and fatigued, an involuntary yawn escaped me.

“Sitting here in the sun, I feel a nap coming on” I informed Aidan with a faint smile.  I would have loved to sit there for hours with my favorite assassin, conversing or not – but I was going to nod off and it wasn’t exactly the best place to do that.  Not unless I wanted to suffer the indignity of Aidan having to carry me back to my room.

Getting to his feet, Aidan offered me a hand up, and once I was standing he then initiated a warm embrace.  How safe I would feel when I was with him – but fate had seen to it that we were apart more than we were together.  That’s just the way it was, though, and I knew I had to just suck it up or I was going to start crying.

“C’mon, lets get back before Collin comes looking for us” I grumbled and to this Aidan laughed.  “What’s so funny?” I wanted to know but Aidan just grinned – apparently is was another private joke or something.

So arm in arm we went back inside and Aidan delivered me to my room.  Once he saw me safely inside and snuggled up on the couch for a nap, he then planted a kiss on my forehead.

“You’re not going to sneak off without saying good-bye to me, are you?”  I asked with a pout and so he shook his head.

“I will see you before I leave” was his assurance with a smile and then turning on his heel he was gone.  And so was I, since I then quickly slipped away to slumber.

I must have been more tired than usual.  By the time I woke up I could tell it was late in the day – and I was not alone in my room.  Blinking like an owl I looked around and there sitting in a chair by the fireplace was Collin.

Collin who was dressed in anything but standard AFA issue clothing.  The man was dressed like a Member – so that if it hadn’t been for his short hair and clean-shaved face I would have never known that he was an AFA officer.

But he was a Member, I kept reminding myself, and had been, even prior to the world winking out.  However, Collin never brought to mind the image of a Member – he was the least likely candidate for Brotherhood that I had seen thus far.  However, dressed as he was it was clear how easily he could fall into the role of one – if he wanted to.

“Hey” I said in greeting, offering him a shy smile.  “You look awesome” I complimented the man for he looked outstanding.

“Ya think?” was his response, one followed by a long low breath.

“Were you waiting for me to wake up?  Or you just hiding out?” I brazenly inquired and now he just narrowed his eyes at me.

“Little of both” he confessed, now sitting forward in the chair, resting elbows to knees.  Offering me a half-hearted smile he then gave up trying to appear happy.  He reminded me of a little boy who had tied his stomach into knots, dreading having to go to school and face the bullies who would torment him on a regular basis.

“You make a great looking Member, Collin – you look more Member like than most Members” I chuckled as I snuggled further down under the cotton throw which covered me while I had snoozed away.  “You’re afraid, though, aren’t you?” I now popped the question that begged asking – wondering if he was going to get all ugly, which would happen when his pride reared its head.  Surprisingly enough, it didn’t and so he just nodded.

“Yeah – worst nightmare come true, or just about” he complained, glancing down for a heartbeat.  “I have to admit, though – The Order is a great place to live, Sierra.  You didn’t get to see their City State in Zion.  You would love it, trust me on this – it was how we were meant to live.”

“Would I be able to have my Palm if I lived there?” I asked, dogging him yet again about the device.  I figured if I threw enough shit against the wall, some of it was bound to stick.

“I’m not sure if women are permitted to possess them” was his frank response but I just glared at him.

“Kelly has one – and don’t tell me that’s different!” I challenged, and now he laughed, openly, with a genuine smile.

“You are such a delight, Sierra – I will miss you” he told me and so now I had the impression he was going to be gone longer than he had told me he would be.  “I don’t think you understand that by refusing you your beloved little Palm that I am trying to protect you, as well as myself.  It’s… complicated… my dear.  Just don’t ask me how – it is not a matter of trust.”  Well, if it wasn’t, then what was it?

“How long will you really be gone?” I now diverted, sidestepping the topic of my being a hacker and the perceived danger that this posed.

“I… I’m not entirely sure; I was reluctant to ask” he was up front.  “Knowing won’t make it any shorter or longer – and what does it matter anyway?  Eric and Greg are the ones who really run this base” Collin pointed out and here we go – the insecure little boy once again.  I just wanted to slap the shit out of him when he got like this.  Show this side of himself to anyone but me?  Or perhaps Eric, Greg and Finney?  Not likely.  It was just part of the burden to be expected when you were part of Collin’s support system, as Aidan had dubbed us.

“Yeah, well – no one would listen to Eric if you weren’t around to enforce his threats” I chuckled and so now Collin grew dark.  After all, criticism of his closest friends was strictly off limits.

“You are as bad as Mandy, I swear – spending too much time in observation of us” was his own observation and what did he expect me to do all day long?  “Well, soon enough you’ll have plenty else to keep you occupied, eh?” he made note with a nod towards my swollen belly.  Yeah – I was going to be up to my eyeballs in taking care of not one but two infants.  At least I would have Kelly and Amanda to help, although I had a hunch that the two young women had been ordered by Aidan to do the majority of the work.  Not to lighten my workload, but rather to make sure the twins were raised in the Ways of The Brotherhood.  They would need to be good little Members – or at least the little boy would.  I wasn’t sure what kind of a life the little girl would be fated, though.  After all, I might belong to the AFA, but my children would belong to The Order.

“Are you in trouble?” I probed as I now sat up but Collin didn’t respond.  He didn’t have to.  The man had backed himself into a corner, I’d bet – or something along those lines.

“No,” Collin finally decided to answer, “not yet, anyway” he tacked on, feeling a need to be cryptic, as always.  Now he got to his feet, straightening out his clothing, and the man truly was a god, I laughed to myself.  And if not, then Collin was at least graced with being perhaps the most handsome man on the planet.  What woman could ever say no to him? I wondered.  Or even any man, for that matter – and come to think of it, his men never said no to him, or questioned his orders, or even said boo.  Well, least ways not the grunts.

“Come say farewell to us” he said, extending his hand as he walked over to me.  I gladly accepted, and pulling me up from the couch, he then embraced me and I could feel his apprehension of what was to come.  “I… I am truly sorry I will not be here for the birthing” the man now told me as he leaned over to bury his face in my neck and then tenderly kissed it.  I would have said, that’s ok – but it wasn’t.  Not in my book, anyway – but duty called and in my past life I had been, for a short while, a Marine wife.  I knew which wrung I occupied on the ladder of importance.

“Just make sure you come back – period” I made demand as I now looked up at him.  “Would your brother do the same for you?” I now went in a different direction and so Collin just offered me a look of curiosity.  “The charges getting dropped, your Reaffirmation – I don’t have to be military intelligence to see the connection between those two ditties, Collin.  Give this dumb woman some credit, after all.”  Collin just held my eyes for several heartbeats and then he grinned.

“You are anything but dumb, Sierra – and that’s the main reason I have been reluctant to give you back your toy” he grunted and so I narrowed my eyes at him.  Brat.  “My brother would die for me, Sierra – as I would for him.”  This, however, didn’t give me a warm and fuzzy, but I would just let it drop.  That was another area off limits – the bond shared between the two brothers.  It was so complex that I had yet to figure it out to any greater degree.

“Can you pass the Trials?” was my casual inquiry.  I did not want to bruise his ego, but I had to ask.  Rumor had it that the Trials were pretty brutal, and Collin was no young man.  Granted, he wasn’t old, but his best days were sadly behind him.  His brother wasn’t young, either – but Aidan had spent every day of his life training, to keep as fit as possible and to the extreme.  That’s what Elite-Assassins were all about, of course.  Collin might have been in the Army, but Military Intelligence wasn’t exactly the same line of work as his brother.

“Not on the best day of my life” was his rather candid, and frightening, assessment.  “Don’t you worry, Chiquita – Aidan got the woos here a Waiver” he now put my mind at ease before it had a chance to scamper off in a panic.  “Although the Swearing will be treacherous enough, I dare say” Collin now grumbled, and here was where he would get himself into trouble – eventually.  When he would be called upon by his Oath to do that which went against his moral fiber.

“Where’s your sidekick?” I now got nosy, wondering if Aaron would go with him to The Order for the Swearing.  I just wanted that devil’s minion as far away from me as possible.

“Fear not, he will be in Attendance so no need to worry about someone being here to referee” he laughed and so I glared at him.  “I’d say Eric would, but I’m afraid he’d side with Aaron.”

“Funny” I grumbled, looking away for a moment.  It would have been funny if it hadn’t been true.  Eric didn’t like me any more than Aaron did.

“Behave while I am gone” was his stern caution.  “When I return, I don’t want to have to audition the same disturbing report like the one I had listen to from Eric this morning, about you and your antics.  Capisce?”  The man wasn’t joking, I could tell, and so I nodded, and rather demurely at that.  I had been a bad girl while Collin was gone.  I subtly tested Eric at every turn – mostly out of boredom, but part of me just wanted to give the prick a bad time, since Eric was always giving my friend Kevin the same.  I figured a little payback on the behalf of my friend was in order, and certainly Eric could not lay a single finger on me.

It had been sweeter than sweet, and that was no lie.

“Yes, Commander” I told him, as sweetly as I could and with a smile to match.

“Yeah… right…” he began but then left it alone.  “You have no idea how much your presence in my life has meant to me” the man now told me as his eyes grew cloudy with the threat of tears, and his assertion deeply touched my heart.  “I… understand how you and Aidan feel about one another, but this doesn’t mean that I desire you, love you, any less” Collin now went right for the heart.  “You’ve given me reason to live, you see – to want to live, more rightly.  And for this I thank you Sierra – I can never repay what you have done for me, for my soul.”

Was the man trying to make me cry?  Nope – he wasn’t trying, he had already accomplished that quite nicely as tears now freely flowed from my eyes.

Leaning over, Collin tested the waters, to see if I would be receptive to a kiss, and naturally I was – how could I not after those beautiful words?

We had been keeping our distance from one another – at least, physically.  We had learned long ago that it was dangerous for us to be alone with one another – and Collin, come to find out, had quite a conscience.  Because I was carrying his brother’s children, he couldn’t bring himself to violate me.  Lord knew he had tried, but was always unable to go through with it.  And getting friendly with one another was just plain painful – frustrating for us both because Collin would predictably stop when his conscience would get the better of him.

Today I indulged myself in his kiss, and it was no different.  I would melt in his arms and want to give in to his desires, as well as my own, without a second thought, if even a first.  I could feel how rapidly his heart was pounding and then, just as predictably, he broke it off.  Catching his breath, he closed his eyes and groaned.

“Just what is it about you, Chiquita?” he asked in a low voice as he let go of me.  Backing up a step or two, he now ran a hand over his face, slowly shaking his head.  “In another life…” Collin mumbled before he then looked to me.  “Don’t mind me, just got a lot on my mind today.  We better get out of here before my men start to gossip – again” he chuckled and offered me his arm.  Accepting it I just blushed and now we wisely exited my quarters.

In silence we made our way to the main entrance, arm in arm.  I was as confused as Collin was about our synergy, as he called it.  But I was probably confused for a different set of reasons.  I had gathered from eavesdropping on others that Collin’s mind was always preoccupied with me, whether near or far.  I was a constant in his life – that he needed me went beyond what anyone could consider normal – but perhaps this was just how men were when they were in love, or lust, or whatever.  But for me?  It was different.  It wasn’t like I didn’t think about Collin when we were apart, but it didn’t bother me all that much either.  I always knew I would eventually see him again.  It was when we got near one another, especially if we touched, that I would feel as if I could not live without him.

And with his brother?  Well, here was how I could vouch for the way Collin felt about me, since that was how I felt about Aidan.  He pervaded my thoughts twenty-four-seven to the point that it became a maddening distraction, which is what I had become to Collin.

Or so his officers seemed to think, on more than one occasion giving voice to this assessment.

It was just wholly messed up and that was the truth – the relationship between Collin, Aidan and me.  None of us could have what we each wanted, and that was the sad truth of our dysfunctional trio.

“Penny for your thoughts?  If money still held any value, that is – or if I knew where to find one” Collin now asked me with a grin and glancing up I just shrugged.  “Well, don’t worry, my dear – ain’t nothing gonna be alright” the man now chuckled but unfortunately, that’s how I felt.

Holding on more tightly to his arm I was suddenly certain that I did not want him to go.  So much so to the point that I stopped in my tracks.

“Do you have to do this?” I asked, almost in a panic and now Collin the impatient showed up.

“Sierra” was all he said, in a low voice, regarding me with those emerald eyes of his, which then disjointedly brought to mind the Fleetwood Mac song by the same name.  “I gave my Word” he now added, like that should mean anything.  How many times had he broken promises he made me?

With an aggravated sigh, I hung my head.

“Sorry” I mumbled and then looked up, glancing towards the entrance.  “We better get moving” I told him and so now he grunted.

“Really” he put to me and so I blushed – there were men passing through the corridors, all trying very hard not to watch our interaction, but that was near impossible.  Collin and I were a hot topic any time we were spotted together.  I was certain our bickering, as well as our bouts of flirting, was legendary by now.

We resumed our walk, once again falling to silence.

As we approached the entrance I saw a group gathered there – the Members in the midst were all dressed in business formal, just like Collin.  Greg and Eric were there as well, to see off Collin, I supposed.  Tugging on Collin’s sleeve I looked up at him in a panic.

Finney was dressed just like the Aidan, Aaron and Ryan.  He couldn’t go!  He was my damned doctor!  Could this day possibly get any worse?

“Does Finney have to go, too?” I whispered to him, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

“No, my cousin will remain here – he’s just dressed up to see me off is all, out of respect for a Brother” he now eased my mind as he leaned into me to kiss the top of my head.  Well, that was a relief.  “Seamus insisted upon Attendance, but I implored him to remain behind, for your sake.”

Eric and Greg were in their dress uniforms as well – but that was not uncommon.  They did so daily for the most part, as a reminder to the men on base that this place was a military base and not a resort.  Collin, on the other hand, only wore his dress grays for special occasions; otherwise he was typically dressed all in black.

Although, I was pretty sure that practice would stop after he reaffirmed.  After all, dressing in black-on-black was for Elite-Assassins only.  Part of me would be sad should that come to pass – black brought out the vibrant green color of Collin’s eyes.

There would not be any long good-byes – this was another Way of Members, from what I had gathered.  Collin and his officers shared parting embraces – they would no longer know their Commander in the same way after Collin’s Reaffirmation and return.

The Members bowed to the AFA officers before they then got in the Land Rover which waited to drive them to the airstrip.  Aidan, however, walked up to me and dropping to one knee, he took my hands in his.

“No words” was all he said, all he could say, I understood.  There were no words he could say which would convey his regret, and so silence.  I was the recipient, however, of one extremely passionate parting kiss.  I returned it in kind – it would have to hold me over until I next saw him.

Collin was standing midway between Aidan and the vehicle, watching with discomfort.  I saw him look down and tightly shut his eyes – the man was trying to hold himself together, and battling to do so.  He knew he had to go, to do what he’d given his word to do – but that didn’t make it one damned bit easier.  Nor was leaving me behind.

Smiling at me, Aidan now got to his feet.  He turned on his heel, heading for the Land Rover.  In passing he grasped Collin’s shoulder and so his brother now followed him, but then Collin stopped in his tracks.  Swiftly turning round to face me, he hesitated a moment and that was when I walked out to where he stood.

“Be safe” I told him with tears in my eyes and then we fiercely embraced.  “I love you, Collin” I said for his ears only and with these words the man shuddered.

“In another world” he said, again – words which he had spoken earlier that day.  I didn’t really understand what he meant, but I sort of got the flavor, though.  “I love you too, Sierra – more than you will ever know.”  And with that he initiated a parting kiss, one which I was helpless but to partake – and once concluded the man sharply turned on his heel and now joined his brother.

Being the showman that Collin was, by nature, he blew me a kiss before he got in the vehicle and then that was it.  The Land Rover pulled away, leaving me standing there awash in my tears.

“You need to make a choice” I heard Collin’s scary Colonel say as he walked up behind me.  I was in no mood to be badgered by the prick so I whirled about to confront him.

“Oh yeah?  What does it matter?” was my challenge.  “You men are going to decide everything for me, so what say would I have anyway?!”  Glaring at Eric I waited for him to spout off some vicious comeback.  By this point, Greg and Finney joined us, with Finney moving along side me to put an arm around my shoulders.

“No harassing my patient, if you would” Collin’s cousin cautioned Eric, but the Colonel wasn’t listening.

“You’ve had more say than ever should have been allowed” Eric said to me in a low, cold voice.  “However, that will be coming to an end – and rather soon, I should think.  When you are done socializing, you are to report to my office.”  With these words of threat the man then abruptly spun about and then marched off, leaving me there with Greg and Finney.  Did I look like one of Collin’s men or what?

“Don’t mind him, Sierra” Greg told me, trying to excuse Eric’s less than polite behavior towards a very pregnant woman.  “The Commander’s Reaffirmation has Eric greatly troubled, I’m afraid.”

“Really?  You’re no happier about it, but I don’t see you throwing a tantrum” was my smooth return.  In my book, there was just plain no excuse for Eric – period.  What Collin saw in the Colonel as a friend, and a very close friend, I would never know.

“Yeah, well – I’m also not in a constant power struggle with Collin, either” was his frank assessment, one to which Finney grinned in response.

“What the hell does he want to see me about?” I now asked, looking to each man but if they knew, then they weren’t telling.  “Let me guess, I will need to go find out for myself, huh?  Well, screw Eric – I am going to go find a snack and then go back to sleep” I grumbled.  “Can either of you fine gentlemen please find Kelly for me?” I asked, nicely, and so Finney whipped out his Palm to track her down.

“A piece of advice, Sierra,” Greg began in a low voice, “first go see what Eric wants.  Just get it out of the way, and don’t harangue him.  I am sure Collin doesn’t want another scathing report from Colonel Jones about your less than ladylike behavior during his absence, hmm?” he put to me and so I got it.  His was a friendly warning, just as had been Collin’s, but I was already off to a bad start, having given Eric the lip.

“Ok, ok – I’ll go apologize to the man” I assured him and this seemed to please Collin’s Captain-Major for he offered me a smile of acceptance.  Why Eric outranked Greg was a mystery to me.  Greg had a much better temperament to run that base as Collin’s Second.  Eric just plain pissed off everyone, and at every turn.  No one respected Colonel Jones and that was the truth.  Collin’s men pretty much did as they were told by Eric, just to keep the prick Colonel off their backs and out of their hair.

Finney’s Palm chirped and so I assumed that was Kelly.

“The lass will be here in a moment” the doctor told me and so I nodded.

“Do either of you know why the negotiations for the Bonding between Aidan and me were called off?” I asked out of the blue, mostly because as much as I disliked Eric, he had a point.  His comment about my needing to choose hit way too close to home.  It wasn’t fair to either brother that I was caught between them both.

“I’ll venture that even the Commander doesn’t know” Greg now told me.  “Although, in a way he was not unpleased about it, the negotiations being broken off.  Collin loves you beyond words, Sierra – and that’s a dangerous thing.”  Blinking like an idiot, I just looked at Greg.  Since when did love become something to fear?

“In a twisted way, lass, my cousin was not wholly displeased to be maneuvered into Reaffirmation” Finney told me.  “He will be counted among the Lords of The Order, and thus will be entitled a wife.”  Nothing like traumatizing me! I thought in shock, but then Finney was quick to clarify.  “He hopes this means The Order might negotiate with the AFA on his behalf, so that he may Bond with you.”  With my jaw open, I now looked at Greg who nodded in confirmation.  “My cousin has a lot to offer The Order, which is why they have pressed him to Reaffirm.  Collin has quite a few cards he’s not showing, and he is hoping some of these might procure you for him, as his wife.  He should at least be able to get the Council of Priests to open talks between them and AFA High Command.”

I felt like I was going to faint.  Did Collin ever do anything without greater purpose?  The man was exasperating!  He would carry on his competition with Aidan for my love – just in a different court was all.

Running a hand over my eyes, I shut them tightly while I waited for a wave of dizziness to pass.

“Sierra?” Finney prompted as he took hold of my arm to steady me.

“I’m ok, just angry with myself that I am so blind” I complained, biting my lip.  As I looked up, I now saw Kelly heading towards us as she exited the main entrance.  Amanda was with her and that was it!  I didn’t want Mandy anywhere near me just then.

Looking up at Finney I pleaded with my eyes.

“Make her go away, will you?” I asked in a hushed voice and at first it looked as if he was going to inquiry as to why, but instead he nodded.

“Private party, Mandy – if you would?” he put to her, and rather sternly.  The young woman stopped in her tracks, looking at everyone, lastly me, and I was the one she glared at.

“Certainly” she accepted and then bowed to the men before turning round to leave.

“Thanks – I owe you” I told Finney with a wink.

“Don’t worry, lass – I’ll have a talk with Amanda” he told me but as I was about to protest, he put a finger to my lips.  “Aidan asked me to” he added, and so who had ratted Amanda out to her daddy? I wondered.  Probably Kelly, I would bet – after all, she was charged with my care and well-being in Aidan’s absence.  And lately I had been more vocal about Amanda’s attitude towards me.

“Where to, milday?” Kelly asked all formal like and so I just narrowed my eyes at her.  How I hated when she would be like that!  Whatever, I thought – there was no fighting the Ways, after all.

“I need to go see Colonel Jones” I told her and then turned to say good-bye to the two men.  “I’ll try to keep my nose clean” I laughed with a grin.  “By the way, Finney – you look great” I complimented the doctor, who nodded in return.  “You Members need to dress like that more often” I laughed and then with that I took hold of Kelly’s arm.  Leading me to Colonel Jones’ office, she held her tongue and didn’t ask any of the questions she wanted to.

“That was painful” I offered up.  “It hurts when I only get to see Aidan for a short while – its like a big tease” I told her and then released a heavy sigh.  I don’t know why I was telling her that – she knew all too well what that was like.  She saw her husband Bryan even less than I did Aidan.

“Our men are important Members” she made note as she patted my arm where it looped over hers.  “Doesn’t make it any easier, I know, Sierra.  You should be used to it by now.”

“Yeah, well – Aidan is on my mind day and night whether I am with him or not” I complained.  “Not being able to see him is worse than Collin not letting me have my Palm back!” I snipped, still pissed off about that.  I was sure that by now Collin would have caved and let me have back my beloved little device.

“A reason to all things” was her pat response and so now I just gave her one ugly look.  “What would you have me say?  It won’t change anything, Sierra, will it?  Complaining doesn’t do you any good, it just makes you more angry and that’s not healthy.  Not for you, not for your Unborns.”  What could I say?  The young woman was right.

“Yeah, I know” was my concession as we now approached the office of Collin’s dog, Colonel Jones.  Taking a deep breath, I then rapped on the door – and emulating Collin, as always, Eric barked his one word grant of entry.  Come! I heard him snap and so releasing Kelly’s arm, I bade her to stay outside.  “I’ll be ok – but if you hear screaming…” I began and then let an evil grin take over my lips.  Rolling her eyes she then shook her head and opened the door for me.  Once inside she then shut it, and so I steeled myself to face another of the devil’s minions.

There were worse things, I considered as I heard the door close.  Worse things than the crow I was going to have to eat, but my Commander had given me orders, and so I would follow them.

Although, not without first questioning him, and at length.

“Hi, Eric” I heard that timid little voice of Sierra’s, which earlier had not been so timid, quite notably.  Much bravado the woman had when in the company of others – but to face me, one on one?  Different story – her courage would suddenly become a rather elusive creature.

“That’s Colonel Jones to you” I was all too happy to remind her.  She was standing in the archway between the anteroom and my office, hovering about and shifting back and forth from foot to foot.  “Sit” I gave order, pointing to the chair in front of my desk.  At first hesitating, she then came forward.

“I’ll stand” she declined, biting her lip and appearing much like a rabbit ready to run.

“Suit yourself, woman” I accepted.  Closing my laptop I now leaned back in my chair.

“I’m sorry I was rude” the pregnant midget now apologized, which made me want to laugh.

“Was that Captain MacNamara’s advice to you?” I asked, trying not to grin.  It sounded like something Greg would do in an effort to keep the peace.  Well, I would be sorry to inform my friend that while this little wench was around, there would be no peace.

Since Sierra didn’t deign to answer, I knew my assessment was correct.

Wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible, since I had much more important matters to attend, I opened up my desk draw and pulled out something which I knew would make the woman salivate.  Placing it in my desktop, the little hacker’s eyes lit up.

“Commander O’Reilly has been gracious enough to order your Palm be returned to you” I began, trying not to choke on the words.  Collin and I had had quite a vocal disagreement over his decision – almost a knock-down-drag-out.  Even Kevin had advised against returning the device to Sierra – what more did Collin need to make him understand the danger?

Damned if I frigging knew, but he was my Commander – thy will be done, after all.

“One incident of misuse, Sierra, and I will take a hammer to it myself – do I make myself understood?” I put to her point blank.  However, she was all too quick to nod in agreement, which meant she had not heard a word I had said.  Her eyes were fixated on the device.  Now looking up at me for permission, I nodded and then motioned with a wave of my hand for her to come and get it.

Like a dog snatching up a bone, she sprinted up to my desk to grab the device and then swiftly concealed it in her pocket.  She then just as quickly backed away from my desk, retreating to the perceived safety of the archway.

“Can I go now?” she wanted to know, again nervously shifting from foot to foot and so I slowly nodded.  After all, that had been my goal – give her the damned device and then get about my business.

With a wave of my hand I dismissed her and in less than a heartbeat she was gone.

As I soon would be – I had places to go, people to see.  And this time I would be going to AFA High Command by my own choice instead of for a command performance.  Things had gone far beyond flaky – and apparently no one there felt any great need to keep me abreast of matters, official or otherwise.  In this I was treated no differently by AFAHC than was Collin.  We were both expected to have ESP.  And granted, this was an IntelliCore base, but crystal balls we did not have.  Brass ones, perhaps, given some of the stunts that Collin had pulled during his regime.

Tidying up my desk, I was pretty much ready to bug out.  I just had to pay Greg a visit, and Kevin as well – then hit my quarters to grab my bag and I would be history.

On my way to the data center, I encountered Greg, so thought to kill two birds with one stone.

“Walk with me” I commanded him but this just made him stop in his tracks.  Naturally I did the same, and thus waited for him to say it.

If he dared.

Fortunately for him, he did not.  The phrase I had uttered was a favorite of Collin’s, walk with me.  What did Greg expect?  After so many years being ordered around by Collin, surely a certain amount of his style would wear off on me.  After all, Greg did not have to take the brunt of Collin like I did.  Our Commander tended to take his anger out on me.  I was his sacrificial lamb, as Collin would refer to my role – I suffered so that others could be spared his explosive Irish temper.

Little choice did I have, of course – shut up and suck it up, as Collin would say.

Deciding it best to acquiesce, Greg now turned about and fell in alongside me as I continued on my trajectory towards the data center.

“Any luck?” I asked him with a sideward glance, wondering if he had been able to turn up details of the offer made Collin by The Order to temp his Reaffirmation.

“It is Public Record information – and so long as one Belongs then it is freely accessible” he told me and so I raised an eyebrow.

“Really” was my only comment, but Members were so close-mouthed, not to mention that they could not be bribed.

Unless via proper channels, of course.

“So we still have no clear idea what The Order offered Collin to get him to Reaffirm” I concluded.  “Beside what we suppose – which hardly would seem enough.”  To this Greg just shrugged.

“How long have we known Collin and Aidan?” he put to me and I got his point.  Decades or days it seemed not to matter at times – it would be impossible to completely know Collin, much less his relationship with his brother.  A relationship which he closely guarded.

“Well, he must have told the midget something – Collin can’t keep his mouth shut at times when it comes to her.  You can have Kevin work on Sierra while I am away” I told him but he had no response.  We both knew that Kevin had no taste for playing spy – but that’s what we all were on this base, essentially.  Our TechStaff Captain seemed to think himself and his techs were held apart from us – but espionage was espionage regardless the venue.  “Working on the cousin will also be less than fruitful, I am certain.”

“You’ve had no contact at all from AHC?” he surmised and there was no need to answer.  Greg knew that I had not.  “When Collin returns, it will be – different.  How will High Command dictate our operating parameters with a full-fledge Member in our midst?  The conflict of interest well outweighs the purported benefits.”

“This I hope to discern during my visit” I told him, although I had another purpose to my trip.  “Karloff and Hastings are probably hedging their bets, that Collin is loyal as the day is long to the AFA, to a fault.  However, they don’t understand the pull Collin’s brother has on him.”  This was partly true, though – Hastings was well aware of the history of the two brothers.  Much of which was intelligence provided by myself.  I wasn’t sure just how much Karloff knew – the Supreme-General was a vaporous question mark most times.  The man was as mysterious as any Member, I considered with an inward laugh.  However, this was the norm for men in such positions ultimate power, be they AFA or Brotherhood

“They could be giving Collin enough rope to hang himself” Greg offered in suggestion and I could not argue that, either.  The Commander was a persistent thorn in their sides, and a thorn who had provided little by way of results.  Collin thought himself important to the AFA’s cause – to the point that he was indispensable.  Day by day, however, it was becoming more apparent that our friend was a puppet which AFA High Command employed for its own ends.

Then again, that could be said of us all – this was what the military was all about.  Puppet masters controlling disposable puppets.

“Our friend has been dancing the dance a long time,” I mumbled, “but he learns new moves with ease.  High Command keeps trying to trip him up, but he keeps on his feet and often times one step ahead.”

“Or so they would like us to believe?” was his discerning observation and so I stopped in my tracks, looking at him.  “I think you understand where I am coming from” he said in a low voice.  “No officer in the AFA could ever get away with as much as Collin does and not have to pay dearly.  The Commander, however?  Barely a scratch and as time goes on this… phenomenon is beginning to creep me out.”  Greg wasn’t the only one – but I had a little insider info, naturally, that he didn’t.  I had been charged by certain interested parties to keep Collin on track, and I was the one who paid when he got out of hand.

“The Commander has a whole host of cards he’s not showing” was my reasoning.  “Cards he doesn’t show any of us.  You know that Collin can be as close-lipped as any Member.  How many times has he blindsided me?  Or you?”

“Yeah – like his sudden Reaffirmation” he agreed.  “There isn’t one thing I could think of that would push him into that, even saving Aidan’s ass.  He’s afraid of something, Eric – but I don’t think Reaffirmation is the whole of it.”

“Well, finding out the exact details of The Order’s offer to him would be a place to begin” I told him.  “And thus a little job for Kevin and his hacks.  We need access to The Order’s Hall of Records – plain and simple, since we don’t know any Members who can request the information.  I am certain the Commander handed the documents for the offer over to AFA High Command, but will I be able to get Hastings to clue me in?  Not likely, but I will at least make the attempt.”

“Did you carry out Collin’s final order?” he wanted to know, supposing that this once I might just disobey.

“Yes – the little hacker is now in possession of her Palm, God help us all” I grumbled, looking away for a moment.  “If she abuses the privilege in my absence, take a hammer to it.  That is an order, Captain” I grumbled and then continued walking towards the data center.  Greg nodded in acknowledgement but I could tell he had something he wanted to say.  “Yes, Captain?” I prompted.

“If you are contemplating a hack into The Order, then we should not use every tool available,” he posed, “even if it is one you don’t like.”

“Or trust” I tacked on for him.

“Have you considered what Collin will do if he finds out what you want Kevin to hack in and retrieve?” he put to me but I just shrugged.  “If he wanted us to know what was in the Offer, then he would have shown it us.”

“The Commander didn’t tell me not to order Kevin to hack in” I told him.  “Besides, Kevin is always looking for vulnerabilities in The Order’s network.  I can easily say that Kevin breached their security during one of his regular forays and stumbled across it while he was taking a whirlwind tour of their servers.”

“That’s assuming he can get in, of course” he pointed out, and so his reminder of the potential tool we had in Sierra.  “It would be quite a feat to hack into The Order.  You have to take into consideration that only privileged few Members have access to that type of technology – and The Brotherhood in general views technology as a sin, pretty much.  They use computer technology to communicate, to take care of business, but to them it is a tool and nothing more.  Its not a source of entertainment, and certainly not used for casual communication.  With limited user accounts thus limited opportunities for exploits – especially given the way they safeguard said technology.

“Now granted, Kevin has our base network zipped up pretty damned tight – but nowhere near as tight as The Order.  We give our personnel a lot more freedom when it comes to IT” he said in conclusion.

“Are you saying it can’t be done?” I asked point blank, but again he shrugged.

“There’s no such thing as can’t – you know this, I know this” was his assessment.  “It is rather instead how many resources you want to throw at a problem.  Factor in time constraints, and that equates to more resources, obviously.”

“Well, if the information we seek is truly Public Record, as you state, then it probably isn’t guarded like a Fort Knox” I supposed but again, yet another shrug from Greg.  The gesture would have been maddening, but in our line of work there were no absolutes.  Most of it was guesswork and good old intuition, with a healthy dose of experience thrown in and a dash of luck.

“I suppose at the end of the day we have to ask ourselves – what does it matter?” he offered.  “I mean, whatever Collin was offered to Reaffirm, how will knowing change anything?  Once he Swears his Reaffirmation, the guy is toast.”

“Aren’t you even curious?” I asked, unable to believe that he wasn’t.

“Sure, but knowing Collin’s temper?” he put to me.  “You know how private a man he can be about certain things – and this is one of them, I’m sure.  Otherwise, like I said, he would have told us.”

“Not unless it slipped his mind” was my droll suggestion.  “Collin hasn’t been the same since that night when Aidan almost met his maker” I laughed under my breath.  It was a shame his brother hadn’t, I considered.  “I thought time would get Collin over it, but no – I hadn’t seen him for weeks afterwards and when I do, disturbingly, he’s still the same.  Distracted beyond belief.”

“Have you asked Collin, straight out, what was offered him?” he probed and so I nodded in return.

“Our friend said to me, I sold my soul to the devil, so what does it matter?” I revealed and so a curious look.

“The man is a dichotomy unto himself” Greg mumbled.  “He was in seventh heaven when we first arrived at The Order.  You could almost hear a physical sigh of relief – I had attributed this to his needing a vacation, as it were.  You know how AFA High Command badgers him seemingly nonstop.  You and I both knew he needed some time off.”  Truth again – Collin could only absorb so much before he would burst at the seams.  And when he finally did burst?  Watch out world – and I typically took the brunt of it on behalf of everyone else on the base.  My tenure as Collin’s Second had predominantly been as a protective membrane between him and those who served under him.

“No kidding” I returned, agreeing with his assessment, but there was more, I knew.  Now stopping in his tracks, Greg took hold of my arm.  We stood there with eyes locked for a few moments, waiting for several men to pass on by.

“That incident, with Aidan that night – it has changed Collin” he told me, going one further than my assessment that Collin had yet to get over it.

“Well, being grilled at Aidan’s Tribunal about it, that would have made a lasting impression on him of what nut cases they truly are” I laughed under my breath recalling the reports I had from Greg regarding the Tribunal proceedings.

“I wouldn’t make jest, Colonel” Greg advised me.  “I don’t think you understand – the Commander Believes in all that, which is why I think he is still rattled.  He was basically accused of a Healing.”  Interesting choice of words.  “It is Blasphemy to claim to have Healed, unless the one performing the Healing has been Confirmed as one who has been Touched by the Hand of God.”  I could hear those capital letters in his words.  It was something that had not gone unnoticed anyone who had had dealings with The Order or were required to discuss internal Brotherhood affairs at length.

“Do you think they were trying to nail Collin to a cross, so to speak?” I questioned and again, a shrug.

“No, I don’t believe so – rather I think the Council of Priests is seeking the man who fits the Savior described in the Alternative Faith” he explained as all this bullshit about the Second Son now reared its head.  The Captain-Major had been spending far too much time researching Brotherhood Beliefs.  It was a necessarily evil – know thy enemy, after all.

“And if Healing is illegal without a permit, then what would have been their purpose in haranguing Collin about the incident?” I wanted to know.

“The Second Son will be a humble man” was his simplistic reply and now I was getting it.  Brazen with a healthy portion of bravado – this was how Collin was in most things.  In others, however?  He was humble as humble could be, often refusing to take credit for acts of philanthropy.  In these he preferred his involvement remain anonymous.  Such as the internet radio station he had Kevin running, accessible to all AFA personnel and beyond, even – since Collin had the feed bussed to a transmission tower in the Pinal mountains, close to AFA High Command.  Considerable amounts of begging, borrowing and flat out stealing had made this a reality – not to mention a smattering of blackmail.

And anyone in the broadcast area who tuned in would be none the wiser.  They all thought it was something nice that AFA High Command had done for its men.

Interesting – humble indeed.  Collin held more concern for his men than he did for himself.

“Captain – it is possible to take any man and sculpt him into the Second Son” I declared.

“The Second Son will have eyes reflecting of malachite” he now went a bit further, malachite being a green copper carbonate mineral, which had a range of green hues.  The Captain certainly had my interest now – of all the men I had encountered in this time after, only Collin had green eyes.

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” I asked in a low voice.  “Collin is the only one I know with green eyes.”

“We know two, actually” he corrected.

“Amanda doesn’t count; she is a woman” I was quick to counter, for she too had green eyes,  Collin’s daughter.  Greg just brusquely shook his head.

“Aidan” he correct and so I just blinked.  “His eyes are not black, or obsidian – you’d have to get really close to discern their true color.”  Now I grinned.

“And you have?” I chuckled.

“No, but Sierra has” he informed me.  “Malachite comes in varying hues, the most common being the color of Collin’s eyes, but blackish-green is one of these hues.  Aidan’s eyes are this shade of green.”

“No shit” I mumbled.  “So, why doesn’t the Council of Priests look to Aidan as this prophetic Second Son?  He’s Brotherhood, he’s Order – and he’s everything a Member should be.”

“On the surface, eye color – Collin’s eyes are amazing, you have to give him this” he pointed out and I had to agree.  It wasn’t natural to have eyes so vibrant in hue, not to mention the fact that their color drastically shifted right along with the man’s moods.  However, Aidan’s eyes were no less extraordinary, their dark depths harboring much intrigue.  “Eyes like Collin’s alone would make any man a target.  And for all intents and purposes – Collin has performed a Healing.  Aaron Gallagher gave Testament to this, or at least, his version of events support a Healing having taken place – and so do the Testaments of Finney and Ryan, and they are both Brotherhood physicians.

“The list goes on with many other minor indicators that Collin just might be the Second Son of the Alternative Faith” he concluded.

“And here is reason for concern right there, this Alternative Faith” I grumbled.  It was something that could split The Order and The Brotherhood, in two.  The High Council had banned the ancient text which foretold of this time, and this man who was the Second Son of God – the one who would lead Mankind to a Unified world. Naturally, since theirs was a democratic society, this would have been voted upon, but who could guess by what margin the vote had passed.

Another detail I would like to possess, and so my thoughts now turned back to Kevin.

“I will stop by your office before I leave” I now told him.  “I won’t be long with Captain Wong” and with that I dismissed Greg as I then turned on my heel, making haste now to get to Kevin’s office.

Once having arrived, I found Kevin sitting in his conference room, just blankly staring down at the surface of the table.  After awareness hit him that he was no longer alone, the TechStaff Captain was on his feet.

“Colonel” he said in greeting, coming back from wherever he had been.  “What can I do for you… sir?” the geek asked as he tried to collect his wits.

“Is Sierra once again being in possession her Palm that much of a distraction, Captain Wong?” I inquired as I now slipped through the doorway.

“Actually, sir – yes” Kevin was upfront with me.  “But you know I got overruled and so…”

“You aren’t the only one” I commiserated as I motioned him to take a seat.  Sitting down as he did the same, I leaned back in my chair, gathering my thoughts.  “Can you hack The Order’s network, targeting servers with public information stores?” I laid right down on the table and out came Kevin’s poker face.  He had one – we all did.  And as far as intelligence went, no one had tighter lips than our own TechStaff Captain – an admirable trait, but often employed when in the company of his fellow AFA officers.  There was no man with more secrets to keep than Captain Kevin Andrew Wong.

“The Order would consider that an act of war” he simply returned and I could not believe what I was hearing.  What was this horse shit?

“I was under the impression that you test their network security on a regular basis?” was my challenge.

“Testing is one thing, breaching and leaving a calling card is another,” Kevin explained in a low voice, “but pilfering data is something else altogether, Colonel.”  I got his drift, unfortunately.

“Ok, let me put it to you this way – can you get in, retrieve the data and then get out, all without being detected?” I tried a different angle.

“You don’t ask for much, huh?” he complained, being less than formal.  “There might be other ways to find what you are looking for, Colonel, without me starting a jihad with Bryan and his assassin-techs – one that I can’t win.”

“What do you think of Sierra’s skill?” I skated right past his suggestion.  “Your professional opinion.”

“Potential asset,” he answered after a moment of thought, “if she wasn’t a wild card hacker, that was.  I can’t trust her as it is and so what does Collin do?  He orders her Palm handed back to her, and then he takes off.  Is this supposed to be a test or something?” he wanted to know, clearly rattled.

“You think she would sell us out?” I posed, venturing towards unstable ground.  Brusquely he shook his head, though.

“No – at least, not like you might think” was his conditional answer.  “The danger with Sierra lies in her unpredictability, along with a short temper and serious hormonal mood swings.  Combine that with her love for Collin and Aidan?  Lethal combination.”  His frankness was interesting – and amusing as well since the description also fit our Commander.  “If she perceives a threat, to either brother, then who knows what she might do?”  Considering him across the table, a familiar sensation came over me.  Captain Wong was still holding out – even after his formal reprimand from Collin over withholding information.  Granted, network security was his job, and I did not pretend to understand the full scope of his domain.  However, his impression of the threat Sierra posed was exaggerated given that he had nothing solid to back up his summation.

Sitting there mulling over his words I waited.

“Colonel, we don’t even trust our own” was his terse reminder.  “How do you propose I trust someone who is not AFA and who has already proven that she cannot be trusted with technology?” he put to me, fiercely defending his turf.  “Not to mention the war with The Order you are asking me to start.”

“I want the information and don’t care how you get it, Captain Wong” I backed off by a certain degree.  After all, the geek did know his job.  “I want to know what was in the Offer made to Collin for Reaffirmation.  Do what you must, employ any methods or resources that are required – just get it done, and before I return from AFA High Command.  Do I make myself understood, Captain Wong?”

“Absolutely, sir” he returned, and so satisfied that Kevin would do his job and not risk the consequences should he not, I now got to my feet.

“Good-day, Captain” I said in parting as Kevin stood up and then bowed to me.

Making a hasty exit, I now went to collect my bag so I could be on my way.  I swung by Greg’s office to apprise him of the directive I had given Kevin.  He didn’t have any comment to make, however, I could discern he had mixed emotions about the orders.  Granted, he had said that in knowing the details of the Offer made our Commander it would not change a thing – but I knew that Greg wanted those details all the same.

Once taking my leave of the Captain-Major, I headed for the main entrance and the jeep waiting there to take me to the airstrip.  I wasn’t sure if Elite-General Hastings would entertain a visit from me – but I certainly wasn’t about to tip him off.  I hadn’t even made inquiry of his Adjutant as to whether or not he would be at AHC this day.  The General tended to stick close to home, however and so I was banking on predictability.  Regardless, I had other business which to attend, so the trip would not be a total shut out should the General happen to be away, or if he should decide it wasn’t worth his time this day to see me.

Upon my arrival, I discovered that the General was indeed on base, and so before word could reach his ears that I had arrived I made a direct line to his office.  This also served as a show of respect – that I felt any business with him would come before all else.  This probably wouldn’t win me any brownie points, as Collin would say.  However, it wouldn’t hurt, either.

The General was in a meeting, or so his Adjutant told me, after which he revealed the General had some free time early the next morning.  Not thrilled with the idea of staying overnight, I took what I could get, though, and so after procuring quarters for my stay, I then set about my other business.  One item on my list being to just mingle – get caught up with associates and, in general, listen to the heartbeat of AFA High Command.

And after making the rounds, how irregular I found the pulse of the base to be.  AFA High Command was not really a base, but rather more of a city.  It was a sprawling affair which remind one of a small town as opposed to a base.  However, being military as we were, old labels and monikers stuck and were hard to dislodge.

There was a rumbling under current one could feel – and it was disturbing.  Apparently my Commander was a topic of interest – or rather the fact that he was Reaffirming his Oath the The Order.   There seemed to be a split among the personnel – those who felt it was a good move and those who did not.  And among those who thought it not, the word double-agent was spoken – which was nothing new, really.  It was rather that the accusation was spoken with more emphasis now that Collin would be a fully-fledged Member of The Brotherhood and Its Order in this Post-Time world.

Even when Collin was hundreds of miles away, he was still creating waves at AFA High Command.

Whispers seemed to dog me as I made my rounds – being Collin’s Second had placed me in a position of guilt by association.  All because I was his Second, however, didn’t mean that I agreed with everything he did.  The exact opposite was true often times, but he was my superior.  Collin said jump and so I jumped, after asking how high, naturally.

In an effort to maintain efficiency, I parceled out my time, and while doing so decided to squeeze in one more social call on my itinerary.  After some casual inquiry, I discovered that Colonel-Major Wasserman, AFA WardenOps, was on base and practicing at the shooting range.  Never one to pass up on friendly competition with fellow marksmen, I sought out the WardenOps officer.  It would be a suitable guise for starting up a conversation.

Being late in the day, there were not many men a the range – which suited me.  I would be able to speak more freely the fewer the numbers.

The Colonel was far down one end, with a sniper rifle – and suddenly a picture rose in my mind of Collin’s brother, who had been a CIA assassin.  From where I stood the rifle looked to be a Parker-Hale M85 and I recalled Collin having told me, in Pre-Time, of Aidan having owned not one but three of these deadly weapons.

With me I had only my favorite sidearm and so would not be doing any long range target practice, as was the WardenOps Colonel.  I went about setting myself up for practice, and had a rather relaxing time, surprisingly.  My hope was to speak to the Colonel once he was through – he would have to walk my way in order to exit the range.

And my presence had not gone unnoticed by the man.

Methodically cleaning his rifle before packing it away, once completing his task, Colonel Wasserman was now ready to leave – but not without first making a detour.

“Colonel Jones” he said in greeting and so I bowed to him first, since he outranked me.

“Colonel-Major Wasserman – I was hoping I would have a chance to speak with you” I said as I now put up my sidearm.  “I don’t believe I have ever properly thanked you for bailing out my Commander last fall” I told him, bowing once more but this time out of gratitude.  He didn’t respond, at least not right away – the WardenOps officer was trying to gage my intent, I was certain.

“Commander O’Reilly has already expressed his gratitude” was his response, stating what would have been obvious.  Collin never failed to thank those who saved his butt, no matter the size of the butt saving, be it large or small.  “Is something troubling you, Colonel?” he now cut to the chase.

“Beyond the obvious?” I put to him.  “The idea of Commander O’Reilly Reaffirming his Oath to The Order doesn’t set well with many – on either side of the fence, I’ll wager” I opined.  “Conflict of interest, as it were” I then tacked on, but there was no reaction from the WardenOps officer.  He was truly like a Member, I considered while regarding him.  This was perhaps to be expected, after all – since the AFA’s Wardens were the equivalent of Brotherhood Elite-Assassins.

Or as close as one could get without actually being a Member.

“A matter of harmony” he offered in comment, and if that wasn’t an odd way of putting it.  “An ambassador of sorts, between our two worlds” the Colonel now clarified and I hadn’t really thought of it like that, but he was right.  Collin would now be accepted by The Order in ways not previously possible prior Reaffirmation.  A better understanding he would have of the Ways and the lives of Members, the society that was The Brotherhood and Its Order.

Although somehow, I sincerely doubted that the AFA had any interest in such things.  AFA High Command wanted one thing and only one thing – this was the Cup of Christ and therefore would tolerate involvement of Members.  Afterward, however?  Once the Cup had been attained?

There was a question which no one had dared voice, much less speculate an answer.  At least – not in public.

“Collin was born a politician, I believe” was my take on the ambassador allegory.  My Commander was at his best when pitching to others – with relative ease winning over those who would oppose him.  It was an amazing skill, I had to hand it to him.  The Order could not have picked a better candidate, I considered.  “He will be in a unique position to bring balance between the sides” I supposed – that was, if the AFA wanted balance, which, again, I was certain they did not.

“Again, a matter of harmony” he reiterated.  “A pleasure to see you, Colonel Jones – good-evening” the man said and thus took his leave.  Bowing to him as he departed, I then went back to my target practice, mulling over the encounter.  That he knew far more than he was telling was a given – however, it was the way he said what he had that disturbed me.  A matter of harmony – Members referred to everything, it seemed, as a matter of this or a matter that.  A matter of Faith was a popular one, one which Aidan had used quite a bit to justify his actions.

However, this word matter could preface a whole host of other words, from love to hate, and from peace to war, it was the way in which Members referred to things.  It served as a blanket explanation, as if in saying so should say it all.

Were Wardens purposely trying to emulate as much as possible their counterparts in The Brotherhood? I wondered.  Or were they perhaps being ordered to do so?  Neither neatly fit this encounter, though.

Something told me I needed to do some in-depth, yet discrete, dirt-digging on Colonel-Major Wasserman.  However, AFA High Command was neither the time nor the place for an investigation of this nature and so I would just file away the assignment for later execution.

Once wrapping up target practice, I then made the rounds for a bit before seeking dinner.  The food was sub-par, but that was a given.  It wasn’t that it was unpalatable.  However, being used to the high quality meals prepared at Collin’s North Desert base, well – more need not be said.  The Commander had procured the best cooks for his own mess hall – having won many through the conveyance of poker games.  Collin had a true talent for discerning which players were bluffing and which weren’t.  When we would be in need of a particularly scarce asset, Collin would often grumble, time for another poker game.  He was no fan of gambling, but playing poker was a rite of passage in the military, and he would always take part – if for no other reason than to fit in with his fellow comrades.

This was important to Collin, fitting in – for the man truly felt that he did belong anywhere.  The military was all he’d known, his whole life – even back when he was a kid shipped off to military school with his brother.  The military had become a familiar refuge for Collin – a system in which he was comfortable and with which he could work, or rather manipulate, to his satisfaction.  And to know the Commander was to understand that he was a master of manipulation – he’d keep on working a problem until he had it solved, and would work it form every possible angle.  When he was chasing down a problem, the guy was like a pit bull he just would not let go.  It was a trait which had gotten him far in life – that was, until he had run into the glass ceiling that was AFA High Command.  And exclusive club whose members refused Collin admittance.  A promotion that he could never secure – this was what he was after.  The coveted rank of Elite-General.  After all, to be an Elite-General automatically entitled one to a woman.  And once Collin had made the acquaintance of Sierra?  His pursuit of promotion took precedence – he wanted Sierra for his own.

Sadly, however, things had gotten decidedly flaky since the little Latina hottie had come onto the scene.  Daily it seemed, Collin found himself in hot water with AFA High Command.  Granted, they rode his ass a lot anyway, but more so since the advent of Sierra.

Having finished dinner, I was about ready to get up and leave the mess hall when Harry, the head cook, came over to say hello with a cup of tea in hand.

“Colonel Jones, good-evening” he greeted me with a bow.  “I have a new tea for you to try, sir” the cook explained, knowing of my passion for good tea.  “So fresh you’d think the leaves got plucked from the plant just yesterday” he said with a wink.

“Well, thank you, Sargent ” I accepted with a nod as he placed the cup and saucer in front of me.    Taking a sip I decided the man was right – it was good tea.  “Ahh – that is good, Harry.  Can I get some to take back with me?” I asked and so he nodded.

“Sure thing, I’ll have it sent to your quarters” he told me and then with a nod and a bow, the Sargent took his leave.  I hadn’t planned on tea so late in the day, it now being evening, since I had an early appointment the next morning.  However, I savored the drink and once finished I headed for my quarters to finish up some work before turning in.

Not much later there came a knock at the door – it was a Private from the mess hall staff bearing a small satchel with a note attached to it.

“Your tea, Colonel” the private said with a bow and so accepting it I then sent him on his way.  The note read, A variety of fresh teas – yours to explore.  Intrigued by what other types of tea might be in there, I opened the bag to inspect the contents.  There were indeed a variety of teas, each bundled up in small pouches and labeled.  One I was not familiar with and so decided to take a sniff – and when I picked up this small pouch and opened it, I just blinked.  There were no tea leaves in there, but rather instead a substance normally used to quickly soak up spills, but gave the impression of loose tea in a bag.

Probing the contents, my finger came in contact with something small and hard – it was a micro flash disk!  What a smart way to pass on such information without anyone being the wiser.

The question was – who had instructed the Sargent to deliver me this memory device?  That I would likely not find out unless I spoke with the cook – and even then, the man who had given it to him could have been just a courier, like the Private who delivered the tea.

Well, I supposed the tea I had at dinner was well timed, then, since I would now be spending most of the night probing the disk and what might be its contents.

Pulling out my laptop I set it up at the desk along the wall and sat down.  Inserting the device I now was faced with encryption.  A user ID was already in place – Sir Bodsworth Ruggelsby III.

What the…?

Staring blankly at the screen, I whipped out my Palm and contacted Kevin.

Does Sir Bodsworth Ruggelsby III mean anything to you? I messaged the geek via encrypted IRC and then waited.

Why do you ask… sir? the geek responded after a space of time.

Took you long enough, was my less than patient return.

Even I sleep once in a while… sir, he explained and this was true enough.  And usually at his desk, no less, and since it was early evening I would wager this was where he was catching a few winks.  The geek was over worked, this no one could deny – but it wasn’t about to garner the Captain any pity from me.

Not having answered my question, I just waited, and waited.

You need to ask the Commander, the answer finally came, which didn’t answer a damned thing.

Seeing as how Commander O’Reilly is in a communications blackout, that makes asking him a bit difficult, I returned, trying to hold my temper.  I was on Kevin’s turf just then, unfortunately, and thus had to play the game by his rules.

It’s a song he told me to keep out of the rotation, the geek now gave me something more solid for an answer.  Looking at the screen of my Palm, I just blinked.

Who is the artist? I now asked and then waited, and waited.  Why was Kevin so hesitant to answer?  Granted, if Collin told him to keep his mouth shut about something, Captain Wong would do so.  However, that’s not the flavor I was getting from our exchange.  And why should Collin give a flip about Kevin revealing that this was a song title?  And it not being in rotation for the internet radio station?

Klaatu, I finally got my answer from Kevin and thus practically fell off my chair.  What the fuck?  Was I being setup?  Klaatu was the little Latina hacker’s call sign.

Have you given Sierra access to the internet? I now inquired.

No, sir, was his very quick, and defensive, answer this time – as indicated by the bold letters.

Check your logs, Captain, was my directive.  If you suspect that Sierra is in any way making trouble with that Palm – destroy it, do you understand me? I messaged in return, starting to see red.  As unlikely as it was that she could be involved in this, I smelled a female rat regardless.

Maybe if you told me what is going on, Colonel? the geek asked and so I debated.  The less he knew, the more protected he would be – and Kevin was one asset we dare not compromise.  However, something very disturbing was going on here.

An encrypted, clandestinely delivered flash disk with populated user ID which is that song title, I told him and then waited.

How soon can you get back here? was his immediate response.  Yesterday would be preferable, he told me, which now elevated my concern to a whole other plateau.

I have an o’ seven hundred hour appointment with General Hastings tomorrow, I explained.  Will be airborne shortly thereafter, I assured him.  Good-night, Captain, and that was it.  I ended the IRC session and then took the flash disk out of my laptop, returning it to its hiding place.  I had some ideas about tracking down the password, but nixed it.  The less I knew about it right now, the better, although sleep was long in coming – thanks to the tea and the mystery.

The morning dawned all too early for me, even though I was a confirmed early bird.  As I prepared myself to face the General, I tried to keep at bay any thoughts I had about the flash disk.  Distraction was something I didn’t need hanging round my neck like a stone – and something which the General just might notice.

I was promptly at his office – on time, no sooner, no later.  The General was his usual unwelcoming self – he didn’t like me much more than he did Collin.  Again, guilt by association.

I wasn’t alloted much time, and so got down to the business of asking him how I would now be expected to proceed.  After all, when Collin returned he would be a fully-fledge Member-Elite of The Order.  The General only had three words to utter – business as usual.  This meant he didn’t put any stock in Collin’s new title or Station among The Order.

How odd, I thought – and then it came to me that he was displeased that this had come to pass.  Which could only mean one thing – he hadn’t wanted Collin to Reaffirm.  There was an eye opener.  The other Generals, rumor had had it, were of a mind that fostering stronger relations between The Order and the AFA would generally be a good thing.  At least, to give appearance as such.

When I dared broach the topic of conflict of interest, the General just looked at me for a few moments.

“And?” was his response and that was it – I would have decked the man if he hadn’t outranked me.

“Sir, are you saying that you trust Commander O’Reilly – implicitly?” was my challenge.

“Don’t you, Colonel Jones?” he turned my inquiry right back on me, and what was I supposed to say to that?

I didn’t trust Collin – not when it came to his brother Aidan and their relationship.  The fact that Collin offered to Reaffirm told me right there that Aidan had something to do with it – and in a big way.

“Of course, General” I returned.  “It’s just that we should not underestimate Collin’s bond with his brother Aidan.”

“Blood is thicker than water – is this what you would imply?” he put to me and so I nodded.  “Actually, they are rather counting on it” was his stunning revelation – stunning in two ways.  First, he saw fit to tell me.  Second, he used they instead of we – which meant that either he was not party to the decision, or he had abstained from the vote.  Either way, it wasn’t what he would have chosen.

I now steered towards safer subjects, filing my monthly report on Commander O’Reilly – off the record as it was.  The General was truly disinterested in anything I had to say, and my impression was that he only deigned to see me in order to keep up appearances.  Whatever was going down, I suspected that Collin’s Reaffirmation had created a divide among the Staff of Generals.

Able to finish my report without a major ass-reaming this visit, most notably, I took my leave of the General.  Bowing to the man I made my exit from his office, praying I could make it to the airfield and be aloft before he changed his mind.

My pilot was less than happy to depart, however.  Don had been thoroughly enjoying himself at the airfield with his fellow pilots.  The Captain was perhaps the one man stationed at Collin’s base who actually liked flying down to AFA High Command.  Good for him, I thought – someone should have a good time, I supposed.

Once we were in the air, I replayed my visit over and over again in my mind, looking for what?  That I didn’t know.  Something had not been right, beyond the encrypted flash disk that had been delivered to me and the odd mood of General Hastings and Colonel-Major Wasserman.

At some point during the flight I nodded off for some much welcome sleep.  It wasn’t until the plane touched down did I awaken.  It was mid-morning and so had the rest of the day to ferret out the secrets of the flash disk stowed away in my luggage.

With a jeep waiting to drive me up to the base, I was glad to be back.  Even though the stay had been a short one, AFA High Command was not one of my favorite places to visit.  I felt much more at ease with a considerable distance between here and there.

I made a quick trip to my quarters to drop off my bag, first liberating the flash disk from its hiding place amongst the tea.  Once that was done I then messaged Captain Wong and told him that I was on my way to his office, and then I also messaged Greg directing him to meet me there as well.

Upon my arrival I saw that Kevin was in his conference room, not his office – which meant he felt an extreme need for privacy on this one.  His office was like a turnstile, I considered – interruptions abounded.  However, when he was in his conference room with the door closed, everyone knew that the data center better be crashing in flames before anyone should dare disturb him.

Opening the door, I entered but Kevin didn’t get to his feet.  His manners were sorely lacking and so I understood he was thoroughly preoccupied with thought.

“Where’s the disk?” he wanted to know and so I fished it out of my pocket and laid it on the table.  As he reached for it, Greg now arrived to join us, closing the door behind him.  We both sat down and waited.

“A gift from a secret admirer” I explained to Greg as I nodded towards the disk.

“Yeah, I heard” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“This makes no sense” Kevin grumbled as he took out an eye-loop to make closer inspection of the disk.  “Colonel, don’t use your laptop or your Palm until I figure this thing out” was his alarming advice and so I just looked at him.  I hadn’t been able to access the files – but could that have just been a decoy for something much more insidious?

Sitting on the table in front of Kevin was a laptop which was already booted up.

“No network connections” he informed us as he now inserted the device.  “Collin had told me that if I should ever be in receipt of data where the first user name was the title of a song, then I could rest assured he was in trouble.  Thing is, I heard from him today.”  To this Greg and I just exchanged a perplexed look.  “Now, that was enough to weird me out, since I know there is no way that Bryan would let Collin use that Windows CE device on his network.”

“Don’t they have public access points?” I now voiced and so Kevin brusquely shook his head.

“No way, dude – that would be a vulnerability and I know Bryan, if not The Order” he stated with assurance.  “This would never be allowed.  The encryption was in place, however, and it did come from Collin’s device, and if it didn’t then Bryan faked it.  Now, I had a heart-to-heart with the dude and he assured me he did no such thing.  I did a traceroute and that turned up nothing particularly useful so I really don’t know, not without a whole lot of further investigation.”

“What was the nature of Collin’s communique?” Greg decided to ask.

“He was checking in to see how Sierra was doing – and he gave orders to do some nice things for her” the geek relayed.  “Just small stuff.  It had to be the Commander, guys – the stuff he asked for was typical Collin.  It would give any woman a serious warm and fuzzy, trust me.  Sierra was so moved she damned near cried” he grumbled and then releasing a long, low breath he concentrated on the laptop screen.  “Nothing odd going on, at least, not on the surface – but gotta run some forensic tools on this baby before I’ll feel assured of that.

“Collin and I worked out this authentication scheme long before Sierra came on the scene” he now went on.  “That’s why I’m kind of thinking it might just be a coincidence, the song title being one by the group Klaatu.  And this kind of thing, Collin would have told no other, not Sierra, not even you guys.  I’m confident of that.”

“Well, he seems to have little resistance when it comes to the little hot tamale” I chuckled but Kevin didn’t find this the least bit amusing.  He was in love with the woman, too.  An unrequited love that wasn’t exactly healthy, but he did not let it get in the way of his judgment.  So, kudos to Kevin, I thought – they guy had some balls after all.

“Do you know the password?” I asked him and so he nodded.

“Yes and no – it would be three tier, you see” he now told us.  “The first one is the old FCC license number of KCDX, which is the transmitter that we use to broadcast music, piped to it by a feed from the internet radio station.  Once the password has been entered for that, then we should receive another challenge question and need to enter a response for that.  This is why you gentlemen are here – Collin said the other two passwords you two would be able to guess.”

Well, this certainly sounded like something the Commander would concoct – I could not argue that, even if he had not clued in Greg or myself.  There was still the question looming large, however – who had initiated the delivery of the disk?

“You understand this all means very little if Collin was coerced to reveal the passwords” I was none too happy to point out.

“It’s a bit more sophisticated than that” the geek defended.  “For any given ID, there are two others that go with it – and the password for each is reduced to a number, and then a calculation is done using all three.  If the answers given are correct, then the resulting number from the calculation will match one of the figures in a list I hold.  So, first off – Collin would have to give the correct combination of ID’s.  The password for the first ID in any trio would be easily verified, since it will always be the FCC license number for KCDX.  The records still exist and so can be verified.  The other two not so easy – they are personal to each of you.  Its really more a matter of misleading than anything else.  If Collin was in a position where he would be forced into giving up the code for the purpose of faking orders that would be delivered to us, then he could do so while appearing to be up front about it.  The key is the trio, however.  The wrong trio of ID’s will result in a figure not on my list.  So therefore we would know that Collin is indeed in trouble.  Certainly, the passwords will unlock the data on the disk, but regardless, if the combo doesn’t add up, then that’s a message from Collin right there.”

Greg and I just looked at one another.  Leave it to Collin to get convoluted when spec’ing out a matrix such as that.

“The Klaatu angle is freaky, though” Kevin mumbled.  “Well, here goes.”  And with that he plugged in the FCC license number for the old KCDX radio station.  “Gentlemen?” he now prompted as he turned the laptop around for Greg and I to see he next ID which was Foreplay Forum.  I blinked at it while Greg actually blushed.  Mumbling under his breath he typed in the response.  I knew the answer was the password he had used for his favorite porn site back in Pre-Time.  Apparently, an account he had shared with our Commander otherwise how would Collin have known the password?

The password being correct, the next ID presented itself and so I gagged.  Collin had a very sick sense of humor at times.  The ID was Femme Fatal and although the answer could have been a million things, I knew what it was right off the bat.  The dollar amount I had to pay my third wife as a divorce settlement.  It was rape, pure and simple, and so I had gone on for weeks about the outlandish sum right down to the penny.  I keyed in the response and lo and behold we had access to the data.

“Ok, now type your passwords again, in here” Kevin told us, opening up a terminal Window and invoking Python.  First he typed his, rendering it to a pure number.  He then did the same with mine and Greg’s – then lastly he ran a calculation on it.  Once done he then pulled out his Palm and pulled up a document, one which, I assumed, was the list of figures by which to compare the results.

“This list is local to my Palm” he explained.  “It is highly encrypted and does not reside on any machine on the network.  And… shit… well, ain’t that a hoot” was his commentary.  “Its freaking legit.”

“Well, that’s nice to know” I said in a tempered voice.  “So, what is on here?” I asked, wanting to explore the disk.  Taking a deep breath, Kevin then started to explore.

And it was disturbing to say the least.

“This has got to be wrong” was Greg’s take on the contents.  Sitting back in my chair I just shook my head.  Sifting through the documents, there was a classic read me file – and opening this there was a simple message – Once I Reaffirm, deliver to the High Council of The Order ~ CTO.

“This will start a bloody war!” Kevin barked as he pushed his chair back from the table.  No kidding, I thought – he was right.  However, knowing Collin the way I did, I could not see him using this classified AFA information to incite a war.  Rather instead his was to warn The Order to be on their toes.

As if there wasn’t enough distrust between our two worlds as it was.

The long and the short of it was what we had all supposed anyway.  On the surface the AFA made assurances of detante, while below it was clandestinely plotting eradication of The Order.

“Collin wants to prevent the bloodshed, I believe” Greg opined.  “I’m sure The Order isn’t blind to this, but seeing it in official AFA documents is a bit more damning.  He also probably wants to perpetuate Unity between the Arms, for The Brotherhood is stronger united than divided.  Let’s face it, The Legion has breached our shores, and the Way has popped up out of nowhere.  We don’t really know what kind of interaction these Arms of The Brotherhood have had in the recent past – but I can assure you they have.  Beyond trying to off each other, that is.”

“Colonel-Major Wasserman” I mumbled and so Greg and Kevin looked to me.  “I had a… strained encounter with him at AFA High Command.  Although the strain was perhaps on my part.  The Colonel was acting like, well – like a Member.  Hard to explain, but I felt like I was in the presence of one of Aidan’s sharks.  He made a comment, a phrase he repeated twice when we had a very brief discussion about the ramifications of Collin’s Reaffirmation.  A matter of harmony he said to me, which I kind of thought odd.  I’ll lay odds that it was this WardenOps officer who Collin gave the flash disk to for safe keeping – and Collin was at AFA High Command not long ago, after all.”

“You guys know Collin better than I ever will,” Kevin began as he now leaned forward, “but I do know that the Commander is heavily into CYOA and insurance.  Looking at all this, I kind of have a sense that his plan might be to buy himself leniency somewhere down the road, with The Order.  I mean, think about it.  Collin Reaffirming kind of blindsided all of us – especially knowing how he feels about, you know – the Cup and what The Order wants to do with it.”  It was in moments like this that Kevin found himself on shaky ground.

Kevin didn’t believe for one damned minute that the Cup of Christ could extend the lives of men.  Did Greg or I believe else wise?  Well, we had seen many minor miracles during our tenure with Collin which bolstered our belief that anything might be possible.  Our concern, however, lay in the identification and verification of the Cup – a task we both felt impossible.  And if not impossible, then one in which we required the assistance of The Brotherhood to determine.  After all, The Brotherhood had been the custodians of the Cup, and accompanied it on its journey here to the Americas in Pre-time.

“He did it for Aidan” Greg stated matter-of-fact.  “We don’t have proof but I think we can all agree that part of the Offer made Collin was that the charges against Aidan would be dropped if Collin Reaffirmed his Oath.”

“That brotherly love of his is going to get him killed in the end” I grumbled.  On one hand he’d rip Aidan up one side and down the other – and then in a heartbeat he’d be singing his praises.  Love and hate, different sides of the same coin, I knew, but with those two brothers it was a nightmare union.  One made even worse because they were fraternal twins.

“Well, if this is supposed to buy him insurance,” Greg began his speculation, “the only thing I can think of that would require leniency would be if he Renounced.  Which would be insane – there would be no quarter should he decide to get retarded on us and do just that.”

“No shit” Kevin added, apparently the two had both done their Brotherhood homework.  “He’d be fucked – worse than fucked.”

“So, we do what with this information?” I asked, since that was really what we needed to decide.

“Do as Collin instructs” was Greg’s no nonsense answer.  “We all know there’s a lot more going on between the AFA and The Order than we will ever know – or that Collin will ever tell us.  The Commander holds a lot of cards close to his vest – and although we might question his motives, we really aren’t in a position to usurp his command.”

“Really?” I accused in a low voice, since Greg and Kevin sure had done their fair share of disobeying their superiors.

“It’s your call, Colonel” Greg now retreated as he pushed his chair back from the table.  “You’re the one who has to face the man when he finds out that you did not follow orders.”  True enough, but I had done plenty in Collin’s name to save his ass.  Sure, I’d get called out on the carpet later, but typically my decision would be the right one, and so Collin would acquiesce – after a lot of blustering, naturally..

“How do we deliver this highly sensitive information?” I asked Kevin who shrugged.

“Directly, I suppose – same fashion, on a flash disk” he returned.  “I’ll pull the data, make sure there nothing evil going on anywhere, then repackage it.  I can make arrangements to meet with Bryan, clandestinely.”

“How do you know he will deliver it to the High Council?” I asked a simple question.

“I don’t, but its the best I can do, Colonel.  I’ll just hand it over and tell him Collin directed me to deliver this to the High Council and I will leave it at that.”

“Collin said that you are to deliver it” Greg pointed out and now Kevin turned white.

“Are you mad?” he barked, looking from Greg to me, and I had to agree with Greg.

“What would it take to get an audience with the High Council?” I supposed.  “Can Bryan arrange that?”

“Not without first getting his Master’s approval” he told us.  “Otherwise you are talking about me booking my ass up to Zion and walking right in there and saying hey!  Delivery for the High Council!  What do you think the chances are that they would even receive me?  Slim to none, I am sure.”

“Well, you were there recently, they have seen you are not a monster” I offered.  “They might just grant you an audition, Captain Wong.”

“Yeah?  Well, all this aside – how the hell is it going to look to AFA High Command when they find out one of their TechStaff personnel just waltzed up there to see the High Council?  Treason anyone?” the geek snapped and granted, when you put it that way – but I was only playing devil’s advocate, though.  Often times it was advisable to take Collin’s orders quite literally.

“How about hacking in?” I now pushed some more buttons.  “Is there perhaps a place you can put the files so that they stick out like a sore thumb?”  The geek just blinked at me – yeah, he could, I would bet, and this was more attractive than delivering them in person.

“How many resources would you like me to throw at something like that?” Kevin asked in a low voice.  “Sierra would love the challenge, but we can’t trust her to be involved in something like this.”

“We might have to, Captain Wong” I decided as I now got to my feet.  “I will leave you and Captain MacNamara to work out the sordid details of just such a breach.  Good-day, gentlemen” I now said in parting.  I had other business to take care of, and some of my own dirt-digging to do.  Leaving the two officers behind to discuss my sanity, I was certain, I now made my way to my office.  I had a spare laptop I could use until Kevin gave my primary one a clean bill of health – although I was of a mind he was going to just do a DoD grade wipe of the disks and a clean install.

That would just be a minor bump along the way, I considered, as our road turned more rocky and passage made more difficult – which lately seemed to escalate by the hour.

“Holding your tongue is not an option, Lord O’Reilly” the Head of the High Council pointed out.  I was going to ask this Roland guy why not but didn’t feel like courting his anger any more than I already had.

Looking to my brother, Aidan had on his best game face – by looks alone no one would be able to guess what was going on in his head.  However, I had the benefit of being able to sense what he was feeling.

And it wasn’t a warm and fuzzy.

“I could not be caught with that disk on my person” I tried to explain – again.  “As I could not risk my TechStaff Captain striding up to the door of the High Council and handing it over in person.”  Didn’t they get it?  All because I was Order didn’t mean that I was no longer AFA.  I still had the welfare of my men to consider.

“And so hacking in was a choice alternative?” the High Council Member named Max put to me.

“My TechStaff Captain would have evaluated the alternatives” I assured him.  “Given the nature of the information, it should go without saying that any AFA officer caught with it would be charged with treason.  This data needed to be put directly into the hands of the High Council.  I would not risk any method where interception would be possible.  I am AFA, I am Order – I refuse to keep quiet the knowledge I hold.  As you can see from these documents, your days are numbered.  I will not allow the slaughter of my Brothers come to pass – not if I can help it.”

No one had any comment to make, apparently – and I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Enough people in this world have already died” I reminded them, looking around to each High Council Member, one of whom was my brother.

“Why not just use your brother as a conveyance?” the one named Wesley now put to me.  Good question – and care needed to be taken with the answer.  I could not be certain that Aidan would pass on the information, but I could not let them know this.

“I did not want it to appear that Aidan and I were in collusion” was my response.  “This information I came by on my own.  Would you have believed if Aidan had turned over the disk?” I asked, and then realized that was a very stupid question.  Members did not lie after all.

“Would there be any reason why we should not?” Roland now put to me and so I just shrugged.

“I still have much to learn about our Ways” I explained in an effort to get myself off the hook for that one.  “There’s an upside, you know – my TechStaff Captain has pointed out a vulnerability in your network, and thus an opportunity for your Head of IT to tighten his security” I reasoned.

“Our Head of IT” Max corrected, reminding me that I was Order.  Like, how could I possibly forget?

“It was a one time occurrence, I can assure you” I told them all as I looked around.  “Captain Wong would have strongly objected to such a tact, but he did what he had to do.  I ordered him to deliver the data directly to the High Council and so he did as instructed.”

“And damn the consequences, is that it?” Wesley suggested in a rather dour tone.  Funny how my brother didn’t have a thing to say, no comment to make.

He was pissed off, that’s why – and I would pay him personally for it, just later.

“Here – I have a suggestion” I began, now tiring of this dance of words.  “Let’s just forget the whole thing happened.  You can go back to hiding your heads in the sand if that makes you feel more secure about The Order’s place here in the Americas.  With the AFA gunning for you, and the Legion and Way as well – need I paint a picture?  I was under the impression that a primary Way was Brotherhood before all else.  That a Brother could not look away, and that he must come to the aid of fellow Brothers in need.  Well, that’s what I did – I stepped in to help my Brothers.  If my understanding of Our Ways is lacking in this, then please correct me” I said in conclusion.

“You are correct, Member-Elite O’Reilly” a voice said from the back of the Meeting Hall and as I  glanced over my shoulder I was that it was none other than the Grand Head himself.  “Why are you persecuting this Brother?” Dmitri now inquired of the High council as he made his way toward the podium where I stood.  The Grand Head coming to my rescue was amusing – given that he held no sway over these proceedings, if I correctly understood the Laws.  He did, however, hold Veto power over decisions made by the High Council – but from what I had heard, this was rarely invoked.

Maybe his was just to be the voice of reason in an otherwise unreasonable persecution.

“I believe this you already know” Roland said in answer.

“What?  The fact that this Member sought to protect his fellow Brothers?” Dmitri asked as he now stopped, standing next to me.  “That’s what it boils down to – regardless.  He can perhaps be forgiven the method used, taking into consideration the circumstances.  After all, Collin O’Reilly is a man of two worlds, yes?” he reminded one and all.  “He is still under Oath to the AFA as well, and is obligated to protect those serving under him.  I think perhaps you should take his suggestion to heart – looking at this as an opportunity to tighten our network security.  Does that not seem reasonable?”

Now there was a murmur among the High Council.  My brother, however, was sitting still as stone and didn’t have a bloody thing to say.  And this, quite frankly, was scaring the shit out of me.

“Vote or throw out the Motion” the Grand Head now advised in a low voice.  “The net end results will be the same” he said, a threat that he would invoke his Veto power.  Now turning on his heel, he made his way to the exit.  A hush was in the air until he had closed the door behind him.

“I call a Vote for Dismissal” Wesley was quick to throw out there, and although it was a mixed bag of reactions, they did cast votes.

“Let the Record show that the Motion to Prosecute Member-Elite O’Reilly has been Dismissed by a Vote of six for, three against and one abstained” Roland announced and then with a rap of his gavel the special Session concluded.

Aidan, notably, had abstained.  I could not blame him, since I was his blood brother.  His vote seemed only right and I would not hold it against him.

I remained standing there as everyone filed out of the Meeting Hall – everyone except me and Aidan, that was.  He was still sitting in his seat, just looking at me.

“Thank you” he actually said and so I blinked.  “Of course we always knew the AFA’s intent, but we had a right to see that in black-and-white.  You put yourself at great risk to procure those documents, I am certain.”  No shit, I considered as I thought back to the delicate transaction which had taken place.  The way in which I had procured them was less than honorable, needless to say.  However, I needed something to give The Order should I Reaffirm, something that would convince them that I was One with The Order.  That I truly considered myself to Belong.

I wasn’t sure I had driven home this point, but one could only hope.

“As I said, enough people have died” I reiterated.  “It is wrong for more bloodshed to take place.  When I made discovery of these documents, I could not just turn blind eye” I explained.

“How long?” my brother now asked in a low voice and so I felt my throat constrict.

“Come again?” I asked him.  At first he did not clarify, but since I didn’t respond he did.

“How long has it been since you stumbled across these documents?” he now made it crystal clear for me.  Glancing around the empty Meeting Hall, I considered what I should say, if anything.

There was no lie I could concoct to skew the facts, not one that Aidan would buy.

“Is this a game to you?” Aidan now drove a knife up into my heart.  “I know you, Collin – you hoard insurance, dredging it up when it will best serve your interests.”  What could I say to that?  Guilty as charged.  However, that wasn’t the whole reason in this instance.  A few months more or less in deliverance of said information wasn’t going to make any difference, and thus I could plan its release to better bolster my own agenda.

Getting down on my knees, I bowed my head in apology as I made a fist of my left hand and pressed it to my chest.

“Forgive me” I made request.  “I have a lot to learn” I tacked on but to this my brother grunted.

“It wouldn’t matter – you’d play it your way regardless, Collin” was Aidan’s astute insight.  He knew me too well, after all.  “Will you ever learn what it means to be Brotherhood?” he wondered aloud and so I looked up at him but had nothing to say.  He never believed me anyway.

Getting up from his seat he now came down to where I knelt and thus knelt with me.

“Don’t pull any more stunts like this” was his sage advice and so I nodded in agreement.  “I am unable to save your tail, Collin – now that you are a true Member” was his ominous sounding assertion.  “The Laws now fully apply to you as well.  First and foremost you are a Member of The Order.  The AFA can’t come running to your rescue, and neither can I, if you do something outside the scope of Our Laws.  Do I make myself understood?” he wanted to know and yeah – I got it.

“Trying to scare me?” I laughed with unease but Aidan just held my eyes.  No, he was just telling it like it was.  “I… yes, I understand.  Just elbow me when I make a faux pas” I told him, but he still wasn’t inclined to be amused by my jokes.  Raising a hand, he pressed his palm to the side of my neck.

“I love you, Collin – and have always felt a strong need to protect you” he told me.  “I can only do so much, only bend the Laws so far.  This isn’t like the AFA – mitigating circumstances are rarely taken into consideration.  They might have been today, but don’t think this will become habit.  We do need you, and your talents – but there’s just so much we are willing to pay, and today you nearly broke the bank.  Savvy?” he put to me and yeah – savvy.

“Yeah, I get it” I grumbled as I now ran a hand over my face.  “If I was a fence sitter before, then what am I now?  And how will I face my men?” I wanted to know, for that was going to be another tough task to master.  I could no longer dress myself in the garb of the AFA – I had to live, eat, breath and drink The Brotherhood now.  It was going to make for some very large waves at my base.  Thankfully, however, my cousin Seamus would be there to coach me – and I was sure the world would be watching, as it were.

“You have quite a commanding presence” Aidan now told me with a grin.  “I am sure you will adjust.  Now, if there are no other dramas you want to drag me into, then I have arrangements to make” he told me, getting to his feet and so I followed suit.  “I am trying to secure leave to return with you to Monument Valley.  It is my hope that Our Grand Head will allow this.  Given all that has transpired lately, I am undeserving his graciousness – but I have to try.  Sierra will never forgive me if I am not there for the birth of the twins.”

“Yeah, well – join the club” I grumbled and then released a weighted sigh.

“While I plead my case to Dmitri, you are to pay Bryan a visit in his office” he ordered me as he pulled out his Palm.  Great – now I was going to get grilled by his IT geek?  After tapping away on the device, he then quickly stowed it in his pocket.  “I will see you later – you know the way to the Bryan’s office, yes?” he asked, and no, not really, but I’d find my way.  It was in the Admin Center and I knew where that was.

Nodding in response to his query, Aidan now surprisingly initiated an embrace, one which I openly accept and returned in its intensity.

“Behave” was his warning to me as we parted.

“I will” I told him and then after an exchange of bows, Aidan was gone.

I stood there for a while collecting my thoughts.  That was a close call, O’Reilly, I reproached myself.  Too close, I thought.  That none of the other High Council Members had thought to ask me the question Aidan had, about the length of time I had been in possession of the documents, was a damned miracle.  I would have had to come up with one very creative excuse right on the spot because any of those I could have thought of in advance would not have cut the mustard, so to speak.

Filing the experience away under bad ones, I now put the ordeal out of my mind and headed off in search of Aidan’s pet IT geek.  There were quite a lot of people out and about in the streets – it almost felt like Pre-Time.  They carried on, conducting business and trying like hell to live normal lives.

If being Members of The Brotherhood could be considered normal, that was.

No matter, I enjoyed casual conversation with those I encountered.  Notably Members who weren’t in high standing – and by the looks I had from those who were I was getting the idea that I shouldn’t have been mingling with those beneath me.  The Brotherhood was a class oriented society, and I kept forgetting that one little detail.

In time I reached the Admin Center and was directed to Bryan’s office.  Upon entering, I could not help but be reminded of Aidan.  The geek’s office was Spartan as Spartan could be – so much like my brother, I mused.

“Master Bryan, my brother directed me to see you?” I said, resisting the urge to rock on my heels.  The geek was sitting behind his tidy, or rather barren, desk – devoid of all else except a laptop and a little black device dead center – his Palm, I assumed.

“For you” he said, motioning to the Palm with a wave of his hand.  “Fair warning – should Klaatu ever get her hands on this device, then I will personally slice open your throat myself” was his dire caution and so I just blinked at him.  “Temporary password is everygoodboydeservesfavor – you must twenty-five characters.  Do not forget your password, I am rather unforgiving if I have to reset it for you.  After you log in with the temporary password, you will be required to change it to a new password.”

“Uh – a Palm, huh?” I tested, standing there with my hands behind my back as I considered the evil piece of technology.

“Do not expect another favor” he said in a low voice and I got his drift.  In the interest of speed I had been allowed to connect to their network with my PDA so I could send an encrypted message to Kevin.  After that, the MAC address of my PDA had been duly noted and thus blocked from all network access for The Order.  Period.

“I don’t have a clue how to use one of those things” was my complaint and so Bryan grinned.

“We will be all that much safer, then” he returned matter-of-fact as his grin turned wicked.  “As a Member-Elite you are entitled to one,” the geek now explained, “and are also entitled to network access.  We do not play favorites here, Lord O’Reilly – with rank comes privilege it is the same across the board.”  How odd it was to hear myself referred to as Lord.  “Abuse a privilege and we don’t take it away, we… Censure you, and trust me, depending upon the Offense, Censure can be rather painful.”  Holding his eyes I could tell he wasn’t just trying to scare me, either.

“Ok, I get it.  Aren’t you worried about Kevin getting his hands on it?  After all, I am going to need tech support” I chuckled, but Bryan did not find this amusing.

“There is a support address you will message” he told me.  “Any of my techs will aid you.”  Ok, now I did laugh.

“Oh yeah?  They are going to help me navigate the damned thing just so I can get to the place where I can send a support request?” I asked him, wholly serious.  Kevin had tried to get me to use a Palm and the damned thing just confounded me to the point I wanted to strangle someone.

“Point taken” he accepted.  “You are a Member-Elite and Lord of The Order.  Use your own discretion” Bryan advised me but I could tell he was inwardly choking on the words.  “There is a shortcut on your launcher which points to a web location where there are tutorials on how to use a Palm.  You can learn the gestures and techniques needed to make your interaction with the device a success.”  Well, there was no point in arguing, I knew.  With a sigh of resignation I moved forward and reached out to pick up the little black device.  “Please, take a seat” he prompted and then came out from behind his desk.  Motioning towards the couch along the wall I went and sat down, and so did he.

“You are probably familiar with some of this, so don’t get offended I get really basic with it” he told me and nope, I wasn’t going to be offended since I needed a refresher course for everything.  With amazing patience he walked me through the basics, much of which I recalled Kevin having shown me.  However, I was king when in my castle and so could use whatever I wanted when on my base.  Kevin had a bird over it, but he had little choice.  I outranked him, after all.

“Just remember, no need to browse for an app or contact – just type the first letter or two of what you want, it will present a list of choices” he explained after completing my basic training on the device.  That was a particularly helpful hint, I had to admit – one Kevin had probably pointed out but I had forgotten.

“Thank you – much appreciated” I told him with a genuine smile.  “I leave my PDA off half the time anyway, will be the same for this Palm.”

“This you are to leave powered on, unless it is necessary to conserve the battery” he told me, or rather ordered me.  “That should not be necessary, though, you will always carry spares with you.  Besides, boot time is considerable so if you are in danger the time it takes to boot might mean your life.”  Well, wasn’t that a cheery thought.

Bryan now got up and went over to his desk, opening the draw to pull out something.

“Extra batteries, although I am certain Kevin has droves of those” he laughed.  “Battery life is really good if you don’t use the device.  Charged replacements last almost forever, so always pocket some extras.  Kevin can set you up with a solar charger and one for vehicles, and all that other stuff.  These batteries will last your stay here through your return to Monument Valley.  You will see an accounting for all this in your ledger – but don’t worry, your services will soon offset the expense” he informed me and so I just blinked like an owl.

“Excuse me?” I asked and now it was his turn to blink.

“You are to be compensated for your services” he reiterated.  “Did your brother not explain this to you?  Ours is a system of barter” Bryan told me which didn’t really help clear things up.  “You are a Member, just like the rest of us” the geek added but he could see I was lost.  “Collin, look – you received Waiver so you could Reaffirm, but your title, your Station, is by no means honorary.

“Here, let me show you” Bryan said, taking the Palm from me.  He navigated to a site where I was again required to enter my user code and password.  “Here you will find numerous reports which you can run to review your Ledger status and its transaction detail.”  Clicking on a link, he opened a report which listed the balance of my account and notably it was in red.  And when I reviewed the transactions my jaw must have dropped.  Everything was listed, including the damned Waiver!  This had a value attached to it as well.

“Well – Aidan never told me that the Waiver came with a price-tag attached” I grumbled.

“I can’t imagine him not telling you” he said, looking confused.  Aidan’s failure to do so had omission written all over it.  “Don’t worry – the information you provided the High Council will probably offset most of it.  Its not listed because they have yet to agree on a value for the data – but you can see it off to the side, here, in yellow.  It is pending valuation.”

And suddenly a lot made sense.

“I… Bryan, I had no idea about any of this when I handed over those documents!” I asserted.  “Good Lord Above, the High Council Members probably all thought I was trying to buy off my Waiver.”

“Yup” he affirmed and so now I ran a hand over my face.  I was going to kill my brother, plain and simple.  “Who decides the value on all this stuff?” I now wanted to know and so the geek thought about his answer for a moment.

“Its rather complex” he began “and there is no time to school you right now.  “You’ll have to choose an Asset Manager and Negotiator, these men will work in your best interest.  Right now Aidan is loaning you the services of his own – you can see it right, here” the geek pointed out one of the detailed transactions, and naturally there was a value attached to it – and not in my favor.  “A Negotiator will handle the valuations for you, and an Asset Manager will handle your assets and further their value for you.  Their fees will automatically be deducted from your account.”

“An account I had no idea that I possessed” I grumbled.  “Well, thanks for the crash course in the Palm and in the world of Brotherhood finance.  I guess I’ll have to learn as I go” I said as I now got to my feet.  Bryan followed suit and then bowed to me.

“You are welcome, Lord O’Reilly” he said.  “Try to stay out of trouble – your brother asked me to remind you.”  With a wry look I nodded.

“No doubt” I complained and then headed for the door.

With the door shut behind me I hung me head for a moment and then headed outside.

Sitting on a bench out front was a welcome sight – it was Aaron.  He’d been locked up with the Council of Priests all morning.

“Collin, I heard the good news” he said as I now joined him.

“Out of the frying pan and into the fire, as it were” I told him as I pulled out my Palm.  Navigating to site where I could access my Ledger, I pulled it up and showed it to Aaron.  Taking the device from me he reviewed the details.

“Ouch – that is one hefty price for that Waiver” he remarked, but otherwise did not appear to be fazed in the least by the whole ledger thing.

“I wouldn’t know,” I mumbled, “after all, I just found out I had an account, much less one getting racked up with expenses” I told him and so he laughed, and openly, no less.

“For all you have read about The Brotherhood, for your association with so many of its Members – you’ve seen only what you’ve wanted to see” was his reproach.  “You didn’t think any of this applied to you?  The Brotherhood is an equal opportunity employer, Collin.  But cheer up, the value of your services will put you in the black in no time flat – and then some.  Trust me on this, my friend.”  Unsure how to respond, I didn’t.

“Well, at least the slaves don’t have to worry about any of this Ledger nonsense” I said but Aaron just shook his head.

“They are Members, just like you and me” he said and so I raised an eyebrow.  “The guidelines are a bit different for salves, but much the same – the biggest difference being that their Ledgers are made public” he now knocked me off my chair.  Ok, I had had enough of this crap for one day.

“I need to find Aidan – I want to get out of here, like yesterday” I grumbled under my breath.  “How was your pow-wow with the Council of Priests?” I asked.

“Well, hell froze over, so to speak – I will make the Transition” my friend now told me.  “So now I will again have to worry about a Ledger balance as well, eh?” he laughed as he patted me on the back.

“Ok, so Aidan’s worst nightmare will come true” I said with a frown.  “He’s going to be fit to be tied.”

“Assuredly, but as with your offer from the Council of Priests, Aidan also has no say in the Offer made me” the man now informed me and so I stopped in my tracks.  Was today the day I get blinded by everyone? I thought in dismay.

“Wait a minute – you are saying that if the Offer made me had been made by, say, the High Council then he would have a say?” I asked.

“Well, that’s half right” he told me.  “If the Member is a blood relative of one of the High Council Members, then that High Council Member is required to abstain from the Vote.  So, if your offer had come from the High Council, Aidan would not have been party to that aspect.  However, because he is Head of Assassins, he has Veto power over the Offer.”

“I see” I said, mulling over his words.

“When the Offer comes from the Council of Priests, then he has no say, no Veto power” Aaron clarified.  Apparently I needed to have a small chit-chat with my brother dearest.  I was feeling rather maneuvered, and I wasn’t sure if it was by Aidan or everyone else.

“You seem pretty chipper for a Member who loathes The Order” I derided him about his decision to Transition, but he just shrugged.

“Where you go, I go” was his response.  “To Protect” he tossed in, and rather solemnly at that.  “Honestly, though – there are many good men here at The Order, and if there are those from Pre-Time who had hunted my fellow Brothers from the Ascendancy to near extinction – well, their numbers here are few.  It’s like a tree, Collin – you don’t cut it down because of a few borer-beetles, eh?”  Leave it to a Member to make an analogy which involved nature.

“Well, enough doom and gloom for now” I now decided as I turned my attention to my Palm.  “Hopefully I can manage to figure out how to send an email with this thing” I grumbled.

“Uh – far be it from me to criticize, but Members only use their Palm devices for business” he told me and so I stopped in my tracks to gape at him.  Again, the Priest was right.

“What if I need to check on Sierra’s condition?” I asked.  “I mean, she’s due to give birth any minute – really.”  If I sounded like an expectant Father, then – oh well.  I would be Uncle to the twins and that was close enough for me.  Besides, birth was still a rarity in our world, given the scarcity of women.

“Rest assured, when the time has come, Finney will contact Aidan” was the voice of reason behind his words and so I was forced to agree.  I was just about to turn off the device when he reached out a hand to stop me.  “Members leave them on.  If you turn yours off unexpectedly,akes to reboot, then assumption will be made that you are in trouble, and search and rescue procedures will be initiated.”  Oh for the love of God! I thought in aggravation.  However, this was a perk of being a Member.  They looked out for one another, constantly.  The Order was a group effort, civilization by committee – there was no I in Brotherhood, after all.  That I had a lot of adjusting to do was more than apparent.

“Ok, I get the picture” I mumbled and so just slipped the device in my pocket.

“Collin, you won’t even know it is on.  You won’t get hammered with message notifications like you do with the AFA” he explained.  “Unless it is life or death, your emails get routed to your inbox, where you have to manually log in to view them.”

“What, no Greg or Eric to field them for me?” I laughed but that just won me a dour look.  “Ok, ok – yes, lots to learn, I know, I know, I know.  I don’t mean to sound cranky about it, but – its like damned culture shock.”

“We’ll all get you through it, together, Collin” he assured me.  “You will stay for my Transition Ceremony?” Aaron now inquired and like, how could I possibly say no?  He’d been there for my Reaffirmation Ceremony, after all.  However, all I could think about was Sierra giving birth any second.  It was a foregone conclusion that I wanted to get back the my base ASAP.

Friendship and loyalty first in this fraternity of men, I understood and so I nodded.

“Yes, Aaron – I will Attend” I told him.

“I hope you have a taste for blood” he now rocked me.  “I will undergo the Trials – it is a requirement if I want to reinstate my Station of Elite-Assassin, after all.”  I must have gone white and so he laughed, drawing an arm around my shoulder.  “Fear not, Commander – piece of cake.  Well, cake or pie, not sure which.  I will take injury by some degree, I am certain, but I will survive.”

“How comforting” I complained, releasing a weighted sigh.  As long as I had known Aaron, he went thorough the same grueling daily workouts as did my brother.  That he was fit as a fiddle was obvious – not a slouch like I was, needless to say.  I could not pass the Trials on the best day of my life, I knew.  “Well, I need to find my brother – so, how would I go about inquiring the location of one known as the Assassin?” I made jest but Aaron didn’t think it was funny.  My brother had a fairly scary reputation, after all – even by Brotherhood standards.

Aidan could not have attained his Station of Head of Assassins without being a lethal killing machine.  This much was fact.  Everyone looked at my brother with dread and awe – they saw a cold blooded killer.  What did I see?  My brother and that was all.  This didn’t mean that I hid my head in the sand when it came to Aidan and the life he had always led – it was instead that I knew him as a man.  I saw a side of Aidan that few ever did – the guy who liked to surf and had a passion for European sports cars and who had owned a white Lotus Esprit, just like James Bond, Agent 007.  I knew the guy who craved chocolate ice cream with shredded coconut on top, not the one who killed for a living.  I knew things about Aidan that would make his enemies laugh in disbelief.

“You can message him, if it is business” Aaron told me but I just shrugged.  I just felt adrift in a sea of unfamiliarity.  Naturally I would navigate towards my brother who had always been an anchor in my life.

“I’d suggest lunch, but given that my Ledger balance is in the red” I grumbled in complaint.

“Don’t worry, you have until the end of the month to settle up,” Aaron told me, which didn’t do a whole lot for my mood, “and if you can’t, there are ways to rectify that.  You can’t expect to learn Brotherhood economics in a day, Collin.  No one expects this of you, although you are not as well prepared as you should be by this point – but not to worry.  If you are not in the black by the end of the month, I will foot you a loan.”

“Are you people purposely trying to piss me off?” I wanted to know.

“Collin, this is not the AFA” was his stern reminder.  “The Brotherhood doesn’t even cover your basic needs.  A man’s skill is his tender – and it can be used in many ways.  The greater and more rare the skill, the more he is worth.  This is not so different from the Time Before, in civilian life – its just a lot more controlled, and infinitely more fair.”

“Hate to break it to you, but – uh, I have never been a civilian” I told him.

“Yeah, well – you never lived on base so you pretty much already had the idea that the Army was going to give you just so much for a housing allowance.  We don’t even have that here.  Look – instead of getting tweaked about the cultural differences, why not embrace this as an opportunity to learn, eh?”  Again he was right, and I was just being a hothead.

“So they aren’t charging you to Transition?” I asked out of curiosity.

“No, the opposite.  They are paying me to do so” he shocked me and like, what was I?  Chopped liver?  “Don’t look so shocked, Collin – you just followed a different calling in your life is all.”  Now I got it.  Aaron was a Priest, and there was something special about being Jesuit, as I recalled, that would make him highly desirable.  And so, in essence, I was chopped liver.  “In addition, I am an Elite-Assassin, so they will also pay a Transition bonus for that, providing I pass the Trials, of course” he chuckled – men who didn’t pass died, from what I understood.

“Ok, so rich friend takes poor friend out to eat?” I complained but then apologized.  “Sorry, I’m just a case, with Sierra so close to giving birth…” I trailed off, no excuse really, but there it was.

We did go and have lunch, putting it on Aaron’s account.  It was just like old times, I considered, when I was in the U.S. Army.  I was broke most of the time, even on a Colonel’s compensation.  Aaron assured me, as had Bryan, that compensation for my services would quickly erase, and greatly exceed, my current debt.  I hoped that would be the case – otherwise I didn’t want to know about the alternatives.

We splurged, having desert and coffee as well – or at least, I had coffee.  Aaron, like Aidan, never touched the stuff – it was some kind of Way that Elite-Assassins did not drink coffee.  Seamus did, though, once in a while, and he was also an Elite-Assassin.

While I sat there savoring the coffee, I spotted Aidan heading in our direction and the man looked none too pleased.  What now? I wondered and so prepared myself for the worse.  Bowing to us when he reached our table, he then took a seat.  He didn’t say a word.  Neither did Aaron.  however, I could feel the tension.

“And?” I prompted, looking to my brother.  “Did the Grand Head grant you leave to, well – leave?” I wanted to know.

“I didn’t ask” Aidan said in a low voice.  “Seems that duty calls – I can’t leave, not for a while.”  I just gaped at him.

“What did you to to piss him off?” my tongue got ahead of me and so Aidan just brusquely shook his head.

“It has nothing to do with Dmitri” Aidan now got all informal, and so this was off the record.  “Ask your buddy Aaron – or hasn’t he already told you?”

“What?  That he accepted the Offer to Transition?  He told me” I defended my friend but I still didn’t get what one thing had to do with the other.

“Since he will be taking the Elite-Assassin Trials, I am required to be present” he informed me and now I got the picture.  Shit, I thought.

“Time and circumstance” Aaron remarked but that just made Aidan all that more angry.  He kept a cool exterior, but I could feel him seething inside.

“At least you can go be with her” Aidan said, calming a bit – but he wouldn’t be that way for long once I told him.

“Uh, Aaron – would you please give me some time with my brother?” I requested, and nodding in acceptance Aaron now got to his feet.

“I’ll be at the Rec Hall honing my dart skills” he told me and then with a bow to each of us, he took his leave.  Notably casting a worried glance over his shoulder.

“Aidan, please don’t deck me – but I am not leaving either” I said right out.  “Aaron Attended my Reaffirmation Ceremony, it is only right that I Attend his Transition Ceremony.  I… I am sorry.  Timing just sucks all the way around for this” I apologized.

“And that would be whose fault?” he put to me in a low voice.  “If you hadn’t gone and committed to Reaffirmation before consulting me…” he trailed off and then sitting back he struggled to keep his temper at bay.  His temper was as bad as mine – he just normally had a better handle on his.

“Hey – I saved your ass!” was my reminder as my own temper now got the better of me.  It was a good thing we were sitting at a table in an outside cafe.  Being well past lunch there really weren’t a lot of people about, but enough who would take notice if we got into a brawl.  Regardless, I could tell he wanted to reach across the table and grab me by the collar.

Closing his eyes, he now hung his head as he released a long, low breath.

“There’s nothing to be done” was his acknowledgment, but I could hear the pain in his voice.  How he loved Sierra! I thought.  She wasn’t a toy to him, not some prize or trophy, he loved the woman, heart and soul.  This I had always known in my heart of hearts but I just kept on denying it.

Until I was able no longer.

“The woman will never forgive me” he stated.  “Nor will she ever understand.”

“Don’t feel bad – I’ll be in the doghouse every bit as much as you” I tried to cheer him up.  “And you know what a snake Sierra can be when she feels she’s been passed over” I told him with an uneasy laugh but this only won me one very lethal glare.

“Tell me about it” he grumbled and then his Palm chirped.  Pulling it out of his pocket he activated the screen and read the message.  “Well, its moot at this point” Aidan said as he slid the device across the table to me.  “Congratulations, your an Uncle.”  Blinking like a total fool I read the communique from Seamus – and he was correct.  Sierra had given birth to a set of healthy twins.  As I read the email, though, I could hear Aidan’s heart breaking.  To him it had meant to world to be there for Sierra, and seemingly everything the past few weeks had conspired against him.

Glancing up from the device at my brother, he had covered his eyes with one hand as he uttered a prayer, giving thanks to God Above.  I was bursting with joy, but my brother?  Caught between joy and sadness he was.

“Fate” was all I said as I got to my feet and reached across the table to grasp his shoulder.  “Make it better going forward” I said in comfort and with this he looked up at me, tears in his eyes.

“Yes – for my children, all children, for the world they are destined to inherit” he spoke in a soft voice, closing his eyes once more.  There seemed to be an ominous tone to his words, but this was understandable.  Our was a world hanging by a thread as it was – so what would be left for those who would follow in our wake?

Only God could tell, I knew.

And perhaps the Unspoken.

“It’s creepy” Kevin mumbled as we watched Collin’s approach from the other side of the main entrance.

“Are you sure he doesn’t now read lips, too?” I said with a straight face and so Kevin stiffened.  Granted, seeing Collin dressed day in and day out like a Member was disturbing enough, complete with goatee beard and lengthening hair – but he was conducting himself as one in addition.  The Commander’s head had to be messed up.

But then again, he was also a Lord of The Brotherhood, a Member-Elite – and effectively an ambassador in both courts.  AFA and Brotherhood alike.

Scary thought, that.

“Good-morning Captains Wong and MacNamara” Collin greeted us – no open smile like he used to don, I considered.  Sure, Collin used to get a stick up his ass before he became a convert – but now said stick appeared to be a permanent fixture.

Members, of course, felt themselves above the likes of AFA personnel.

“Got a headless server that needs work – later, Commander” Kevin found a viable excuse to get as far away from Collin as possible.

“Do you suddenly have a task that needs your attention, Greg?” my old friend put to me.  With a lopsided frown I just shook my head.

“Fresh out of ideas, sir” I told him as I let my really droll joke languish.  Collin was in no mood for camaraderie – or at least, not of the AFA flavor, it was clear.

If Collin could not break through the glass ceiling of AFA High Command, then he would just change his tactics.  The man would seek promotion and praise elsewhere – namely in the bosom of The Order.

“Walk with me” was his command and so I fell in alongside him.

“Slumming?” I asked, since he was at The Order more than he was here – which was very bad for morale.  Namely because this placed Colonel Jones squarely in charge during his absences – and Eric ruled with an iron fist.

“You know, your jibes are getting a little old, Captain” was his warning, but then, predictably, he softened.  “Forgive me – still adjusting, I suppose” he explained away his mood and so I just shrugged.  However he wanted to slice it or dice it was fine by me.  I knew too much to be objective in the matter.  Two little ditties called the Plan and Its Furtherance had left me rather jaded as of late.  Collin was openly walking right into the Prophecy of the Alternative Faith of The Ascendancy.

And were any of us trying to stop him?

Nope – would have been impossible since he still pretty much believed the Plan and its Furtherance to be bunk.  Or so it would appear this was how he felt – on the surface.  If the Commander was looking for ultimate power, then he was going to find it, and not like it come the end.

But, who was I?  I was just his Captain-Major, the one who really ran the day-to-day base operations.  The one who had more than just a clue about what was going down in our world.

Knowledge is a dangerous thing, they always said – but no one could have ever known just how dead on the money that assertion was.

“I am sorry, Greg – for more than just my attitude these days” Collin now shocked me.  “I… know you feel I have abandoned you and Eric – this whole base, pretty much.  It’s not like that at all – but, well… I feel as if my life is no longer my own.  Or more rightly, that it never was in the first place.”  That was an odd thing for him to say, I thought.  Collin had always been a man in charge of himself and others.

“Is being a full Member that oppressive?” I put to him but he didn’t answer.  At least, not right away.

“No – it is actually quite liberating” was his response and so now I understood him.  The AFA had become his ball and chain instead of the reverse.

A interesting thought, this.  He was sticking with the AFA because he felt obligated to me, to Eric, to all his men – not to mention the draw of Sierra.  He could not stay away from the woman for very long.  There was also the familiarity angle – Collin had known nothing but the military his whole life; it had become his refuge.  However, as time went by, he was learning more about the Ways and the Laws of The Order, and was, like his brother before him had done, discovering the joy of loopholes and a tradition of delving for them.  It was a new and exciting challenge whereas the AFA had become that proverbial dead end.

Collin thrived on finding ways to get what he wanted, and so in The Order he had new avenues to explore for advancement.  For as rigid as The Brotherhood could be, there sure was a shit load full of technicalities that one could dredge up to aid in mitigating circumstances.

We made our way through the corridors, in silence.  There was a lot on the Commander’s mind and it was me he wanted to unload it on.  Through the pool area we went, heading for Collin’s private entrance I was certain.

Exiting the base through Collin’s back door, we were out under the brilliant morning sun.  With a sigh of relief, Collin stopped and turned to me.

“If you have things you need to say, Brains – just go ahead and say them” he prompted me as he folded his arms across his chest.  No challenge was in his voice; he wasn’t being defensive, either.  My friend wanted to let me unload, instead of the other way around.

“Your absences are becoming more protracted” I made note and so he nodded.  “Consensus is that you are one of them and no longer one of us.  No one really understands, despite it being detailed out in writing for anyone who wants to read it” I told him.

“Well, they can join the club” he grumbled, glancing away for a moment.  “I am just following orders, Greg – that’s it.  General Hastings wants me to spend x-number of hours here with my men, that’s what I do.  He wants me to spend x-number of hours at The Order, that’s what I do.  I take orders just like everyone else, Captain.

“I understand that it is unsettling to the men, the lack of regularity – but it is what it is” was his conclusion.

“It’s not just that, Collin – its everything from the least to the greatest” I explained.  “If your senior officers are weirded out, you can imagine how the men feel.  I was under the impression that your Reaffirmation was to bring the AFA and The Order closer together – with you being an ambassador for the AFA, not the other way around.”

“To be Brotherhood, to be Order – I am required to adhere to the Ways and their Laws, no matter where I am” my friend told me something I knew, but hadn’t thought he would drag here with him onto this AFA base.  AFA personnel still had a strong disliking of Members, a distrust of them, and here they were expected to take orders from a Member-Elite, and Lord of The Brotherhood.  It was demoralizing to them.  And even if they despised being commanded by Eric in Collin’s absence, at least they weren’t being ordered around by a Member.

“Look, its not easy on me either” my friend went on.  “I’ve been military my whole life, and The Brotherhood in all its glory is frigging culture shock.  It’s like, everything you know is wrong, Brains.  Honest.  I am trying to appease everyone.  I get flack when I am there about my appearance, but explain to them that I need to blend between the two worlds?  That gets me a flat look and this time around, a debit.  Yes, you heard me right – a debit, I can show you the little red number in my Ledger if you like” he complained but I just shook my head.

“No, I believe you” I laughed under my breath.  Collin had been keeping his hair collar length instead of long like Members, and instead of a full, closely-cropped beard, he was donning a goatee.  He was not the clean shaven short haired AFA Commander-General he used to be, not by a long shot.

“Tempted to shave every single day, but don’t feel like getting fined again” Collin laughed with a shrug.  “Tell me how to make this better, Brains – I am open to suggestions.”  Unfortunately, I didn’t have any that weren’t radical.

“You can try smiling once in a while – like you used to” was my simple suggestion.  “You’ve become a constant hard case, my friend.  What I want to know is why you’ve turned into another Eric.  Doesn’t take a genius like yourself to see that you are not, well, you.”  To this he didn’t respond, not at first.  After a few moments he looked down and then took a deep breath.

“Brains, you cannot imagine what I have seen, felt” Collin began in a low voice as how now raised his eyes to meet my own.  “That Book Repository of The Order?  Just a scratch on the surface, Greg – just a scratch.  This is strictly confidential, yes?” he prompted and so I nodded.  “Good, otherwise I think death is the debit for this offense.  Ancient texts and maps are not all they have horded away across the years.

“When my brother disappears for a spell?  He’s typically gone off to retrieve Relics squirreled away in the Time Before” he revealed, and even in this he had changed.  The AFA referred to this time as Pre-Time – The Brotherhood and the Blackguard referred to it as the Time Before.  “The man had never said a word to me about his excursions, Greg – not one single word!”

“Aidan is Brotherhood and sets a fine example, unlike yourself” I ribbed him and so now he glowered at me.

“Yes, I am weak – this much I can admit” Collin grumbled.  “You know of my passion, Greg – I’m like a kid in a candy shop when I am in their world!  So many answers I have found, but equally as many questions replace those answered.  I could die happy just pouring over the ancient texts until my tenure on God’s Earth comes to an end.  Honest, Greg.”

“Wouldn’t you miss your never ending pursuit of the rank of Elite-General?” I coolly inquired and now he turned dark.

“We both know that is never going to happen” was his dark reminder.  “The Staff of Generals has me right where they want me.  Doesn’t matter, though – depending on who finds the Cup, I might be out of here anyway” was his leading statement and so I raised an eyebrow.  Now Collin turned around and started walking along the running path that led away from his private entrance.  Shaking my head I took chase, wondering what on earth he was talking about now.

“Is that my cue to ask for clarification?” I put to him as I fell in alongside and just like the ping pong ball he could be, he again stopped and now turned around.  Considering me with stormy sea-green eyes be warred with himself until he made decision.

“Regardless who wants what – if We of The Order recover the Cup, then I will be spending all my time with my Brothers” was his disturbing revelation.  “It is a pact I made with Aidan, an Oath I swore to him – personally.”  This being said, there was a whole lot else spoken without him uttering a word.

“Does Eric know this?” I asked but he just shook his head with no explanation.  “Then I am the only one you have told?” I made conjecture and so he nodded.  Nice, I thought – Collin would often divide up his secrets among Eric and myself.  He did not tell me the same things as he did Second, and so that put each of us, Eric and myself, in a rather awkward position at times.

“And let’s keep it that way” Collin ordered.  “Jonesy would have a fit if he knew” he said, but what about me?  This little bombshell was not exactly a ray of sunshine in my existence.

“Understood – can we back up a moment here, though?” I requested.  “What you said earlier about all you have seen and felt during your research at The Order, what does that mean, exactly?  What you have… felt?” I asked him, supposing it was perhaps a spiritual experience for him, being in such close proximity to antiquities of the Faith.  Shifting from one foot to the other as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, I was visited by an eerie feeling.  Casting his eyes to the ground, Collin was debating whether or not he should answer – or at least, truthfully answer.  I was certain he battled with that as well when trying to be a good Member.  After all – Members didn’t lie.  Granted, their omissions and obfuscations were just as bad as any lie.

“You can feel the power within the Relics” he quietly returned as he looked up at me and so my heart skipped a beat.

“Physically or metaphorically?” was my inquiry but to this he did not answer – he didn’t need to.  “Look, Commander – I know how easily you get wrapped up in the fantastic, especially when it comes to religious history and its antiquities.  Can the… sensations… you perceive from these objects be wishful imagination?” I put out there, waiting for him to lose this cool but he didn’t.

“It wish that was the case, Brains” he mumbled, glancing away for a moment.  It was either one of two things.  Either he was delusional – distinct possibility, or it was something much more ominous.

The theory that Kevin and I, along with The Order’s IT Head Bryan, was that the Second Son, as created by the Unspoken, would be programmed to respond to key input via physical contact.  Given that The Plan was Brotherhood drive, then this had dire implications.  The nanos we supposed to be within Collin would have been programmed to respond to the signature of certain items.  The ancient text of the Alternative Faith cited the Second Son and his ability to revive the power of these Relics.

All too convenient.

Had Collin read the Alternative Faith?  I would venture to guess that he had, courtesy of his fellow Member Aaron.  My conspirators and I had read it as well, although a copy did not officially reside within the Repository of The Order.  Bryan did have access to an unofficial repository, however – one of all those texts which had been banned by The Order.

“Well, ok, then – have you clued anyone else into your experiences?” I now asked, hoping that he had not.  Quick to shake his head I breathed a mental sigh of relief.  “I would advise against revealing this to anyone, Commander.  Just keep it to yourself” was my advice and so he nodded.

“Aaron suspects, though” he came clean.  “He’s asked me, but I just don’t answer – I am… afraid to tell him” was his troubling confession.  “Aaron… he Believes, as does Aidan, that I am the Second Son” he told me and that was a loaded statement, even if he wasn’t aware of it.  Aidan likely believed that Collin was the being manufactured to be the Second Son – and Aaron, being a Jesuit Priest, probably believed the same, except that in addition Collin had been Touched by the Hand of God.

“Well, Collin – what do you think you are?” was my next question.  It didn’t much matter what anyone else thought, after all.  The man just shrugged.

“I honestly don’t know, Greg – I wonder if I have just been targeted as a puzzle piece that just conveniently fits a scenario” he posed and yeah, that would be a more logical answer, as opposed to him being God’s next Son to walk His Earth.  That notion just made me want to break out laughing.  However, Members of The Brotherhood were particularly susceptible to embracing such things.  And admittedly, so were a growing number of the AFA’s personnel – typically among the foot soldiers.  Mankind as a whole had precious little hope of its own furtherance, not with so few women left alive.  Faced with extinction it was not unreasonable to think these men would grasp at something, anything, that might give them hope.

Even the cockamamie story that a search was on in earnest for the Cup of Christ, and that it was this object that would give man the time it needed to get back on its feet.  The Cup would extend our lives, and more life equaled more time to repopulate the earth.

And by the day the rumors and stories spread and began to take on a lives all their own.

“Well – at times like this it is advisable to apply Ockham’s Razor” was my advice.  “Don’t get so wrapped up in the fantastic that you lose your sense of self.  There are often multiple explanations for a single event – but ponder on one too long and you’ll wind up discounting all the others.  If I were you, I would take a wait and see attitude.  The sensations you feel when touching these revered objects, well – its not surprising, knowing how strongly you feel about Relics from Christian antiquity and the powers you believe them to hold.”

“Yeah, I suppose you are right” he accepted, but not hook, line and sinker.  This meant there was something extraordinary taking place when he laid hands on these objects.  Something he could not explain.  “You must think I am crazy” he now laughed with unease.

“So you are true to your nickname – what of it?” I joked, for he was known as the Crazy Commander – his questionable exploits had won him this moniker.

To this we both laughed and then headed back inside.  Collin had only been back since the early morning – he had a slew of status meetings to sit through this day, none of which he wanted to attend.  His focus had shifted elsewhere and to now show interest in things he could not care less about was a rather painful affair for him these days.

As we made our way through the corridors, talking about lighter topics, Collin was accosted by his daughter Amanda.  We were passing by the mess hall when the strikingly beautiful young woman spotted us.  She had been sitting there with her hands wrapped around a mug but when she saw Collin she was on her feet in a heartbeat.

“Commander” she said in greeting, heading off Collin, and her tone was notably hostile.  Since Collin had Reaffirmed, and Sierra had given birth, his daughter had been on the warpath.  “You need to do something about Sierra” was her demand but Collin just ignored her.  After all, she was not paying him the respect due a Lord of The Brotherhood.

Because she refused to acknowledge him as such.

To think of Collin on equal footing with the man she thought to be her father?  Well – that just made the hotheaded beauty see red.  It was easy for her to loath Collin when he was AFA and a Pre-Time Member who would likely never Reaffirm – but now that she was expected to give him the same respect as she freely showed Aidan?  Well – that she just could not choke down, at least not without a lot of noise to go along with it.

When her demand went unanswered, compounded by the fact that Collin didn’t even bat an eye and kept on walking, she was after him like white on rice, as Collin would have said.  Jogging to catch up with us, she now grabbed onto Collin’s arm.

And now he did stop.

Slowly looking down where her hand lay he waited for her to let go.  She did, but not as quickly as she should have.  I could sense him counting to ten in an effort to not rip her up one side and down the other with his temper and its tongue.

“This had better be an emergency, young lady” Collin said in a cold voice and so Amanda now lost hers.  “Is it?!” he abruptly barked at her.

“Not exactly” Amanda began but once the anger in Collin’s eyes flared, she added, “but it is quite troubling.  Sierra spends too much time on things other than rearing her own children!” was her strident accusation.

“Which means, what, exactly, to you?” Collin wanted to know.  Standing there with his hands clasped behind his back he glared at her, waiting, but she was now reluctant to say anything else.  “Children are a miracle, Mandy – one would think you’d feel privileged to provide care to such a rarity in this world.  Not to mention that they are Aidan’s children as well as Sierra’s.  Last time I checked, it took a man and a woman to create life.  Please correct me if I am wrong.”  Now Amanda was caught between embarrassment and anger.

“Kelly and I are supposed to help – not raise them ourselves” was her venomous response.

“Is helping to raise my niece and nephew cutting into the private time that you waste on trysts with Tyler Redhawk?” was Collin’s shocking assessment – not shocking because it was true, but rather that this time he vocalized her crime in public.  Eric was the one who had found her out, that she was having an affair with the son of the Navajo Chief, Dasan.  Naturally he informed Collin and myself.  Eric had expected Collin to call her out on the carpet, to stop her unlawful and adulterous behavior.

However, no – Collin said to let her continue, that he would use the knowledge as ammunition one day.

And so today was that day, I considered.

The young woman turned white once the words had been uttered.

“I would suggest that you just suck it up and do your part – even if you feel it unfair that Kaden and Kiran monopolize your time” Collin strongly advised her.  “I don’t think you would want me to report to my brother your objection to helping raise his children because you have other lustful pursuits, now would you?” he put to her and now the young woman was utterly speechless.  Collin just held her eyes, waiting for her to answer.

“No, milord” was her respectful response, one delivered with averted eyes and a hung head.

“Well, then – you should go make yourself useful” he dismissed her and so bowing to Collin, Amanda then hurried off, notably towards Sierra’s quarters.

Standing there watching her go, Collin eventually turned around to continue on his original trajectory.

“Sierra does spend a lot of time on other things” I told him and so he nodded.

“I know – but this doesn’t matter where Amanda and her less than charitable attitude is concerned” he grumbled.  “I never should have let Kevin give Sierra that Palm – it all started with that damned device.  It was a seed that grew into a weed which has since gone back to seed” was his assessment, which was true.  She worked with Kevin on some projects – it had started off as something to keep her out of trouble, but then she was so hooked.  And granted, she had been very helpful – there was no denying her skill and talent as a hacker.

“I suppose now I will have to tell my brother about his tainted little flower” Collin complained, shaking his head.

“You suppose that he really doesn’t know?” I asked, finding it hard to believe that Aidan wasn’t aware that Amanda was cheating on her husband Ryan with Dasan’s son Tyler.  Collin just offered me a sidewards glance.

“Tyler is still alive, isn’t he?” was his cool assessment and yeah – if Aidan had found out, he would have removed Tyler himself – regardless his rather cozy relationship with the Navajo and particularly its Chief.  And once having removed the interloper, Aidan would have then grounded Amanda for life.  At the very least we would have heard some noise over it all if Aidan had discovered his niece’s adulterous behavior.

Collin fell to silence now as we approached the main conference room.

And for once in his life, he was actually late for one of his own meetings.

The looks on the faces of the men gathered within spoke one thing – there was a chill in the air, and so hell must have just frozen over.  The Commander was known for his extreme punctuality, after all.

The meeting dragged on – at least for Collin, as did every other meeting that day.  That he was going through the motions was obvious.

Between afternoon meetings. I took a sanity break and went down to the data center for a few words with Captain Wong.  Sierra was there with Kevin – but she wouldn’t be for long.  Recalling Amanda’s accusation earlier that day I thought to head off Collin’s anger and send her packing.

“Sierra – you need to spend more time with your kids” I said, not even bothering to say hello.

“I check in on them all the time!” was her defense but I knew better.

“Messaging Kelly or Amanda is not the same” I made known and so now she bit her lip, looking down.  At least she showed up for feedings, at any rate – but otherwise she was obsessed by her pursuit of technology.  “Look – friendly warning.  Spend more quality time with your kids before Collin takes away your Palm and your access.  Do I make myself understood?”  With this Sierra was quick to nod – the best way to control the woman was to threaten removal of that which was most important to her.  “And Captain Wong – stop encouraging her” was my reproach of our TechStaff Captain.

“I’ll catch you later, Kev” Sierra said as she got up and made a hasty retreat, brushing past me as she made her exit.  Once she was gone I closed the door to the data center and then sat down in an empty chair across from the Captain.

“Had your fill of meaningless meetings?” was his supposition and so I grunted a laugh.

“Collin wasn’t interested, that’s for sure” I complained.  “Look – I know you and Sierra are compadres, but its not healthy for you, this unrequited love you have for the woman” I got down to brass tacks.  With his game face in place, he just looked at me.  “Besides, Amanda attacked Collin over Sierra not seeing to her responsibilities.  Let’s not give Collin any reason to come down on you – unless you want a royal ass-chewing, that is?” I put to him and so he shrugged.

“I heard he was late for a meeting” he now circumvented the topic of Sierra.  “He’s not the Commander we once knew, huh?”

“Collin has some troubling things on his mind” I said, releasing a long, low breath.  “Every time I see him he gets worse.  He is experiencing sensations when he touches Relics in the Possession of The Order” I revealed and so he raised an eyebrow.

“Why is it every supposition we’ve been making eventually becomes a reality?” he wanted to know and yes – this was troubling.  “You can deny it all you want, but by the day the nano theory  looks to be a sure frigging thing” was his dire complaint and he folded his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair.  “How much more evidence do you need?”

“The nanos themselves” I told him because without physical proof pursuit of justice would be pointless.

“Well, for all I know and can do with technology, I am not a biologist” Kevin pointed out and yeah, neither was I.  And we didn’t know any we could subvert to our cause without having to tell that man what they were supposed to identify in the blood samples.

“Brick wall” was my take on it, not knowing where to go in the face of such a roadblock.  All we could do was to make sure Collin never found out for if our nano theory was true, then God help us all.  “I wonder – can you… hack… into them?” I now tossed out there for consideration and so he just blinked at me.  “I’m not joking here, Captain Wong.

“If these tiny machines, computers, are resident within a human – they need to be controlled in some fashion” I posed.  “And what if – just what if, Collin is a server?  So that he can interact with objects that also contain nanos?  Then those who made this technology would have included a means by which to access their technology, yes?  As well as give the nanos an ability to connect to one another.”  Kevin went blank for a moment, and so I could tell this thought had already crossed his mind.

“The technology did exist for communications between ulta-small devices,” he thoughtfully began, “but look, Captain – we are talking about devices here that are smaller that the naked eye can see!  That’s pretty well above and beyond any James Bond gadget that you or I could whip up” he reasoned and so I nodded.

“Doesn’t mean it wasn’t employed – and if it was employed, then we need to find out how to talk to these micro-machines” I told him, suspecting that he had already put some time into this.

“Yeah, well – seems that data is scarcer than scarce” he grumbled as he now got to his feet and I understood him – implicitly.  Said technology and references to it had been purged from the data record.

Just as had nearly all data pertaining to our little hacker, Klaatu.  Not to mention other oddities here and there, and if the data wasn’t missing, then it was even more troubling since inaccurate data had replaced the original.  Photos were altered, facts skewed – such to the point it almost seemed as if someone was purposely trying to keep us busy.  After all, it took many man hours to sift through it all and try to discern fact from fiction.

“Why does the Blackguard keep its distance?” Kevin now asked me a question I hadn’t really before considered.  “I mean, its not like they are just a band of renegade thugs or something.  I mean, shit, Matt’s got some pretty strong kungfu going on over there – he’s probably dug up enough dirt by now to totally bury some major Post-Time players.”

“Any chance you can get him to share?” I tested but Kevin’s poker face prevailed.

“Antonio has no direct dealings with the AFA or The Order” he now went on, getting back to his question.  “They don’t negotiate, they rarely get involved in anything, and when they do it usually is because of the relationship Collin shares with Antonio.  They’ve got themselves zipped up in Copper Canyon – not exactly the most hospitable or accessible place in the southwest.  Why are they so far removed from us?  And its not like they are just a handful of guys, either.  You know that, I know that.”

“Good questions, Kevin – ask Collin” I deferred since I had no idea either.

“They are even more spook-like than Members” was his observation.  “They can’t just hide their heads in the sand and let The Brotherhood and the AFA duke it out.”

“They play no sides” I reminded him, which was truth – and although that meant nothing solid, it was interesting.  They loathed both the AFA and The Order, equally – or so that was the flavor I had gotten from being in the presence of Antonio Abruzzi, on the rare occasion.

As we sat there in silence, pondering topics best left not pondered, the door to opened and in popped Collin.

“Gentlemen” he said in greeting, glancing around.  “No Sierra?”

“No, she should be with Kaden and Kiran” I told the Commander and he looked downright disappointed.  Now, why was that?  Hadn’t a clue, but I could tell he wasn’t on the warpath so it likely wasn’t to chew her out.

“Oh” was all he said and then standing there for a moment, as if in indecision, he then joined us, sitting down on the bench along one wall.  “I suppose this is just as good a place as any to hide out from Eric” Collin mumbled and so I was forced to stifle a laugh.

“You’ll just have to pay the piper later” I told him, since there would be no escaping Colonel Jones when he was on a mission to bend the ear of our Commander.

“No kidding” he grumbled in return as he leaned forward, rubbing his wrists as if they pained him.  That was odd – more and more Collin could be caught doing this, which had me concerned.

“Is that from flipping through too many ancient texts?” I asked with a nod towards his hands and so he looked down at his wrists.  Clearly the man hadn’t even realized he was messaging them.

“Huh?  Oh, no – probably just old age settling in” he now chuckled, and that was a joke.  Age and Collin were strangers, but regardless – at his age it would not be surprising if arthritis started to rear its head.  In Pre-Time most people his age had a whole host of age related maladies.

“If you gentlemen have nothing pressing to do, can you please dig me up some dirt on this guy?” he asked, reaching into his pocked to withdraw a piece of paper.  How I hated when he would write things down! I thought in exasperation.  Hard copies of anything were dangerous.

Accepting the folded slip of paper, I opened it up to examine the name.  I hoped Kevin could keep his poke face on a little while longer.  The name was that of a certain geneticist – one a query of Kevin’s had long ago pulled up, but which we subsequently decided to keep secret from Collin.

Passing the paper to Kevin so he could have a look, I could hear the TechStaff Captain’s throat constricting, at least so I imagined – but he held it together really well.

“Sure thing” Kevin told Collin and then got to his feet.  Having memorized the name, he walked over to a DoD grade paper shredder, or confetti machine, as we called it, and in the paper went.  “You know, I got work to do, so if I may?” he asked Collin who nodded.  Bowing to us both, Kevin then disappeared between the banks of servers – looking for a place to collect himself, I knew.

“Something on your mind, Commander?” I tested but Collin just shook his head.

“Not really – just kind of feeling fuzzy in the head these days” he explained.  “Kind of like there is someone holding a carrot at the end of a stick, but I’m treading water.  So, no matter how hard I paddle, I never get any closer.  That’s the best way I can describe it, I guess.”  If this didn’t describe the nano-server hypothesis, then I didn’t know what would.  Were the nanos trying to phone home but couldn’t broker a connection?

“You were late for a meeting” I made note, wondering what he would say to this.  Now he furrowed his brow in thought.

“I wasn’t… aware… of the time, like I usually am” was his answer.  “That’s kind of slipping away from me, you know?  I have to pull out my Palm once in a while to look at the time.”  Kevin and I had often joked that Collin must have been sync’d with a time server – but now the lack of synchronization bore an ominous cant.

“Again, with so much going on, so much change, for you personally – it would not be surprising, Collin” I tried to assure him.  “You might think yourself to be Superman, but you’re not, you know.  You’re always on the go, you need to slow down.”

“Is that an age slam?” he now put to me, sounding like his usual cranky self.  I only shrugged – I wasn’t about to further my point, not when he would get like this.  One minute he would admit to getting up there in years, and the next he’d take offense should someone else note the very same.

“Hey, I’m only a handful of years younger than you” I defended and yeah, there were days I didn’t feel so wonderful either.  Frowning, Collin now pulled out his Palm – to see what time it was, no less.

“Shit – I really can’t sit through one more frigging meeting” was his aggravated complaint as he stuffed the device back in his pocket.

“How are you getting along with that thing?” I asked him about the Palm and so he laughed.

“Barely, but – I’m trying.  I still lug my PDA around as well – for music.  Not sure Bryan would approve of me streaming on the Palm, or copying a good chuck of my music library to it.”  He needn’t have wondered – I was sure the Head of IT for The Order had that Palm zipped up pretty damned tight and even if Collin should decide to do those things, he’d find his access restricted.

“Well, I guess I better get moving” he decided with a sigh, but as he got to his feet he suddenly groaned, a hand quick to hold his side.

“Commander?” I asked, alarmed for now he was grimacing.

“Damn – that’s what I get for humoring my brother” was his cryptic response.  “Must have got that working out” he explained away.

“That must have been some workout” I made comment but he just shrugged.

“I’ve been trying to workout in the mornings, like Aidan does” he told me.  “I don’t think the human body was meant to contort into those kind of positions” Collin laughed it off but he had my mind working furiously.  The wrists, now his side – coupled with the fact that half the populace of our world thought him to be the Second Son prophesied by the Alternative Faith.  Not to mention the nano theory – by the day my concern grew.

“Well, let’s get to the next meeting before Eric gets all twisted” I joked with a grin and so Collin nodded.

“Yeah – Jonesy is not too pleased with me as it is” he said but did not elaborate as to why he was on his Second’s shit list.  That, however, could be one or more of any multitude of reasons.

As we made our way to the conference room, my mind kept busy trying to fit together many piece that just didn’t jive.  I continued to do so all though the meeting, and into the night.  Kevin was right.  The evidence just kept on piling up – but without the smoking gun there was little we could do.

Little, except, trying to shelter our Commander from what we suspected him to be.

Which was something much more disconcerting than the sham we supposed him created to be.  For beneath the surface of Collin lurked his true purpose in this Post-Time world.

One that was dark and secret.

One as unconscionable as it was unfathomable – one which would haunt me across the next several years.

There it was – that creepy feeling I would get when Aidan was encroaching on me.

And so I wasn’t to be disappointed by my pre-sense.

Slowly looking up from untying my running shoes, I saw the deadly duo – Aidan and Bryan.  My brother had sure developed a fondness for his IT geek across the years, I considered.  Per usual, this disquieted me for some reason, but as always I just could not put a finger on why that should be.  Bryan was an Elite-Assassin of unusual talents, thanks to my brother’s mentoring of him.  I was of a mind that his protégé had possessed some rather lethal skills in Pre-Time upon which he built – however, I had not been successful in verification of this supposition.  At least, not yet, anyway.

Dripping with sweat after running my ass off, I was sitting there in the twilight just outside the private entrance to my quarters.  Time and again Eric and Greg had cautioned me that spending so much time alone wasn’t wise, and even less wise to have a private entrance which wasn’t closely monitored.

Why did I suddenly feel as if they were right?

Walking right up to me with Bryan flanking him, Aidan dropped to one knee and thus his deadly shadow followed suit.  Then, to my utter dismay, both men repositioned themselves so that they were on two knees.

Holding my breath I looked at them, but held my tongue as well, instead returning to the task of unlacing my shoes.  Patience Eternal was a Way of The Brotherhood and none other embodied this to such an extent as my own fraternal twin brother.  He did not utter a syllable and so tiring of the wait, I now broke the silence.

“Good news or bad?” I ventured as I wiped the sweat from my brow.  “Bad, I assume” I grumbled as I pulled off my shoes to then put them aside.

“It’s been found, Brother” Aidan spoke in a low voice and now I could only blink at him.

“Come again?” I asked and so Aidan grew dark but didn’t respond.  He didn’t need to – his silence said it all.  And in that moment panic overtook me, threatening suffocation.

I understood what this meant – to Aidan, to me, to our relationship.

“Come with Us” he said, reaching out a hand to touch my arm and through this I could detect his fear.  My brother?  He was afraid of nothing and no one.

So now I could feel my throat constricting, impeding my ability to swallow.

Looking round as twilight gave way to shades of dawn I wondered how many more Members were lurking out there in the desert?  My brother had come to claim my ass – after all, hadn’t that been our agreement?  Once the Cup of Christ had been found, I would then make my final transition from the AFA, leaving it behind forever to become One with The Order?

I would then no longer be a man torn between two worlds.

“How many more are skulking about out there?” I asked in a low voice but Aidan was apparently not feeling chatty.  “I can’t imagine you are suggesting I just up and leave this instant!” I now snapped in defense, thinking perhaps I should just put my running shoes back on and make a break for it.  I could outrun my brother – I had made a point of being faster than him ever since we had been kids.  It was the only way to elude his punishments, after all.

“I’ve come to claim my children” my brother now swung the bat yet another time.  He had to be kidding.

“This is home to Kaden and Kiran” I brought to mind for the dolt.  “You can just rip up a couple of toddlers and spirit them off to Zion!”  I exploded.  “They have all they need here – including Brotherhood style mentoring and schooling.  Not to mention Sierra wouldn’t hear of it, much less suffer being parted from her children” I tacked on in case he had forgotten that his children even had a mother.  One who was still, after all these years, property of the AFA.

None of what I said gave way to any reaction from Aidan, however.

“It will also greatly pain them to leave behind their friends” I made mention, since the twins had many little playmates among the Navajo, whose community was northwest of my base.  The Navajo were like so much dust swept under the carpet, not only by the AFA, but by everyone else.  Except Aidan, of course, who spoke fluent Navajo and had an enduring relationship with their leader, Dasan.  Just why so many Navajo had survived the Apocalypse was a complete mystery – an even greater mystery was why the environ-contraceptive had not affected any of their woman.  And women also were not a rarity among the Native Peoples, curiously enough.

This led many to speculate that the Navajo were the chosen ones – in either a good way or a bad way.  Either way there were many questions and some rather dire implications.  It could have just been genetic, after all – but no one knew for certain.  The Navajo kept to themselves, to their own ways and traditions, and lived, as always, in harmony with the earth.  That they could have other less than savory affiliations was highly unlikely.  They shunned contact with virtually everyone who was not of their culture.

The jury was still out on the Navjo, though, and any part they may yet have to play, or so was my opinion.

“The tide turns” my brother finally spoke, and of course he just had to use a nautical expression.  Like a fish out of water one would think this consummate sailor to be, hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean.

“Be that as it may, brother, this doesn’t mean we are required to get sucked out right along with it” was my reminder.  “So, before you snag us all in its undertow, we have other pressing… issues” I brought up.  “Should you spend more time with Sierra when you visit your children, then you might be aware of her rather freakish dreams.”  Granted, this was a bald-face attempt to derail him from his objective, which was to haul my ass off to The Order along with his kids, but it did hold grave concern for me.  The woman’s dreams were downright disturbing.

Getting to my feet, as did the two sharks, I now told Aidan what I intended.  At least for my immediate future.

“I am going inside to take a shower” I began as I slung my running shoes over one shoulder.  “You are welcome to visit, as always.  Stay a while, have dinner, then we can discuss Sierra’s dreams, which have a rather Unspoken content” I added as a lure with my play on words.  “Leave your shark at the door, please” was my perhaps unwise snub at Bryan.

“He accompanies me” my brother countered.

“This isn’t a negotiation” I barked in return but Aidan was clearly not about to relent.  “I need to at least give Kevin a heads up” I tried to stall.  Fact of the matter was – I was in fear of Aidan and Bryan dragging me off kicking and screaming.  With The Order’s intended use of the Cup – this put me in one very moral tight spot.

“Send a message to Captain Wong” was his simple logic.  “Trust me, you will want to hear what Bryan has to contribute” he assured me and in all reality, what did it matter?  Besides giving Captain Wong a brain aneurysm, that was.  The fact remained, inside or out, Bryan was a lethal opponent in cyberspace.  One mile or a thousand, it wouldn’t matter, I knew – but every time he showed up to visit his wife, Kelly, we were on high alert.  Our network was nowhere near as secure as The Order’s, after all – we actually had public access points.

Considering my brother at length, I released an aggravated sigh as I pulled out my PDA.  Turning it on I then tapped out the order and then turned off the device, once more stowing it in the pocket of my shorts.  I couldn’t be certain that Bryan didn’t have something setup on his Palm to piggyback my signal – but the sense I had from my brother was that they weren’t here to make trouble.  Not in that regard, at any rate.

Running my keycard through the security device, after which I typed in an ungodly long and ugly password, we had access.

“Why not a retinal scanner?” Bryan inquired and casting a look over my shoulder at the shark, I grunted.

“What?  And make it easy for an intruder?” I put to him, knowing that any Elite-Assassin would have no hesitation to rip out someone’s eye if it would unlock a secured entrance.   That the donor be alive at the time notwithstanding, of course.

Mumbling something rather derogatory under my breath, we now gained access.  Once inside, I motioned towards the door for the pool.

“You may enter that way” I said as I unlocked the door for them.  “Everyone will be notified of your presence in short order.  Please join me in my conference room in two hours – agreed?” I asked and so Aidan nodded.  With a respectful bow from each fellow Member, they then disappeared through the door to the pool area.

Standing there after they were out of sight, my mind was now wildly racing.

So much so that I could not think straight.

Unlocking the private entrance to my quarters, I slipped inside and headed straight for the shower.  The water would help to clear my head with its jumbled thoughts.  Aidan’s revelation was a serious mind blower, and knowing that Members never lied – well, it was a given, then.  The Cup had been found.  However, there was a lot more behind its discovery than it just being recovered.  There would have been a roiling turmoil going on within The Order over whether or not it should be used to lengthen our lifespan.

Naturally, this would require the utmost faith in such relics, and thus in God.  Science could not explain away everything in our world and so Faith and I were on the same side.  Even if Aidan and I were, to the best of my knowledge, on opposite sides of the fence when it came to how to make use of the Cup and its divine powers – or not.

The shower did little to help settle my mind, I was disappointed to make note.  Didn’t matter, since I had more than one foible with which to contend – and one that was waiting for me in my quarters when I emerged from the bathroom.

“Hey, Jonesy” I said in greeting, waiting to get blasted – however, he was eerily calm.  He was sitting in a chair near the fireplace.  Not a word did he speak as I set about getting dressed which meant that Eric was gravely displeased with my actions.  It wasn’t until I was finished dressing did he finally speak up.

“Kevin is livid because you didn’t give but a scant few seconds heads up” my Second began – but I knew that wasn’t the half of it.

“Doesn’t matter, Eric.  Here or not, if Bryan meant to do Captain Wong’s network serious harm – he would have done so and long ago” I painted a picture for him.  The two tech geeks, Kevin and Bryan, were always after each other, making trouble – but nothing serious, I knew.  They tested each other’s networks and politely pointed out any deficiencies.

Well, mostly in a polite manner at any rate.

I was just wondering when it would turn impolite, was all.  That day would come, I suspected – but not now, not here.

“Regardless, to let those two wander about the base without an escort?” Eric started to say but then wisely let the thought languish.  “Distracted?” my comrade now prompted, since I clearly was.

“Huh?  Oh, yeah – I suppose that’s one way of putting it” I grumbled as I now sat down to put on my boots.  “Aidan said the Cup has been found” I let out, glancing up at Eric to catch his reaction.

Same as mine had been, notably.

Somehow we both just wanted to believe that Aidan was lying – however, we knew better than that.

“Well, then – that kind of fucks things up, now doesn’t it?” was Eric’s dry assessment and one well put at that.

“Tell me about it” I complained, muttering under my breath.  “He said it’s been found, so that means not by him” I surmised, otherwise Aidan would have said as much to me.  It wouldn’t have been a brag, but about as close as my brother would get to one.  Pride in his station, accomplishments, was inescapable – as was the Way with all Elite-Assassins.

“There must be contention” my Colonel drew conclusion from my statement, and to lend credibility to this, Aidan had gotten down on two knees before me.  This meant that he needed my help.  Now, in what capacity?  A crap shoot, there – since I was of a mind he wasn’t there to just cash in on my promise to make final my Transition from the AFA to The Order once the Cup had been found.

“Well, every undertaking at The Order is by committee” I grunted with a laugh.  “I’d venture they will have rather long discussions about what to do – they analyze every angle of course, and to the nth degree.  It takes forever to pass any movement through their Council system.  They analyze everything six ways ‘til Sunday.”

“Hmm – kind of like Tolkien’s ents?” he posed with a slow grin, referring to the mystical creatures that took hours just to say hello when greeting one another.

“Exactly!” I confirmed with a huge smile for the simile was dead on.  That was about the size of it – never in haste did The Brotherhood do anything.  Where the rest of us could envision a ten year plan or at most hundred year plan, Council Members would make thousand year plans, and had been doing so since the dawn of Christianity.  “Do you know if Sierra is still intends to have Kelly take the twins to visit the Navajo?” I asked and so he nodded.  The two women, and usually Amanda as well, would go there with the kids a coupld of times a week.  “Let’s make sure that goes off as planned, hmm?  I would feel better if Kaden and Kiran were there.  Dasan will not release the twins into Aidan’s sole custody – not without my consent and that of Sierra.

“Jonesy – Aidan expects me to return with him, to The Order.  I think we both understand that’s not about to happen any time soon.  Not under these circumstances, at any rate.  I… need to find some way to derail Aidan until I can ferret out more information regarding this supposed discovery of the Cup” I explained.  “It’s a good time to bring up Sierra’s strange dreams, visions, or whatever label you want to bestow upon them.”

“If you’re looking to turn Aidan’s interest elsewhere, that might work,” Eric half agreed, “but you better than anyone else understand his singleness of mind.”

“Indeed I do, but I think it is time to play a few key cards this hand” I decided.

“At least your brother can’t force you to accompany him to The Order – you still have a commitment to the AFA, naturally” he stated, but I only held his eyes.  Now getting to my feet, I straightened out my clothing as I took a look in the mirror.  “Commander?” Jonesy prompted, standing up in preparation to confront me and so I swiftly turned to face him.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” I duly cautioned him and so understanding that his friend had done something stupid, my Colonel just looked at me.

“What have you done?” he asked in a low voice.  Briefly looking away, I then gave him back my attention.

“Let’s just pray that AFA High Command doesn’t find out” I said, now running a hand over my face to let it linger there several moments.  “Should they come by the way of the knowledge that The Order has the Cup in their possession?  Well – then they’d see to it I followed through on my vow to Aidan.”

“Which… is?” Eric asked in a controlled voice and how could I tell him of my pledge?

“I did what I had to do, Colonel” I had just made it business between us, in a heartbeat.  “To make use of The Order and its Assassins?  Its wealth of knowledge regarding the history of Christianity and its Relics?   It was unavoidable, it was necessary” I explained, unwilling to come clean with him but I knew had no choice.  “I gave my brother my word, that when the Cup was recovered, I would then finalize my transition to The Order” I laid out, and quite plainly at that.  I would resign my commission from the AFA and so would no longer be a man of two worlds.  It was what it was, after all.  My mission now was to find some way to get around that and not have Aidan beat the living crap out of me – or worse, have AFA High Command order me to honor my pledge to Aidan.

Jonesy was about to go through the ceiling steam was already coming out of his ears and what could I say?  I had kept this information from one and all, naturally – almost all, anyway.  My Captain-Major was aware of this ax hanging over my head.  Different things I told Greg than Eric – making sure no one held in their possession all the puzzle pieces.  However, my Second would get preternaturally tweaked when I would withhold key information from him, taking such omissions personally, if not professionally.

And this was a major chunk of data right there which I had failed to reveal to Colonel Jones.

“Gather up Greg, Seamus and Kevin, if you would” I requested but it was no request.  “My ready room – immediately, if not sooner.  First, however, I want to meet with Seamus – alone, in my office” and with that I motioned towards the door.  After delivering one extremely formal bow, Eric turned on his heel and set off to carry out my orders.  I stood there in his wake for a few moments before exiting my quarters.  Closing the door behind me, I then made my way to my office.  What a fucked up day this had turned out to be, I dismally considered.

I was the master of manipulation and so would have to rely on this talent to save my tail.  Otherwise?  I would be forced to be party to the biggest blasphemy ever known, and with this I could not live.  However, I had made an Oath to my brother, an Oath sealed with blood – and to not honor this would be to drive Aidan and I apart – forever, likely.  I had always been a rather poor example of a Member – even if during the past two year I had made great strides.  And yet, there was rebellion within me – a rebellion that would get my ass seriously kicked by The Order.  They were, at the core, about Greater Good – and although I could not fault them for this philosophy, I did not necessarily adhere to it.  At times to save the whole, you needed to save the one – and here The Brotherhood and I were diametrically opposed.

My understanding of Brotherhood protocol had been rather poor from the get go – mostly due to my disinterest in the cult.  I had only joined to please my brother, and that was the sad truth of it.  Separated by scant minutes at birth, he was still my big brother and always I had tried to make him proud of me.  However, nothing I ever did was good enough for Aidan.  Not one single solitary thing.  The only thing I could do better than my brother was running – I could out run him to this day, but then again, I had fear as a great motivator.  All my life, since the time we were kids, I ran from my brother when he was after me for if Aidan should catch me?  Well, game over, as they say.  I would find myself on the receiving end of one hell of an ass-whooping.

Once arriving at my office, I entered and quietly closed the door, or rather left it cracked open.  I was unsure how, or even if, Seamus would aid me.

He was Brotherhood after all.

At this thought I chuckled to myself.  I was Brotherhood too, wasn’t I?  It was all a matter of perspective, of course.

Sitting there in the chair behind my desk, I waited.  Minutes later my cousin poked his head in through the door and so with one hand I waved, giving him leave to enter.

“Close the door, Seamus” I said in a low voice.  “Take a seat.”  Doing as I instructed, he sat down and waited.

“Is there anything you haven’t told me about the Cup’s Crossing?” I began.  “Or its Sanctuary here in the Americas?” I tacked on as I leaned back, waiting.  Seamus was silent, however, which told me there was – but that was only a hunch, however.

“I delivered it to the Grand Head of The Order – I’ve told you as much” was his minimalistic reply.  “It left my hands long, long ago, cousin.”

“And so it did, Seamus, and so it did” I agreed.  “Who were those who decided its Fate?” I put to him a question he would never answer, or at least, not in depth.  The High Council of The Legion had made the decision, one handed him by its Grand Head.  The names of these Members had never been revealed – an insight for which I yearned.  When I would ask my cousin, all he would say is you do not Belong.  No, I wasn’t a Member of The Legion, but I was Brotherhood – one would have thought the man could bend the rules just a tad, if only for me – a blood relative.  “And please don’t tell me that I do not Belong” I cautioned with a growl.  “My brother has just informed me that It has been found.”

If Seamus could have become any more still, then he would have.

“Why do I have the impression that The Order didn’t just stumble over it?” I now made conjecture.  “Were they perhaps… led… to it?  With The Legion having taken up residency on these shores, makes one wonder, yes?” was my accusation, tiring of our very one-sided conversation.

My last summation got me a reaction, however.

“Lad, the last thing The Legion would ever do in this Time After is put The Order onto the scent of the Cup!” my cousin barked at me.  “The majority did not want to send it to the Americas to begin with” was insight I had yet to hear.  “Our Grand Head had adamantly opposed it, but agreed to abide by the decision of the High Council.  He vowed not to use his Veto Power.”  Fascinating! I thought with glee.  The question was now, why had my cousin been so damned chummy with the Grand Head of The Legion?  By all accounts, Seamus had been no Council Member, much less a High Council Member – he had held no loftier a station than that of Elite-Assassin.  His knowledge, therefore, appeared rather out of place.

“I am more interested in asking you who was the Grand Head of The Legion, in Pre-Time?” I plainly asked.  “Why you continue to protect a man who is dead…” I began but then trailed off.  What was the point?  The point was, the man wasn’t dead, and I’d bet my very life on it.  “Unless he is still alive, of course” I put my cards on the table.  “And I’d venture to guess it is someone who was known in Pre-Time to Aidan, to me – am I right, cousin?

“Don’t dodge me, Seamus – we’ve been friends too long for that” I now cajoled him.  Blood relatives, yes – but lifelong friends as well since we had been but lads.  “What secrets do you keep, cousin, that made you align yourself with the AFA, instead of The Order?” I wanted to know.  “Perhaps you could have made a difference within their ranks, so that The Order would not now be what is has become?” I kept prodding but being the consummate Elite-Assassin that he was, my cousin just proffered a cool, unresponsive look.

“There’s more to the Cup being once again found than what appears on the surface” I surmised.  “And if you could see your way clear to giving me some insight into the men who made the decision to send It here in the first place, as well as the man who refused to Veto the decision?  Priceless this would be to me, Seamus.  I am going to keep on digging until I find out – regardless the cost to myself” I assured him and this most certainly got me a reaction.

“Are you prepared to pay?  With your life?” he shot back.  “That’s what it will take, cousin – that’s what it will take.  You have no idea what is going down here in the Americas and where it will lead.”

“I promised Aidan I would finalize my transition to The Order once the Cup was found.  I swore an Oath that I would resign my AFA commission, and be done with the military once and for all” I now let out and my cousin practically turned white.  “So, a parting of the ways for you and me, Seamus.  You can either follow me and Transition to The Order, or you can go running back to your Brothers in The Legion.”

Still – very, very still he became, to the point of not even breathing.

“You cannot resign your commission” my cousin finally spoke after what seemed an eternity.

“Well, if not… then tell me why!” I barked at him, slamming my fist on the top of my desk, a blow of which resounded throughout the room.

“Three words, my friend – Tristan Kael O’Reilly” the man said, matter of fact, and I could only blink.  My father?  His uncle?  Now it was my turn to hold my breath because it suddenly all made sense, even if it made no sense at all.

“You have got to be shitting me!  My father was the Grand Head of The Legion in the Time Before?  You are joking, right?” I accused but my cousin slowly shook his head.

“I wish I was lad” was his solemn return.  “Careful what you wish for, cousin.”

No shit.

Rolling my chair back away from the desk, I grasped the armrests with each hand, sitting still as stone.  Members were seriously tight-lipped, but I had heard the rumors in this Time After that the Grand Head of The Legion, here on our shores, was a man with the initials TKO – Tristan Kael O’Reilly.  I supposed this rumor to be just that – something designed to distract.

Suddenly, however, it became clear that it was not and so was based in fact.

“My father is still alive?  How can that be?” I asked but needn’t bother asking.  “He’s be one seriously old geezer by now!  Does Aidan know?” the questions starting popping out but Seamus held up a hand to stave them off.  My father was one very old man by now in anyone’s book!  Unless… and swallowing hard I was starting to get now very clear picture.

“I have no clue, and couldn’t care less, what Aidan knows” my cousin growled in return.  “That Brother has done more harm to The Brotherhood than good – past and present alike” was his declaration.  “If you are wise, once we leave this room you will put it all out of your mind, what’s been said, do you understand me?  Aid comes in many forms, cousin – and The Legion is the least of your worries.  Let the Arms square off, Collin.  You do not want to get involved in the squabble going on in the midst of The Brotherhood.  Ask no explanation – just trust me on this one, alright?  I would do you no harm, cousin – Mine is to Protect” he said, dragging out a Brotherhood standard and now it was obvious to me.  This was why he had aligned himself with the AFA, and therefore me.  Not to keep his secrets, although in plenty I suspected these to be.  Rather instead his was literally as he spoke – to protect me.

And if so, then why?

“To make right the wrongs of others,” Seamus now expressed, and darkly at that, “and across the board.  This is not exclusive to the ranks within The Brotherhood,” he added, “their jihad.  Only know that mine is to Protect, to Serve.”

“And to Obey, isn’t that right?” I tacked on as I glared at him.  “And I’ll venture to guess that it is not me whom you are to Obey, now is it?  Just how long have you been my father’s minion, Seamus?  And how long have you, personally, known of his survival?”  After all, when at the tender age of ten, Aidan and myself, our father took off for parts unknown, never to be heard from again.

“Long enough, lad – and let’s just leave it at that” was his sage advice, I knew.  My father had always been a man of little compromise – this I did remember with exacting clarity.  If he was here to right the wrongs of others, then God help us all.

“Aidan was CIA” I said, mostly to myself.  “Conspicuous in its absence” I mumbled, looking down for a few moments in consideration.  “Never did he talk about Da” I said, looking up at him.  “You know that, though – when we were teens, summering together in Ireland every year, do you ever recall him mentioning Da?  At all, period?  From childhood to adulthood and beyond, you know as well as I there was never any talk of my father” I stated, and looking back it was odd – even at family get-togethers no one ever spoke a word about Tristan, not even his brother Sean, who was Seamus’ father.

With a very deep breath, I indulged my mind in a little walk down memory lane.  Not only had no words been spoken in reference to my Da, but neither did anyone speak of my Ma.  My mother Fiona had died in a tragic car accident at a railway crossing in Connecticut – just one of many that happened with freakish frequency in that state.  So much so we had dubbed the local railway line Am-Slam.  My mother had not gotten up and walked out on Aidan and me, as Tristan had – so why had her memory also been relegated to the back of the attic under a ton of antiquated bric-a-brac?

My head was in a serious tailspin – so much so I literally felt dizzy.  Covering my eyes with one hand, I tried to reel myself in.  If I had felt that I possessed little control prior to my cousin’s revelation, then now I was certain that I held even less.  Was I merely a puppet?  No, no, no – Seamus had said that his was to Protect me, to Serve me, and by order of whom?  My father, it was clear, his Master, the Grand Head of The Order – but why?  Surely not for the sole reason that I was his son.

Unless he believed, as countless others seemed to belive the same, that I was this Second Son prophesied by the Alternative Faith.

And that was just the biggest batch of hogwash I had ever heard – or so I kept telling myself, day in and day out.

Quickly looking up, I held Seamus’ eyes.

“You were told to protect me, but that protection doesn’t extend to Aidan, now does it?” was my assumption, one to which he did not respond – or at least, not as I would have expected.

“Cousin, Aidan doesn’t need anyone’s protection” was his take on things.  “And don’t delude yourself, lad – he doesn’t need your help, either, not on any level.  His motives are ulterior.  Ambition portrays many faces, Collin – this is a fact it would be wise you not forget” he assured me, which struck a chord, since Aidan was continually chipping away at his bid for Grand Head of The Order.

“It was you who precipitated the fringe ‘net traffic – back before we were aware of the presence of The Legion on our shores” I now assumed, understanding that the overseas communications over which Kevin and his fellow geeks had stumbled some years back now made perfect sense.  There had been an intense flurry just prior to Members of The Legion popping up.

“That I cannot take full responsibility” he deferred.  “My exchange was only a hand full of well spaced out messages” my cousin confessed.  “The rest of that?  Well, trust me when I say it would be unhealthy to know who was responsible for those – just know that The Brotherhood has multiple Arms and leave it at that.  Like I said, lad – there is a power play going on within The Brotherhood.  You need to just sit it out – do you hear me, Collin?  I have a singular purpose and have no control over what is happening in our world.  I don’t have one iota of influence – I need you to believe me when I say this to you.  And I know it’s impossible, but – keep your mouth shut about all this when having speech with your brother.

“Does he know your Da is still alive, you asked?  Aidan having been career CIA I’ll lay odds he’s known, and for one hell of a long time – and about more than just Tristan drawing breath” he surmised.  “Should your Da find out that you and I even had this… discussion… then Tristan would slit my throat himself, do you understand me?”

Blinking like an idiot, I did.  Aidan and Tristan were a lot alike, after all, even though our father had been a scholar and Aidan a CIA hit-man.  Both would brook no disobedience whatsoever.  In order to be Grand Head, though, one had to rise to at least the level of Elite-Assassin, and so Seamus’ assessment about Tristan slitting his throat was likely not off base.  My Da’s hand could do the deed, and with ease, I had no doubt.  After all, he was afflicted with the same Irish temper from which all us O’Reillys suffered.

“Understood” I acknowledged.  “Can you not tell me who was involved in the decision to bring the Cup to the Americas?”

“Can of worms it would open up, even if I was able to tell you” he refused, but I wasn’t sure if he meant that he was unable to tell me who these Members were, or if he knew but protocol forbid him to spill.

I decided he knew who they were – each and every one of them, and my sixth-sense told me that some of these High Council Members had survived.

“The fact remains, Collin – the Cup made the Crossing, I delivered it to The Order, and from that point onward it passed out of the Hands of The Legion, and so out of our Knowledge as well” he reaffirmed.  “What became of it afterwards is unknown, and speculation, though interesting, has not aided us in recovering it.  Now, should Aidan and his fellow cutthroats have it in their possession?  Lord only knows how it will be used, if at all.  There are honorable men in The Order, you yourself know this to be true.  However, if their voices are too few they could get drowned out by Aidan and his followers.

“My advice to you, cousin, is to not presume to know the mind of your brother.  Aidan might just yet surprise us all, come the end” he concluded, standing up as he prepared to make his exit, leaving me to wonder what he meant.  For the present, I would take it at surface value.  With a bow he then turn and left.

Getting to my feet as well, it was time to begin the meeting before the meeting.  The one where I would get my ducks in a row before meeting with my brother about the recovery of the Cup.  I was richer for my discussion with Seamus, but in the end it left me with many questions and not much by way of useful information.  Or at least, information that would help me in the short term.

Taking a deep breath, I composed myself and then exited my office with ghosts nipping at my heels.

Biting my lip, I glanced around the table in Collin’s conference room and the men in attendance.  Were they just looking for a good laugh? I wondered and then hung my head.

Probably.

“Sierra?” Collin not so patiently prompted but I wasn’t inclined to look up at him.  Hadn’t I asked him to keep my dreams private?  Yup – I sure had, but here we were, all gathered together for story hour.  I’d make the man pay, I swore to myself.

Later.  Not now, but later.

“Since when did I become part of a dream research study?” I wanted to know, mumbling under my breath.  I was sorely testing Collin’s patience at this point but – oh well.

“So, you are wholly discounting that you just might have a twin out there somewhere?” was his cool supposition, but he knew that wasn’t true!  It was rather instead the dreams were disturbingly real, and if they really were real, then that would be one frigging scary thing.  Besides, if I did have a twin, the dreams sure as hell didn’t tell me where she was!  The only thing I knew was that she was scared – the circumstances of her life had suddenly changed and she was terrified to be parted from some man.  A man whose face I could clearly see in the dreams but had zero clue who he was, or with whom he was affiliated.

With the uncomfortable silence weighing me down, I now glanced around the table.  Aidan looked concerned – but I wasn’t sure if his concern was for me.  Something major was also going down at the same time – and this inquisition about my supposed twin was just a diversion.

One designed by our illustrious Commander I could just smell him all over it.

“After the Apocalypse, the link between Collin and I became much stronger” Aidan encouraged me by sharing his own experience and sure, they did have a super freaky connection – but why would I all of a sudden, out of the blue, start feeling something similar?  It wasn’t until after the birth of my twins did I start having the freaky dreams.  I was more of a mind that I was having dreams about a twin because I had a set of my own to chase after.  Well, half a set – Kiran was the troublemaker and the adventurer.  Kaden was content to be with me while I read to him, or did anything that involved learning, or puzzling out things.  He was sharp as a tack whereas Kiran?  All that little terror wanted to do was, well – be a terror.  But, they were both well into the terrible-twos and so perhaps her behavior was just plain normal.  However, in contrast with Kaden it just appeared so much more exaggerated.

“Did it happen right away?  Or did it takes years?” I asked Aidan, perhaps a little too demanding but I was on the spot here and therefore was feeling rather defensive.

“Almost immediately” was his simple answer.  “Have you considered that perhaps this twin might have been far off until recently?” was his very logical assumption and I had to admit that this had merit, but then again, Aidan and Collin had been pretty far apart then the world tanked.  Maybe there was a range for this kind of telepathy, or whatever it was.  That could make sense – but I had a hunch it was something… darker… than that.  This is the word-sense I would get when I thought about the dreams and this mystery twin.  Dark, as in foreboding.

It creeped me out to no end and that was the truth of it.  I would just assume not find her, thank you very much – but, if she was my twin, and was in trouble, then didn’t I owe it to her to help?  I knew nothing of my birth parents.  I had been adopted as an infant by a woman and that was the only parent I had ever known.  And one who tended to drink a lot.

My childhood was downright unhappy and painful and it trucked right along into my teen years – and when I had turned eighteen I was gone, gone gone.  I left home and never looked back.  Lured away by a handsome Marine, I jumped right out of the proverbial frig pan and directly into the blazing fire.

And my life only got worse from there on out.  So much so that the Apocalypse was like a breath of fresh air.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

“You know, to base a search and rescue on some damned dreams is just plain silly” I put in my two cents as I ran a hand over my eyes.  Releasing a heavy sigh, I decided to just get it over with so I could move on to other things.

Looking up I gave them the basics.

“The dreams started after Kaden and Kiran were born” I began.  “They are very clear and leave me feeling unsettled.  I kind of dubbed the woman in the dreams a twin because she kind of looks like me, but she’s got a really short, cute hairdo” I told them, and this won me a round of smiles and few chuckles.  Ok, so I was a woman and noticed that kind of stuff, so what of it?  Scowling at the males gathered round the table I continued.

“That’s not quite accurate, now is it?” Collin prodded as he leaned back in his chair.  Slumping down with elbow to armrest and hand to chin he regarded me with his tiger-green eyes.  I just narrowed my eyes at him – he was going to make me confess so better just get on with it, I knew.

I would never again tell that man anything in secret, I considered, feeling betrayed.

“Yeah, well – you know, dreams are weird” I laughed with unease.  “Uh, in the dreams I am not me, but this woman” I explained.  “Took me a long while to figure out that I was someone else.  It wasn’t until I looked in my reflection in some water did I know.  The reflection kind of looked like me, but it wasn’t me.  I don’t know how to explain it.  And this dude she is with?  She knows him really well, but is afraid to be parted from him.  You know, I really only get little bits and pieces during these dreams, so I can’t really give you her whole history” I stated what should have been obvious.

“Do you know her name?” Eric asked me a very simple question and so I nodded.

“Yeah, but only because I have heard her male friend calling her by name” I told him.  “Sienna is her name – and I know, I know, I know, that’s an awful lot like my own name.  Like I said, these are dreams, dudes!” I snapped, wanting desperately to get down off the witness stand.

“Well, humor this dude” Aidan said with a straight face but I could see the humor dancing behind his eyes.  “Do you know the man’s name?”  That I had to think about.  Frowning, I reached into my memory and after a few moments gave my answer.

“Dan, I think?  He’s some kind of doctor or something” I told them.  “She hurt her arm while they were trying to get away and he set it for her.”

“Get away from… what?” Collin inquired but I just shrugged.

“I don’t really know, but they were running through the night, it was dark, she fell” I told everyone.  “But you, know – I’ve been through some scary shit, like when I first took up with you two” I accused Collin and Aidan with a pout of disapproval.  “These… dreams?  Maybe its just my mind’s way of reliving these things.”

“You never broke your arm” was Collin’s cool reminder.

“No, but you did” I spat out my own reminder.  “If your memory is foggy, Commander – that’s how you and I met?”  As soon as the barbed words were out I regretted them.  Immediately sadness invaded Collin’s eyes, turning them a mournful sea-green.  Seemingly, even for all the trauma, those were happier days for him, for me.

And now, quite predictably, tears welled up in my eyes.  Casting them down to my lap, I tried to turn off the waterworks, but they weren’t interested.  How those days seemed like an entire lifetime ago!  And for all that I went through, got put through, I would go back in a heartbeat.  It made me realize just how much I really loved Collin, and how circumstances had driven us apart.

And that was it, the tears became a torrent.

“Gentlemen?” I heard Collin request of his men, their cue to buzz off while the hysterical woman cried her eyes out.  And they did, I heard them filing away out the door, and as Kevin walked by me he gave my shoulder a squeeze.  Brave dude, I thought, given that Aidan and Collin were watching – but he was a true friend, regardless the fact that he couldn’t trust me.

Once the door was closed, I released a shuddering breath and then glanced up.  Only Aidan and Collin remained.  Looking from Collin to Aidan, both equally concerned, my torrent started anew but this time Collin came to my rescue.

Sitting down next to me, he reached out to take my hand in his own.

“Sierra” he spoke in a low voice as he brushed my hair away fro my eyes.  “I am sorry this is so troubling to you” he apologized and so through my sniffles I looked up at him.  It was equally troubling for him, but he wasn’t talking about my dreams, I knew.

“You know, being torn between you two guys just sucks ass!” I barked and Aidan apparently found this funny and so he actually chuckled.  His brother did, too.  At least someone was having fun – but always at my expense, of course.

“Well, ok then” Collin said with a grin but then in a quick lane change of emotions, he turned somber.  “It’s just you and me and Aidan – is this more accommodating?” he asked quite seriously and so I nodded.

“Yeah – I don’t think we need the whole seventh regiment in on this one” I tried to joke but it fell flat.

“No – I can fill them in… later… although their presence would have facilitated things quite a bit” he reasoned but then shrugged.  “So, she had a broken arm?” Collin now went ahead with this interrogation.

“Has” I corrected and then waffled.  “That is, I don’t think its all better yet” I mumbled, biting my lip as I wrapped my arms tightly about my torso.

“In your dreams, is there anything that might indicate location?” Aidan asked in that amazing voice of his.  He was quite calm and appeared truly interested – he didn’t think I was nuts, at least.

“Actually, yeah – come to think of it” I told them.  “Joshua trees” I said, knowing what the plants looked like.  “But you know, I can’t say that I have been anywhere that they grow.  I mean, I know what they look like from TV and specimens people had in their yards, but… never been where they grow wild.”  It was then that I noticed Collin had gotten really tense.

“Are you sure?” he asked and so I nodded.  I knew they grew in the Mojave desert of Nevada and southern California, and far northwestern Arizona, but I had never been where these plants grew in the wild.

“Yeah – pretty darn sure” I told him, but something told me that he didn’t believe me.  Now, that kind of creeped me out.  Why would I lie about something like that?  And what reason could he have for not believing me?  Collin, like Kevin and everyone else, apparently, did not trust me.  I suppose they had a right, given my Pre-Time life.  I hadn’t exactly been a saint, after all.

“They have a wide range” Aidan now broke the tension and so I just blinked, then understood what he meant.  Joshua trees didn’t grow all over, but in a big enough area to make any search like looking for that needle in a haystack.

“Have you ever seen any other people with this Dan and Sienna?” Collin now probed and yes, here and there, but it was all a dim memory.

“Not that I can clearly recall” I was honest.  I had impressions of there being others who helped along their way but that’s all they were.  Just impressions.  “You do realize you guys are talking about my dreams like they were fact or something, right?” was my nervous inquiry but they didn’t respond and so yeah – they did.

Then suddenly it hit me as to why they were so interested.  If this Sienna was real, then that would mean the possibility of my leading them to a woman!  Being the rarities that we still were and all, we women were pretty darned sought after, not to mention valuable commodities.

Taking this into consideration, their concern no longer seemed so noble.

“Do you know where they are heading?” Aidan now put the question to me, validating my recent assessment.  I knew from the location of the sun in these dreams their general direction – but wasn’t sure if I should tell these two men who were clearly on the scent of this woman.

“Nope” was my answer, which wasn’t a lie – I didn’t know where they were going.  That was the truth, even if I did know they were heading northeast.  “You know, I really need to check in on the twins” I tried to weasel my way out of there using the concerned mother tactic.  “We’re supposed to go visit their little Navajo friends” I added.  “Kaden is picking up on their language – not sure if that’s good or bad” I laughed but with no response from the man, I just slumped down in my chair.  “He loves horses, just like you do” I said to Aidan with a sweet smile, trying to appeal to his ego, which I was sure would not work, but I was willing to try.  He knew all this about his son, though – he spent enough time with Kaden while he was visiting the Navajo, even letting him sit the back of a pony.  The kid was going to know how to ride before he could master walking, and that was the truth.

“Look, I don’t know what you people want me to say” I went on, since no one else was uttering a word.  “I… its a little freaky, you know?”

“It doesn’t pay to discount things out of hand” Collin told me.  “And although you probably think we are just on a snipe hunt, one to retrieve a possible woman survivor, that doesn’t mean this is the only reason we give a shit” was his rather crass and candid assessment.

“I… I don’t want anyone to interfere with them” I now said as I sat up, leaning forward.  “You know, I have mixed emotions about it all.  You want me to talk?  Ok, I’ll talk.

“First off, I have a really bad feeling about it – about them or rather the trouble they are in or running from.  Second, she loves this guy, and he loves her – and you know?  If they wanna hang out in the desert and have a nice little life all by their lonesomes, then why should anyone interfere with that?  Sorry guys, voice of experience here – I know how she feels, trust me on this one!” I snapped at them both, glaring at them.  I was so happy when I had been alone in the desert with Aidan, when he first found me.  And then Collin came along, complicated the shit out of my life, but even yet it was great to be out there with just the two of them – even if I had to play peacemaker between them half the time.

Then I got sucked back into civilization and from there on out things just got plain ugly.

If Sienna and her man Dan wanted to play house in the desert, then I didn’t want any part of putting their little daydream to an end.

“So think about it guys – put yourself in his shoes” I dared them.  “If either of you had to run off with me for some reason, would you want someone to track you down?  So we could be torn apart?  I don’t think so” I challenged in a huff.

Collin looked down for a while, counting to ten I supposed so he wouldn’t pop his cork – but when he looked up at me?  I could see in his eyes how he wanted to run away with me – but obligation kept him from doing so.  Down to his very core he loved me – more than I loved him, I was sorrowful to admit.  I did love Collin, but Aidan tugged at my heart a bit harder was all.

Ok, that was my cue to cry and so once more tears welled up in my eyes.

“We’d make things better, Aidan and I, if it were possible” was Collin’s declaration, one in which I knew Aidan did share.  “For my part, I apologize for anything I may have unknowingly done to cause you pain or sorrow” he quietly asserted, driving a dagger right up into my heart with the look in his eyes.  Glancing at Aidan, he seemed like he wanted to say something, and if he dared utter Greater Good then I was going to march across the room and kick his ass!

Fortunately, he did not.

“They are heading east northeast” I now came clean as I released a heavy breath.  “I have a bad feeling about the whole thing, guys – so if it is not a dream and is some type of symbiotic whatever, then it still stinks.

“Are we through?” I prodded again, just wanting out by this point.  Collin glanced at Aidan who then nodded – but an agreement passed between them, I could tell.  And unspoken one.

They would grill me in private and then later on would compare notes.

“Thanks” I mumbled and then got up, making a hasty retreat before either of them could change their minds.

Pulling out my Palm, I messaged Kelly and asked her to take the twins to visit with their little Navajo friends.  I just wasn’t up for tagging along, and so once the message was sent I went looking for a place of solace.  My feet took me to the waterfall and the pool of water into which it soothingly tumbled.  Normally the serenity would bring me comfort, but all it did this day was fixate my mind on Collin and a moment from our combined past, one which involved a waterfall.

Where had that passionate man gone? I wondered as I sat there next to the pool of water.  Knees drawn up under my chin, I wrapped my arms around my legs as I stare at the rippling waves.  Once upon a time, Collin had been so full of life – animated and mischievous and playful.  It seemed like that man was all but a distant memory.  He had become somber, like his brother – quiet, pensive, brooding – otherwise pretty much uninvolved in the world which surrounded him.  Or if not the world, then at least its population.

His men had gotten used to it, since it was a change from Collin chewing them out left and right – but the flashy and brash Commander was now sadly a distant memory.

And the world was sadder for it – or at least my world was.

Long into the afternoon I sat there – and apparently I was missed by no one, either.  Feeling rather like forgotten baggage, I suddenly felt a hand pull the hair away from my neck to then kiss it.

“Are you ok, my love?” Aidan asked, speaking into my ear.  How the man delighted in sneaking up on me!  One of his more endearing traits, but today it didn’t do a whole lot for me.  Sitting down next to me, he waited for me to respond and yeah – I did, with tears.  Not a torrent, but enough for him to look upon me with grave concern.  “You are unhappy here” the man stated, but that wasn’t it.  It wouldn’t matter where I was – I would always be torn between the two brothers, and this drove me straight out of my mind.

And as a result I found myself feeling very much alone.  Collin wouldn’t touch me because I was the mother to his brother’s children.  I wasn’t Bonded to Aidan, but everyone seemed to think making it official mattered little.  I was The Assassin’s woman and therefore one must tread lightly.

Just one more thing in my life that sucked – people tip-toeing around me.

“You know, I’d be unhappy anywhere” I told him like it was.  “And please don’t give me some speech about how I should take comfort in being a mother because I just don’t want to hear it today!” I snapped at him, glaring as I dared him to go there, but he didn’t.  Instead, he took my face in his hands and tried on a tender kiss.  Did it work?  Naturally, but it was going to take a whole lot more than a kiss to cheer me up.

Drawing me into his arms, he then stroked my hair while I leaned against him, my face buried in his chest.

“I don’t belong anywhere” I mumbled as some more tears cut loose.  That wasn’t quite true – I felt I belonged out there, in the desert somewhere.

“Change comes when you least expect it” he told me, and somehow I thought he might have an inside track on that one.  Looking up at him I could tell that he had a whole lot else on his mind beside the mother of his children acting like a flake.  I would ask, but I knew he wasn’t about to clue me in to Brotherhood matters.  However, he surprised me.

“A pair of scouts from The Order filed an interesting report” Aidan began.  “In northwestern Arizona, they spied a man and a woman making their way through the desert, heading east northeast” he now bowled me over.  “Granted, this is probably purely coincidental.”

Like hell.

Taking interest, I now sat up, drying my eyes.

“Does Collin know this?” I asked.

“He does” was his answer, short and sweet – but this didn’t tell me how long Collin had known.  “Reports coincide with your description of the woman” he filled me in “and last sighting, she does have her arm in a splint.”  I almost fainted upon hearing this – and knowing that Aidan did not lie.

“You have got to be shitting me!” I exclaimed and now his eyes grew dark with disapproval.  I was using foul language, of course – a big no-no with him.

“So you see, the closer she gets, the worse your dreams” he reasoned and so I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Where are they going?  Look at a map – there’s nothing out there” I argued.  “And why haven’t the Members intercepted them?” I wanted to know, for that in and of itself was suspect.

“A trap” was his simple logic.  “We won’t risk Members until we are certain that interception poses no unacceptable risk” he reasoned and I supposed that made sense – but my women’s intuition told me there was more to it.  Aidan was just playing the omission game with me.  “Are you up for a trip?” the man now shocked me and like, what?  Was I getting time off for good behavior?  It didn’t matter to me – a trip to hell would have sounded inviting to me right about then.  Anywhere, as long as it was something new and different.

“Lemme guess – you are going after them” I put to him and so he nodded.

“You’re not going to harm her man, are you?” I politely asked and then tacked on, “Or kill him?”  Better safe than sorry, I knew – he might not harm the guy, but that wasn’t the same as not killing.

“That is not our intent, but I can make no promises” was the best assurance he could give me and so I would take it.  “So, you no longer believe that yours are mere dreams?” Aidan asked but I just shrugged.

“Dunno, it could just be a coincidence” I reminded him.  “Haven’t you always told me that coincidence is a part of God’s world?”

“Yes, but if you adhere to Collin’s duck theory…” the Assassin began but then trailed off with a grin.  I knew what he meant – if it looked like a duck, walked like a duck and so on, then it was a duck.  Unfortunately, I didn’t think anyone had clued Collin in to the wolf in sheep’s clothing theory, though.

In a heartbeat I was now on my feet.

“When do we leave?” I wanted to know, eager to get going and so Aidan laughed, delivering a rare open smile.

“As soon as you pack” he told me and then I whipped out my Palm, but stopped short.

“Shit, I forgot – Kelly took the twins to play with their little friends at the Navajo” I grumbled and so he offered me a curious look.  “I gotta pack my own bag I guess” I laughed as disapproval again crossed his eyes.  I was certain that he had heard I treated Kelly like a slave – which she was, if you bought into the whole Brotherhood thing.  I had seen the tattoo on her, in a very out of the way place.  Some discreet and not so discreet digging revealed the true nature of this symbol.  Needless to say I was blown away.  It wasn’t the same for men, the tattoo.  Men had their displayed out in the open, on the back of the left hand.

I tapped away, composing a message to Kelly, but then glanced up at Aidan.

“How long, do you think?” I asked and his answer was typical.

“As long as it takes” he told me, and so I told Kelly I didn’t know how long I would be gone.  Once the message was finished and sent, I started heading for the path leading up and away from the waterfall.

Turning around, since I sensed Aidan wasn’t following, I waved to him.

“C’mon!” I prodded and so with another rare smile he bowed to me and then jogged up the path to where I stood.

“So little does it take to make you happy” was his observation, but I just shrugged.  An opportunity to be out in the middle of nowhere with Aidan?  It would be like the old days!  If only Collin could tag along, then it would be like heaven.

I wasted no time in packing, tossing a few extra things into my backpack – which wasn’t much.  I left my pack in a state of readiness all the time – just in case, and so it paid off.  Once done, I hurriedly made my way to the main entrance to wait.  Aidan had taken his leave, off on more business I supposed.

When I got to the entrance I skidded to a halt.  There was Aidan’s pet shark, Quade.  He was standing with Ryan and Bryan and all three men were clearly ready to bug out.  Ryan I was ok with, Bryan I just plain loathed, but Quade scared the living crap out of me.  Drawing in a deep breath, I now marched up to the Members and plopped down my pack.  All three bowed to me, each having his own thoughts about my attendance, I was sure.

“Hi” was all I said as I stood there with my arms wrapped about me, biting my lip.

“Two of you will prove too much” was Quade’s sarcastic assessment on us perhaps finding my twin.

“One already is” Bryan remarked as he glanced up from tapping away on his Palm, a wicked grin beginning to take over his lips.  How I wanted to scratch his eyes out!  “How’s that Palm doin’?” the sleaze asked and so I put my hand in my pocket, afraid he might try to take it from me.  I wasn’t sure which was worse with Members – their usual tightly sealed lips or when they actually decided to say something.  Each made me equally unsettled.

About the time I was ready to get really nervous, I spotted Aidan heading our way and then I got excited – Aidan and Collin.  Collin was dressed for a desert excursion and had a pack with him – so he was coming along!  I was so excited I could pee my pants, I laughed to myself.  And when Collin and I made eye contact, he offered up one of his huge, award-winning trademark smiles.  His whole face would light up when he smiled like that and his eyes would turn a wonderfully deep emerald green.

Tempted to run up to the man and give him a huge hug, I resisted.  There would hopefully be time for that when we were out in the middle of nowhere.

Grabbing my pack, I slung it over one shoulder – and if I looked eager to go, then I was.

“Whoa, girl” Collin laughed as he and Aidan now joined us.  “Gotta wait for the last of our detail” he explained and so I frowned, looking down for a moment.  How many other men were there going to be?  If one of them was Jonesy then I was going to slit my own throat.  I still found Collin’s scary Colonel to be scary.

Nodding at Collin, I offered him a shy smile and the man practically melted.

Waiting not so patiently as the Members talked among themselves, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder and so looking up I saw Kevin and then Greg.  Them tagging along was ok with me.  But then I saw Amanda appear and walk over to where Ryan stood,  She was dressed for a desert outing and had her pack with her, so there went the joy right out of my heart.  What the fuck? I thought as I scowled at her.

“What the hell do we need her for?” I asked Kevin in a low voice.  Standing next to me, tapping away on his Palm as he finished last minute work, he just shrugged.  He probably knew but wasn’t about to tell me just then – not given present company.  Didn’t matter, I’d find out later after we got on the plane – Kevin and I could just start an IRC.

Within minutes a hummer pulled up to the entrance and so we all piled in.  Fortune saw to it that I got squeezed in between Collin and Amanda – and so I shrunk away from the angry young woman.  This meant pressing myself up against Collin.  The man drew an arm around my shoulder in comfort.  The the anger I felt because Amanda was tagging along started to wane as physical contact with Collin calmed my soul.  It was funny how he had that affect on me.

Soon we were boarding a plane which flew us to a remote AFA outpost.  I couldn’t help but wonder if getting stationed at such locations was considered a form of punishment.  It seemed a lonely existence for men to be transferred to a place like that after being among the throngs of men at a populated base, ones like Collin’s.

In no time we transferred to two ground vehicles – and thankfully this time I did not have to get stuffed into the same vehicle with Amanda.  She rode with her husband Ryan and Aidan, along with the other Members, minus Collin, even though he was truly a Member.  It was segregation, I thought – and this punctuated how Members held themselves apart from AFA personnel – or any men who did not Belong.  It was a sad thought, the polarization, and it was clear it was not going to change any time soon.  And not for lack of trying on the part of AFA personnel, either.  It was the Members who had their noses held high in the air – an exclusive club, as it were.  And once you were in, you were in for life, no release – although, who would ever want out?   Members took care of their own, being obligated to come to the aid of another regardless.

Granted, they perhaps had a right to their pride.  Members were the best-of-the-best, the cream-of-the-crop, the list would go on.  Theirs was a society based on physical prowess.  It didn’t matter what life path a Member would follow in their society, from slave to High Council Member, from artisan to tradesman, consultant to business owner, they all had to pass the Trials to become Members.  There were different versions of the Trials, from what I had read – getting progressively more difficult as a Member climbed the ladder.  From Member, to Member-Elite to Elite-Assassin.

So, Members were not only the best-of-the-best, but the strongest-of-the-strong.  In essence, they were very much men that you just plain did not want to fuck with.

And yet?  I was in love with the most lethal Elite-Assassin of them all.  Aidan didn’t seem so scary to me – but then again, he didn’t exactly take me to work with him either.  Although, this day that might not be the case, I considered.  The circumstances surrounding this man and woman who were fleeing across the desert were out of the ordinary.  Beyond the fact that there was a woman involved, of course, and the fact that she might just be a long lost twin of mine.  For Aidan to feel this outing required the talents of his top assassins was more than just a passing curiosity to me.

So far, I felt like just so much baggage, however.  Kevin was being as tight lipped as any Member, I thought, and Greg seemed unusually quiet as well.  Collin wasn’t as somber as his fellow Members, or even as his men – his heart seemed lighter for being out and away from everyone and everything.  My own heart was soaring, though – I was tickled pink to be in the middle of nowhere, to be out in God’s natural world.

After driving through the desert for what seemed like an eternity, we finally stopped – an opportunity to stretch our legs.  Emerging from the vehicle, I stretched and drank in the clean desert air.  The sun had just vanished below to horizon, and within moments I saw two men materializing from the grays of dusk – two Members.  Travel in pairs was like some kind of law with Elite-Assassins, I knew.  I had to admit, though, get a bunch of them together and they were pretty darned intimidating.

As the six Members huddled to have a tete-a-tete, the rest of us just patiently waited.  Leaning up against our jeep with my arms folded about me, I looked up at Collin, who was next to me, doing the same.

“Shouldn’t you be over there?” I asked in a low voice and so now he looked down at me with a warm smile.

“What?  And miss a chance to stand here next to the most beautiful woman who ever lived?” was his compliment and so naturally, I blushed.  “Road dust and all, even” the man tacked on with a mischievous grin and so now I belted him in the side.  Feigning pain he doubled over, laughing.  The exchange drew Amanda’s attention – and she was seething with disapproval over my interaction.  People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, I considered, narrowing my eyes at her.  She had been read the riot act over her infidelity with Tyler Redhawk, the son of the Navajo Chief Dasan.  For a month at least the young woman had her tailed secure tucked between her legs.  Besides, I wasn’t bonded to either Aidan or Collin – but apparently she had chosen to conveniently forget this detail when it came to doling out her judgments.

Slipping his arm around my shoulder, Collin drew me close to his side.

“Were those Members just wandering around the desert on foot?” I now asked Collin for the desert was too vast to flat foot it around, but he just shook his head.

“You can bet they have horses tethered not far away” he surmised.  “Our targets are on foot, so they aren’t getting anywhere fast.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t tried to find a vehicle or something” I wondered and now Collin shrugged.

“Think about what you just said – after so many years?  Not likely they’d find one they could get started, and even so the gas would have long since varnished, or evaporated.  We are talking the desert here” was his reminder.  “And even if they could get one started, it would just draw attention to them.  Attention I suspect they would prefer to avoid.”

“But they aren’t just wandering around” I made note.  “They keep heading in the same direction, so they have a destination in mind.”

“You are right, and that is troubling” he mumbled, running a hand around behind his neck.  “If they keep heading in the direction they are. more or less, eventually they’d stumble across our base.”

“That’s a frigging long shot” I laughed under my breath, shaking my head.

“Yeah, well – as you had previously noted, there is nothing out here” Collin stated.

“That you know of” I argued but he smiled.

“Members have extensively searched this region and keep tabs on it” he now one upped me, and since nothing got by Members, I was inclined to agree.  It was pretty darned uninhabited.  “Now, if you set your scope beyond the vicinity of my base, then what do we have?  Well, our hikers would have had to turn due north a while back if they were heading to The Order in Zion, or Bryce Canyon where The Legion has taken up residency” he now bowled my over by telling me so much.  “And let’s say they are really ambitious?  Then perhaps they are heading for Colorado, where The Way has staked a claim.  If that’s the case, then I would be vain in my thinking that our two fugitives are heading for Monument Valley” was his conclusion.

“So, what are we gonna do?  Just hijack them?” I wanted to know, my concern for them taking over.  The man and the woman were obviously going somewhere, and were also running from someone.  If their intent was to remain hidden from unfriendly eyes, as Collin suspected, then that would be the way to do it.  Even horses drew attention, let alone any motorized vehicle.

“In essence?  Yes” was his rather frank answer.  “Survival in this new world requires women, Sierra – and we’re not about to pass up on one” he told me.

“Why didn’t Members just pick them up when they first spotted them?” was the next question in my impromptu investigation, and now I saw Kevin glance up at us.  He was nervous about something, and Greg was, too – but with Greg I just had a sense.  Kevin was easier to read because we were friends.

Collin didn’t answer me and so that was that, I knew.  His words dried up and so did mine as we waited for the Members to break their coven so we could get on with business.  They did so shortly after we had fallen to silence.

“The have a river crossing to make” Aidan said to Collin as he approached us with Quade.  “There are Members in place to keep tabs on them.  Our best chance for interception will be during their crossing” he decided and this panicked me.  Tugging on Collin’s sleeve I looked up at him with pleading eyes.

“She can’t swim!” I blurted out and so he just blinked and then looked to his brother.

“How much gear do they have with them?” Collin now asked Aidan, and I knew what he was thinking.  Had they picked up an inflatable boat along the way.

“They don’t appear to have any flotation devices with them” he answered.  “They are outfitted for speed and aren’t carrying anything that might slow them down.”

“So how the hell is he supposed to get her across the frigging river?!” I wanted to know but everyone had turned silent.

“Yours is an assumption, that the woman cannot swim” Aidan addressed me in a low voice.  “They’ve previously crossed rivers, Sierra” he informed me and yes, they had, I suddenly remembered as bits and pieces of my dreams came to the surface.  But where they had crossed waterways in the past, they were shallow.  Having pulled up a map of this region to study it during our journey, I knew where they were now headed, and it was not so shallow – not from what I had gathered.

“Regardless, we will catch them at the river” Aidan decided.  “If that’s ok with you, of course” was his desert dry humor, delivered with a straight face but then a grin crep in.  Ha-ha, I thought, biting my lip as I looked away for a moment.  I was baggage, Aidan was trying to tell me, and so I had better remember my place.

“We can go a bit further by vehicle before we take to our feet” Aidan now informed us and then with that he turned on his heel, both he and Quade did, and back they went to their jeep.

“Don’t worry, Sierra – Members know their jobs and do them well” was his reminder, made with intention to comfort – but I didn’t feel so comforted.  Mostly because there was something far more secretive going on but no one was inclined to clue me in.

And at this point?  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

Kill first, ask questions later, Bryan signed to me and in this instance, I couldn’t say I disagreed.

Even if he was only being sarcastic.

The man fleeing through the wilderness was Brotherhood – and he was also Order.  Or, had been during the Time Before, to be precise.

I’m inclined to agree, Andy, Quade now signed to me as I again picked up my field glasses and trained them on the figured below.  That this man had aligned himself himself with The Ascendancy spoke of ill intent all the way around.  Not to mention the fact that I suspected him of being in league with the Unspoken as well.

Quade tugged on my sleeve and so lowering the glasses I again gave him my attention.

You know and I know he won’t talk, was his assessment and Quade was right.  This man had been an Elite-Assassin in the Time Before – he had been trained, conditioned, and to the nth degree in the Ways of The Brotherhood.

One could threaten to castrate him and this Member still would not talk.

Have you noticed the demeanor of Collin’s geek and page? I put to them all and so looking amongst themselves, they were in agreement.

Greg and Kevin have been distracted for quite a while, Ryan now signed to us.  And on base, they have been extremely guarded around me, in particular – just since this Sierra’s story has come to light.

And if you’ve noticed, Bryan now joined the discussion, your bother doesn’t share their guarded concern.  I could not argue that, either.  Collin was his old happy self for the most part – happier than I had seen him in one very long time, come to think of it.

Mulling over my options, I now returned to the field glasses and trained them on the distance.  Our fugitives had not attempted ford the river at night – which lent credence to Sierra’s assertion that this woman couldn’t swim.  Darkness would have lent aid to conceal their crossing – any good Member knew this.  And this Member had been taking great pains to avoid being spotted, even in a region as desolate as this.  It had been a sheer stroke of luck that a patrol from The Order had spotted them.  Right time, right place.  What had even been more lucky was that our pair of runaways had stopped in the open just long enough for a patrol Member to get a lock on them with a telescope.  The woman was out and out exhausted and so had foolishly put on the brakes, refusing to budge.  The man had had to cajole her, out there in the open under scorching midday sun.  At that distance, it had been almost impossible to read their lips, but some words were discernible.  The flavor reported was that she needed a break and so her traveling companion agreed, but not until they could get under cover.

It was at this point the man removed the bandanna which had been tied around his neck.  As he wrung out the sweat, a tattoo on the side of his neck had been revealed, and God Bless the sharp eyes of the Member looking through the telescope who spotted and identified this tattoo.

Ascendancy.

This had me infinitely baffled.  It was like everything I knew was wrong.  The more pieces of the puzzle that we would uncover, the fewer seemed to fit as we had once thought.  The Member who had been identified – I had personally known this man.  He had been Order to the very core of his soul.

Let’s go for a swim, I signed after I stowed my field glasses.  Ryan and I would take the opposite shore while Quade and Bryan covered this one.

Take great care, milord, Bryan signed to me, his concern evident.  I most certainly would with my intimate knowledge of the Member’s skill as an assassin.  However, I feared no man, and this was no lie.

With a nod to Bryan and Quade, we now went our separate ways

Ryan and I made our way to the river, just upstream from where the man and woman had spent the night.  Dawn had yet to break so the advantage was still ours – but not for long.  Once we hit the river we stripped to our shorts and then slipped into the water.  The current would serve to silently carry us down river – the flow was not so strong that fighting against it was of concern.  When we were close enough to spot the objects of our pursuit, Ryan and I split up – he staying upstream while I floated a short distance downstream and so we began our wait.  Quade would ensure they could not turn back, and I would assure they would not get across the river.  Like a fish in the water I was and was counting on the Member making a break for it across the river.

It was a coin toss at best, if he would get spooked before the arrival of Quade and Bryan.  All assassins worth their weight had a sixth sense about them and it was this upon which I was counting.

The two were breaking camp, having lingered longer than was wise.  When they made their appearance on the shoreline, the sun was just threatening to break the horizon.  The man told her to wait and be quiet – that he would ford their packs across the river and then return for her.  I would let him do so, but on his return journey with the woman?  Well, then I would intercept – and should he try to turn back, then he would see Quade and Bryan on the opposite shore.

Caution was the Member’s watchword as he crossed, and once to the other side long he stood there – sensing something was wrong.  In a heartbeat he threw caution to the wind and dove into the water, racing back to the other shore with long, strong strokes.  He understood they were no longer alone.

“Sienna, we have to go” he said to the woman, and his use of her name rocked me, even though this had been reported to me by the Elite-Assassin who had shadowing them.  To hear it for myself, however?  Amazing.  Sierra did have a connection to this woman – the question was, what was the nature of this link?  And it was the possibilities that left me with a pain in my gut.

“I am a strong swimmer – you just saw for yourself, eh?” he put to her with a smile, trying to ease her mind.  The woman offered him a weak smile and a nod, biting her lip as she looked down for a moment.  So like Sierra! I thought in dismay – her appearance and her actions.

Taking her arm, he now led her to the water, dragging her in since she had put on the brakes.

“It’s now or never” he told her, wasting no time in getting into the water.  I had told Ryan to see to the woman so she would not drown, and I would deal with the Member.  With tentative steps she let him lead her, but then she stopped, and so drawing a arm around her, the Member pulled her to him.

“You will be safe” was his assurance – and I understood his was an attempt to make sure he did not lie to her.  This meant he knew damned well other Members were about, and it was Truth enough, what he spoke.  None of us would let harm come to the woamn, and so she would, in the purest sense, be safe, if but traumatized.

Kissing the woman, she returned his hurried kiss and then found herself forced her into the water.  It was clear she was terrified, but trusted her man to safely see her to the opposite shore.

Well, that wasn’t going to happen, naturally – at least, making it to the opposite shore.

When they were far enough out so that they were treading water, this was when I made my move, in unison with Ryan.  Leaving the cover of boulders where I had been lurking along the opposing shore, I now showed myself as I swam to cut off their escape route.  Ryan had done the same, and I took note how fixated he was on the woman.

She was a dead ringer for Sierra.

Once the Member realized what was happening, he then turned his ward around to go back the way they came.  However, he stopped short when he spotted Quade and Bryan materializing from the brush which grew along the river bank.

And as that old saying goes, the jig was up.

Not being able to go forward or back, and with a woman on his hands who was going into panic mode, the Member had no choice.  He might have been an Elite-Assassin, but it was still four of the same against his one.  Back to the shore he went, with Ryan and myself swimming after them.  After they had taken to the shore, the woman clung to the Member and I could not help but think that if she was a twin of Sierra, then she certainly lacked Sierra’s fire.

As Ryan and I left the water, we closed in on the two, as did Quade and Bryan – and if this Member hadn’t known that that his pursuit was of a Brotherhood flavor, then he now did.  The tattoos that we all bore clearly spoke to this – but of course he also recognized me.

“Aidan O’Reilly” he now addressed me.

“Harlan – long time no see” was my rather acrid response and then I noticed that the woman had her eyes transfixed on me.  Blinking, she looked at me as if she had seen a ghost, but then she looked to her man with questions in her eyes.

“Harlan?  Whose Harlan?” was the woman’s confused query.

“Harlan was the man I used to be, long ago in another world” he told her – and that was an understatement, but at least was Truth.  “What do you intend?” Harlan now spoke to me, obviously having knowledge of who and what I was in this Time After.  I had many ideas of what I would like to say and do, but I had to think of the woman.  We didn’t need her viewing me and my fellow Members as bogymen – even if that was, in essence, what we were.

“Escort the woman out of earshot” I ordered Ryan who nodded, quick to obey.  “No harm will come to you, Sienna” I now told her and blinking at me I could tell she was wondering just how I knew her name.  “Have no fear for… Dan, you will join him later” I skewed the Truth.  Depending on what he had to say and his attitude, this would determine if he would be alive or dead when she again saw him.

Harlan turned the woman towards him, offering her a smile or reassurance as he took hold of her shoulders.

“Go with the doctor” he told her, making it clear that he knew who and what each and every one of us was.  Clearly she was afraid, but did as she was told, allowing Ryan to escort her away.  With a subtle hand signal to Bryan, I gave command for him to go with Ryan but he refused.  There and then wasn’t the time to call him out on the carpet about his disobedience, even if he had a damned good reason for remain there with Quade and me and the renegade Member.

Once Ryan had disappeared with the woman, Quade and I now began to circle Harlen.

“Now where would a turncoat Member of The Order be heading, alone through this wilderness with a woman in his keep?” was my pleasant enough inquiry.

“Well, Aidan, I see you’ve kept in shape” was his return, one which made me feel ill at ease.  This man had been a Lord of The Brotherhood prior to the Apocalypse, when I had pretty much just been a peon.  He was viewing me through the eyes of a Lord who was considering a new acquisition.

I wasn’t a slave, I wasn’t for sale – but this was the flavor of his intense consideration.  His assessment revealed as much as well, albeit one tinged ever so slightly with mockery.

“And I see Quade is still your favorite shotgun-shark?” he now laughed with derision under his breath, a burgeoning grin now presenting itself.  Tempted I was to bring him to his knees, but that would be of no aid in furthering my inquisition.

“So, again – you are heading, where?” I asked, knowing he would answer, but in his own damned good time.  After all, he was looking at me through the eyes of a master, as one would look at a salve – and Elite-Assassins who were slaves?  Well, they were considered to be mindless animals whose sole reason for being was to obey their masters’ commands, and without question or hesitation.

And close to this I had been in Pre-Time – barely above it though I was.  My dues payable to The Brotherhood, as well as the cost of training, had come from my Father’s inheritance – money that had been put in trust for both Collin and me until we had turned twenty-one.

A shared trust, one that Collin never knew existed – and a secret I had kept from him.  Was the concealment prompted by greed?  No – it was instead that I knew he would squander his share.  However, above and beyond all this, I was in need of the money to get ahead in The Brotherhood, to rise above the status of a mere Member.  Although at the time I did not understand why, some force drove me forward, to be the best of the best at what I did – because in my physical prowess I would possess the power to be able to protect my brother, even save his life.  And this had come to pass once, it would again, I knew.

Unless my brother decided to get totally stupid on me – which was a distinct possibility.

“To your brother’s AFA base, naturally” Harlan answered my query regarding his destination.  “It would seem the woman in his custody has a twin, yes?” he put to me and now I just wanted to flat out deck him.

“Don’t play games with me, Harlan” I growled but this only served to amuse him.

“Ever the dog, eh?” he chuckled.  “As soon as I was presented with a photo of your Sierra, I then understood the troubling dreams of Sienna” was his declaration and although he wasn’t lying, he was omitting one hell of a lot.  The fact that he had been a geneticist in the Time Before, and one whose research had been purported to be less than ethical, troubled me – greatly.  When put into the context of The Plan ind its Furtherance?  One very bleak picture slowly came into focus.  “You don’t look incredibly surprised” the former Order Member tacked on but I wasn’t about to go down this road with him – not yet.

“And you two have been, what?  Wandering around the wilderness all this time picking berries?” was my next question, one dripping with sarcasm.  “Where are your new friends?” I no lighted on the topic of his allegiance for this was of more interest to me, and by far.  No intelligence did we have in our possession that Members of The Ascendancy had survived in any numbers, save one troubling Jesuit Priest named Aaron Michael Gallagher.

“One does what one must” was his answer, one delivered in a low voice – implying that he would do whatever it took to… what?  This was the question, and plenty of reasons were already crowding my mind, vying for attention.  Care need be taken, however, for nothing in this world was as simple as it might appear on the surface.

“Why not take this Sienna to The Order?  To The Brotherhood?” I put to him, for even if he was no longer Order, he was Brotherhood.  No answer did he have, however, deigning to fall back on silence as his defense.  “Or have you other unspoken Masters?” I now tossed out in a play on words, for I was certain his was an unholy union with the Master under Groom Lake.  The Plan and its Furtherance could not have been pulled off by The Brotherhood in and of itself – it would require science and technology far beyond our grasp.

However, being the military Brotherhood that we were, we had the discipline to steward the Plan, and now in this Time After assure its Furtherance.

“No longer feeling like a big fish in a little pond?” Harlen now made commentary, hitting the nail right on the head, unfortunately.  Although I had my finger on the pulse of The Order, and that which touched Our World, there was still an ugly and unnavigable undercurrent in this Time After.  One which I desperately sought, one which it was imperative that I fathom – but it was one which kept alluding me no matter the fortitude of my strokes.  “For all you purport to know, Aidan O’Reilly – you know nothing” was his affront on me, basically declaring that he held no stock in me and my Station as Head of Assassins for The Order.  “You are but a grain of sand on all the beaches of God’s Earth” was his next insult, and was he trying to goad me to violence?

Leave me, I subtly signed to Quade and Bryan, and although Quade wasn’t happy about my edict, he would obey.  Bryan, on the other hand, again refused, even though he understood serious censure would result.  Get the Ascendancy Member out of here, I now signed to Quade, and not so subtly this time.  In a heartbeat he had the ex-Order Member in hand and was escorting him away, leaving Bryan and myself alone to stand and face each other.

Once alone Bryan dropped not to one knee, but two – head bowed he made a fist of his left hand, pressing to his chest and waited.  Putting aside my anger, I walked up to my Head of IT and knelt down in front of him, waiting.

“Let silence be your weapon” he now spoke, raising his eyes to meet my own.  “You are too close to… this” was his curios way of putting it, since that could have many meanings.  “Remember your roots” were his next words, reminding me that in the Time Before I had been a small fish in a big pond, as Harlan had alluded.  “Base your actions of today on your past” was his caution, and a wise one at that.  My pride had interfered – this is what he meant, although it went much deeper I could sense.  “All because you and a handful of Members had desire to see The Ascendancy removed from God’s World, this doesn’t mean that you were a majority” Bryan pointed out.  “Don’t allow your loathing to blind you.”

“Sometimes hate is all we have” I mumbled, releasing a weighted sigh for he was right – mine was to protect my brother.  If this meant wiping out every Member of The Ascendancy, then I would do so – or at least, had tried during the Time Before.  It was not purely for the reason that they were the Guardians of the Alternative Faith.  Rather instead I was of a mind that they had been actively involved with those who would craft the Plan and its Furtherance, to bring to life in this Time After the prophecy of this Alternative Faith.

Even if it meant casting men and woman as actors in their production, unwitting participants though they were.

“Don’t you find it odd, milord, that every time you make an advance in your quest for the Truth that a new distraction suddenly emerges?” Bryan suggested and I could not argue that.  “Your love for your brother, for Sierra – this clouds your judgment” was his bold assertion.  “You would protect them at any cost,” he went further, “when the one who needs your protection most is yourself.”  Holding his eyes I could see the veracity there that I also heard in his words.  “Someone, or someones, wants you out of the way, and a full frontal attack would leave too many unanswered questions.  However, to turn you onto a path where you would eventually become your own worst enemy…” Bryan now trailed off and I understood all too well the wisdom in his words.

“My part is scripted to stand by my brother” I reminded him of the role in which I had been cast for the Furtherance.  “Your words suggest that there are others who would see the Furtherance derailed.”

“You have proof that those who were loyal to the Divergence perished in the Apocalypse?” was his inquiry and I could only blink.  “Or perhaps you assume this because had they survived then none of your fellow conspirators have been in contact with you?”  Holding my breath I realized his assessment was dead on – and again, my pride had gotten in my way so that I could not clearly see the bigger picture.  “You and your brother have one thing very much in common – your hearts often get in the way of your progress, leading you astray.  Forgive my temerity, milord – Mine is to Protect” he reminded me of something no Elite-Assassin should ever forget, and I was not above all others in this world.  I needed protection just like everyone else – except perhaps Aaron Gallagher, whom I was convinced was anything but mortal.

Nodding my head once in acknowledgement, I then reached out to grasp his shoulder.

“Thank you for your candor” I said, deciding to skip the censure.  “What would you suggest?” I now asked.

“Let silence be your ally” was his reiteration of his earlier assessment.  “This Member will only talk circles around you, milord – so why prompt him to speak at all?  Perhaps it is best to just let things progress as he intends.”  This did not set well with me, however.

“To let him come in contact with Collin’s new pet?” I put to him but this won me a black look, and so I understood him – implicitly.  My heart was again getting in my way.  Once Harlan moved within my brother’s sphere of influence, then there would be, in essence, little I could do to keep this Member apart from Aaron.

However, should this Harlan meet with an untimely death – and this was one course of action I was heavily taking under consideration.  Although, this Member was purportedly an AFA officer as well, and thus it would be poor form should I off him.  Not to mention set my brother’s feet on one rather slippery slope with his AFA Masters if I did so.

However, Collin’s AFA days were about to come to an abrupt end, naturally.

“Come the end, whom will you chose?” Bryan caught me off guard with his frank inquiry.  “Your brother or Sierra?”  Well, I wasn’t about to let it come to that, but this didn’t mean it wouldn’t.

Bryan knew I would not answer that question, and he would could not suppose which with any amount of certainty.

Even though Brotherhood came before all else, and Collin was most assuredly a Brother.

“What you are saying is that I am becoming too unpredictable” I put words to his notion and again, I could not argue with him.  In any pack, a member that was unpredictable was a danger to the pack, as a whole, and in the end would be driven out.

And I was not above such eventuality, as had already been demonstrated in the past.  It was unheard of for a Head of Assassins to receive numerous Censures as had I, not to mention I had been the focus of Inquisition.  That I still held my Station was a miracle, and only due to reeling myself in and afterwards keeping a tight rein on myself.

However – we were now on the brink of a grave turning point.  The Cup had been found, and at almost precisely the same time, Harlan emerges with Sierra’s twin in tow.

Coincidence was a part of God’s world, after all – but there were just so many coincidences that one could be expected to swallow and not choke in the process.

“Mine is to Protect” Bryan again told me, the reason behind his candor, I knew.  Now getting to my feet, with Bryan following suit, I stood there in silence for several moments.

“We’ll let this play out, as you advise” I decided.  “Eyes wide open” I tacked on.  Silent observation could be a powerful weapon; I knew this, Bryan knew this.  What would make it difficult for me to hold my tongue would be when Harlan came face-to-face with my brother.

One day, one hour, one minute at a time, I tried to remind myself – although that would be easier said than done.

We now made our way to join with the others and as my Head of IT had advised, silence once again be came my ally – as should be.  The woman was wary of us, which was to be expected – but she was thoroughly disconcerting.  At least to me.  This was no twin of Sierra, I was certain of it – however, to acknowledge what that wold make this woman?  Then I would have to face the Truth of Sierra’s existence, and that of my brother as well – but neither were soulless beings.  Regardless what We of The Brotherhood Believed when it came to those who were not conceived in the manner which was God’s Intension.  And thus I would protect my brother and Sierra, guarding against any such Blasphemy coming to light.

There being no access points close to our location, we would have to make the trek back to where the others waited.  I had told Collin to wait until the end of our third day out and then he needed to scram.  He had actually laughed at my orders, accusing me of brevity in all things.  I actually had to stop and think about that one, and then understood that he meant my using the word scram as an abbreviation for scramble.

My brother – always off on any number of tangents, even when in the pursuit of danger he would find humor somewhere along the way.

Our going was slowed by the woman – beyond appearance she was nothing like Sierra and this was Truth.  Sierra could hike along at a brisk pace for hours on end – even when she was pregnant she hadn’t let it slow her down.  Assuredly she complained like hell, but kept bouncing along anyway.  This brought a touch of warmth to my heart, along with an inward smile.  Sienna was somber and quiet, but perhaps the circumstances of her life in this Time After  had warranted her demeanor, but something told me that wasn’t truly the case.  I tried not to dwell on her appearance, for she was more than just a dead ringer for Sierra – paternal twins of such an age who were parted for so long did not look that much alike, not even ones who had spent their lives together.  It was clear that my fellow Members were of the same mind, closely observing the woman as we journeyed.

What would my brother think? I wondered.  Or Sierra herself?  I already knew that Sierra had what she called a bad feeling about this whole excursion – but was wondering if what she had really meant was that she had a bad feeling about this woman.

Soon enough we were to find out.

Upon regrouping with my brother and his men, it was an interesting scene, and a multifaceted one at that.  Apparently, my brother knew the Ascendancy Member in our company – and I could discern by the look on his face that it was not because they both held AFA ranks.  The question was – how did my brother know Harlan, and how could I have not known of their affiliation?

His fixation on Harlan didn’t last long, however, as his gaze now strayed to Sienna.  My brother stood there, blinking – unable to believe his eyes.  Sierra, on the other hand, who was standing next to Collin with her ams wrapped tightly about herself, looked very much like a rabbit about to make a break for it.  When my brother made a move to go and greet this new comely addition, Sierra suddenly took hold of his hand, tugging on it.  Looking up at Collin, she slowly shook her head and damned if my brother didn’t obey.

But of course, they were in physical contact with one another – a disturbing consideration give what I knew about the Plan and the key individuals who were created to perpetuate the Furtherance in this Time After.

My brother’s Captain-Major, I could sense, had gone into what his comrades called analyze mode – watching with great interest all that was transpiring.  Later he would dissect the scene as if he were a brain surgeon, drawing conclusions, and accurate ones at that, long before anyone else would draw the same conclusions.

“Sierra, this is Sienna” Harlan now decided to make introductions since my Members and I seemed to have forgotten our manners.  However, Sierra actually shrunk away from her twin, pretty much hiding behind my brother for protection – which I was certain made him feel like a million.  The protector he had always wanted to be, but lacked the skill set to be effective in the face of real men, in other words Members.

With his hands on her shoulders, Harlan now urged Sienna forward, and she at least was curious enough to want to make Sierra’s acquaintance.  Or perhaps she just wanted to get closer to my brother – and suddenly I decided this was not such a good idea.

Putting myself between the newcomers and my brother and Sierra, I did so without explanation.

“There are some things we first need to sort out” was all I said to Harlan.  “Let’s talk” I then addressed my brother, who was confused by my actions but understood I would have one damned good reason for behaving as such.

See to the woman, I signed to Amanda who, like Kevin, had kept her distance.  Clearly both were stunned by the likeness of this new woman to their friend Sierra.  With a subtle nod to me Amanda did as she was told, and now Kevin decided it was time to come out of his daze, looking to his Commander for orders.

“Captain MacNamara” Collin called to Greg, leaving Kevin out of it – which left the techno-geek appearing troubled as he then quickly, and strangely, looked to my Head of IT.

Bryan now walked up to me and then quickly signed, Do not let this Sienna woman have physical contact with your brother, was his curious caution, the impetus for which I could only make guesses for now.  Knowing that Collin would not be inclined to open up if he felt crowded by other Members, I signed to only Ryan to join us.  He at least would be able to audition our discussion with the cant of a scientist, much the way Collin’s Captain-Major would do the same.

As we tried to break away, however, Sierra now latched on to me, beseeching me with her eyes not to leave her behind.

Casting a glance over my shoulder at Bryan, I signed to him, Do something with her, and acknowledging with a nod he strode over take custody of Sierra.

“Touch me and your dead!” she hissed at him, but this only made Bryan laugh, however.

“The mouse that roared” was his barb but this only served to further her anger.

“Its either Bryan or Quade” I told her in a low voice.  “Take your pick.”  I knew she loathed each, albeit after a different fashion.  Surprisingly, though, Kevin tossed his hat into the near altercation between the diminutive Latina beauty and my Head of IT who towered above her.

“Hey, c’mon girl” Kevin tempted her with an easy smile, one of born of friendship and camaraderie since both were technology whores.  “Let’s leave them to what they know best” he told her, his way of saying that we knew our business and they didn’t, so never the twain shall meet.  Or that was the flavor, at least – tech geek to tech geek.

Biting her lip, Sierra thought about it, but obviously wasn’t interested in getting acquainted with her twin.  Or perhaps rather she just didn’t want to let Collin out of her sight, I was suddenly of a mind.

“We need to get out of here” the woman implored, refusing to let go of my arm.

“And you would propose we go, where?” I could not help but ask, somewhat amused by her behavior.

“I don’t give a shit – anywhere but here!” was her response and for once in my life I was inclined to listen to what was commonly known as women’s intuition.  “Don’t you – feel them?  Closing in?” she asked in a hushed voice and suddenly, yes – I now had the creeps as the hair on the back of my neck began to stand erect.

“Is our traveling companion tagged?” Collin now asked in a low voice but I just offered him a flat look.  Ryan had give both Harlan and the woman the once over and had come up empty during his electronics sweep.  Even yet, it was rather damning, the circumstances, and perhaps they had been shadowed from the get-go, but any debate would have to wait.

Whipping out my Palm, I pulled up maps of the area.  Luckily I was familiar with the general vicinity, however, I needed more detailed information if we were going to leave behind the vehicles.  There was only one road through this region and going off it wasn’t an option given the combination of terrain and the new female addition to our group.  Briefly looking up from the screen of my Palm, it was an amusing sight, since we all were doing the same.  Out came the Palms, one and all, reviewing maps which held the lay of the land around us and any resources that might be available.  Except for our guests, naturally, and Collin and Sierra – who was now clinging to my brother instead of me.

“Don’t you wanna join in the military madness?” the beauty teased my brother who grunted a laugh and then smiled down upon her with a shrug.

“Good song, that” he told her, apparently catching the reference – the two were always bantering lyrics back and forth between one another.  “When all of you run out of charged batteries, who will be laughing then?” was his query, one delivered with a straight face and fact of the matter was – he was right, I considered.  His Palm he did leave on, but rarely touched it, and his AFA PDA, I was certain, was shut off, being about as useful as a paperweight.

Pouring over topography maps, I decided on a few possible routes to shake whoever might be out there.  I had given orders to my men on patrol in the area to keep their distance and so wasn’t of the mind that the presence I felt were any of these men.

“Dudes” I now heard Kevin speak up as he approached, offering his Palm which Collin accepted.  Studying the screen for a few moments, a slow grin overtook my brother’s lips.

“Quite a coincidence, yes?” he asked, now handing me the Palm.  Deciphering the symbol on the screen I now had a very unwarm and unfuzzy feeling.  The pinpoint on the map was a highly classified access point – one which was part of an old military network.

And its location was such that Harlan could have made a side trip to access it.

Turnabout is fair play, I signed to my brother – the location was within striking distance of the primary route I had chosen.  If we could reach it, then Collin would be able to call in the calvary, as he would refer to such a move – and it was times like that when one came to truly appreciate the tactical advantage of the AFA and the speed with which they deployed their resources.

At least we had a plan, and so now we could go forward.

Quickly signing orders to my men, we swiftly made ready to depart and were soon making our way through the wilderness.  So many questions I had for my brother, all of which would have to wait until we had reached a place of safety.

Sierra kept a respectable distance from Sienna and Harlan – and when she did have to interact with her twin, she was polite, but not exactly warm or forthcoming.  However, when Sierra thought no one was looking, she spent her time keeping a keen eye on the Ascendancy Member and his woman.  It was during one brief rest stop that Sierra heavily implied we ditch the two hangers on.  Her fear was escalating with each passing moment, it seemed, to the point where it was about to transmute into panic – which was when she decided to up the ante, shocking me.  The woman practically suggested that I whack the Ascendancy Member – or so I was certain this was her allusion when she asked if it wasn’t about time I scratched that itchy knife hand of mine.

Admittedly, it was itchy, but I was prudent enough not to scratch at will.  There would be time for blood soon enough.

Do you think those two have already been this way? my brother signed to me as we neared our objective.  Harlan was a difficult read, but his woman, on the other hand, was an easy one.

No, I signed in return.  The possibility that Harlan had used the access point to contact some friends was one thing I felt could be crossed off my list.  However, it still didn’t aid in deciphering just who was out there tailing us.  My best guess was Members, either Way or Legion – although a disturbing consideration dogged me.

Perhaps they were Order.

This possibility left me with a cold dread.  There were those within The Order who preferred to see me removed, given my stance on how the Cup should be used now that it had been recovered.  Of course, for anyone to know of my precise location would speak to a traitor in our midst.  Suspicion was a dangerous weapon, I understood, and without facts to back it up, I would  just acknowledge it as a possibility and thus corral it with the others.

Close we were to our objective when I gave the signal to stop.

Send Kevin – alone, I signed to my brother who just blinked at me in return.  Naturally he would balk at the thought of sacrificing one of his men.

Fuck you, was his curt and angered response, one delivered without first thinking.  Then you go with him to protect his ass, he now tried to bargain with me.  Or any one of your sharks, don’t care which, he tacked on, as if giving me options would make his rudeness acceptable.  His nervousness, I was certain, was attributable to Sierra being with us.  It was she who held his utmost concern.

Which was mine as well, I was forced to admit, and so our best chance for extrication was to contact Collin’s comrades.

With a nod I accepted and so I turned to my men, signing my intentions.

“C’mon, geek boy” I said to Kevin.  He quickly looked at me and then to my brother, who nodded, indicating permission granted.  Grumbling something under his breath, Collin’s TechStaff Captain then joined me and together we made the final leg of our journey.

My only hope was that it would not be the end of our road as well.

Some days you’re gonna win, some days you’re gonna lose – these were the lyrics that strayed unbidden into my mind.  In and of themselves they were not so ominous, but the ones that followed on their heels were.  Well I’ve got news for you, you’re losing all the time you never win, no.

“Collin?” I heard a voice say as I became aware of someone tugging on my sleeve.  Having been roused from my ruminations, I looked down upon Sierra’s upturned face, and so my concern now grew.  There was little I could do to protect her – at least, physically.  Our only hope was to make contact with the AFA and call for immediate extrication.

Releasing a weighted sigh, I then turned round to face Dan, aka Harlan, aka Steven, aka who-the-hell-really-knew.

“Do I even want to know?” I asked in a low voice of this Member – this Ascendancy member no less.  “Aidan tells me you are, were, Order” I tossed out for discussion now that my brother wasn’t present.  Granted, I had wanted Aidan to go with Kevin, to protect my Captain while he executed execute our s.o.s. call, but I had additional motives.

I wanted some alone time with this Member whom I had known, in Pre-Time, as Steven Brace.  Steven Brace, the record collector I used to bump into while record hunting in San Francisco.  The fact that his AFA record had been sans image now made a lot of sense, in retrospect, even if why his identity had been obfuscated did not.

“Small world getting smaller” was his offhand response, one delivered with a shrug.  “Why don’t you ask the question you really want to ask, Commander?” he now suggested, drawing an arm around the shoulders of the woman who stood next to him.  “Unless your brother has ordered you not to do so, that is” he then tacked on, alluding to the fact that I was Order and therefore Aidan outranked my ass.

My eyes now shifted to this Sienna woman who so looked like Sierra it was incredible.  Had she longer hair then no one would have never known the difference between the two.

And thus the less than fuzzy feeling I had – one which kept on growing no matter hard hard I tried to stomp it out.

However, Sienna behaved nothing like Sierra – the woman was a mouse by comparison with my little tigress.

Gathering my words as I prepared to answer Harlan, I considered that Aidan had not expressly ordered me to keep it zipped.  However, I knew that it was heavily implied, and so I cast a quick look to my Captain-Major, seeking his advice.  In response Greg subtly signed to me, Leave it.  And just what was it with everyone being so against me asking questions of the man?

“How are you doing, Sienna?” I decided to turn my attention towards the woman who much appeared like a rabbit cornered by a coyote.  We were all so wrapped up in our circumstances that this frightened woman had pretty much taken back seat to everything else.  “You must have been pretty surprised to find out you had a twin, eh?” I supposed, turning on the charm – which wasn’t hard to do when it came to cajoling women.  It was a natural talent and admittedly, throughout my life, I had been what one would consider a ladies man.  Very few could say no  to me, after all.

The creature, at first, only offered a tentative nod in response to my supposition, but then surprisingly she offered me an alluringly shy smile.  Suddenly I had the notion that Sienna was probably every bit as irresistible as Sierra – and why not?  They both had the exact same DNA, and so would have the exact same chemistry as well.

As I was about to issue another volley in our one-sided conversation, Quade and Bryan, who had gone to scout out the immediate vicinity, made their return.

And neither looked rather pleased with their findings.

“Most definitely Members” Quade declared as he strode up to me, although notably giving no indication as to which Arm of The Brotherhood these Members might belong.

“They’ve been tracking us for a while – so why don’t they just show themselves?” I put to him.  After all, it wasn’t like Members to play cat and mouse – at least, not this long.

“That’s one very good question” Quade grumbled in return.  “They could have picked us off half a dozen times by now but clearly something is holding them back” was his assessment, one which was rather bleak if anyone should ask me.

“Perhaps it is all just coincidence” Greg suggested as he joined us.  “We are assuming their presence is related to our guests” he pointed out, and I could not argue that.  However if it looked like a duck, walked like a duck and talked like a duck – but that wasn’t an absolute and thus it would be wise to bear in mind things like a wolves in sheep’s clothing.  “They could just be trying to get a better look, to determine who we are.”

“I should think that matters little since we have three women in our company” was my less than pleasant two cents.  What a windfall that would be for the Legion, Way or even the Blackguard, for that matter.  Bargaining chips is what these women would become, and here was where I got off the boat.  I refused to even consider that this might be their fate.  My brother would see us through until our deliverance arrived – during our long lives together, he had yet to let me down.

Glancing toward Harlan and Sienna, I could tell my words had deeply troubled the woman.

See to her, I subtly signed to Ryan.  He and Amanda had been sticking close to our two guests.  Sienna would appear more at ease when my daughter was close by, and she also seemed not to fear Amanda’s husband.  Likely because Ryan was a doctor – if she only knew, however.  Elite-Assassin in his own right and participant in the near extinction of all mankind, albeit unwittingly.  It was believed that his research in viral pathology for the DoD in Pre-Time led to the rise of the agent which carried on its back the doom of the world which had gone before.

“C’mon, Sienna” Amanda said to the frightened little rabbit.  “Let’s give these boys some room, ok?” she posed with a reassuring smile, and a gorgeous one at that.  Sure – it was my smile and that anyone could possibly think Aidan to have fathered her, including my daughter herself, would have to be deaf, dumb and blind.

However, it was what it was.

With a nod and a smile Harlan prompted Sienna to obey, and so she did – reluctantly peeling herself away from him.  Far they did not go, but gave us enough space so the rest of us could let the testosterone flow.  Ryan was lending us intent observation, however – reading lips from afar.  Interesting skill The Brotherhood required of all Elite-Assassins, I considered.  And admittedly, it came in damned handy.

“Sierra, please – if you would?” I now requested, but it was no request.  Sierra was clinging to me and was every bit as reluctant to leave my side as Sienna had been to leave Harlan’s.  “Humor me, hmm?” I pressed, offering her a heartfelt smile – and she bought it, still not thrilled but would go without a fight, at least.  Leaning over, I rewarded her with a kiss to her forehead and the creature practically melted.  Blushing, she now did as she was told and left us to ourselves.

“For what it is worth,” Harlan said as he came closer, “I don’t know who it is that hunts us.  After your brother waylaid me and Sienna, I assumed that your party was the shadow I had felt encroaching upon us.  Apparently not, eh?”

“No shit” I grumbled, folding my arms over my chest as I regarded him.  For some reason, this man did not strike me as being a Member of The Order, or having been, since he purportedly was now Ascendancy.  On the left side of his neck he bore the same tattoo as did my friend Aaron, who had been Ascendancy before Transitioning to The Order.  And thinking of Aaron Gallagher, my heart felt pained – I had not seen him for a long time.  When he had taken leave of me some time back, I had questioned him regarding the nature of his errand.  Pausing for a moment he considered his answer and then said, To right the wrongs of others.  Well, what one man could do in the face of such a horrific crime against humanity, this eluded me, but then again – I was of the mind that Aaron was no mere mortal.

“Were you Brotherhood, even back then?” I now decided to get personal with him, referring back to Pre-Time when I had been stationed in San Francisco.

“Yes” was his minimalistic answer to which I only grunted in response.  Typical Brotherhood, I considered.

“Well, you sure get around” was my complaint.  “Order, Ascendancy, AFA… perhaps even Unspoken?” I laid out – no sense tiptoeing around the question we all wanted to ask.  Not that he would answer, of course.

But then hell froze over.

“Affiliated with but not one of” he told us, sounding very grave.  “To right the wrongs of others” the Member then added and so now my throat constricted upon hearing the very words that Aaron himself had spoken to me upon his departure.

“And to do this, you – what?  How does this Sienna fit in with your quest to do good, and how did you make her acquaintance?” I wanted explanation.

“Thousand year plans are long in the making,” was his rather unconventional answer, “but in the blink of an eye they can be subverted.”

“Is the Alternative Faith, then, Prophecy or Plan?” I put to him in a low voice.  “Or perhaps one in the same?” I upped the ante and now he became very still.

“If you have read the ancient text, then you would have no need to ask” he returned in a tempered voice.  Granted, I knew of it but had yet to read it.  Aaron had planned on showing me this writing, but time and circumstance had thwarted us time and again – we had both become confirmed Members of The Order, and thus this text had then become officially off limits to us.  Not that this should have stopped him, but I was of a mind Aaron had used our Oaths to The Order as an excuse to execute a change of heart.  It seemed that the closer we became as friends, the less inclined he was to open up about the Alternative Faith – and this had left me purely baffled.

Until Aidan had begun dealing in riddles, that was, lighting on this Alternative Faith and why it  was a text banned by The Order.  It was at this point when fairy tales started to encroach on reality and when they started to over take it, then that’s pretty much where I had gotten off the boat.  Not that I didn’t believe in fairy tales, mind you – but rather when it was implied that I might actually be the object of one?

Enough said.

As I was about to continue my line of questioning, my eyes were now drawn to Sierra who was frantically looking about.  It wasn’t long after that the Members in our company became spooked as well.  Ryan quickly urged the women to crowd in with the rest of us as we Members took up defensive positions on the perimeter of our circle.  I wasn’t sure what I could do in the face of such skilled assassins as the ones I was certain had been shadowing us, but I was a Member regardless and therefore obligated to stand on the frontline.

Bracing ourselves for the worst, we waited – until finally a handful of Members materialized from the surrounding brush.  My first thought was how young these Members were, they must have been teenagers or in their early twenties.

Then it hit me, though – these weren’t young men, but rather Members of a whole different gender.

Their faces were swathed so that only the eyes of the women shown through – and the nearer they drew the more I became certain that each was a woman.  I could… scent them; this was the best way I could describe my impression.

The woman who floated on out ahead of the pack of ten, closely flanked by two others who I surmised were her Attendants, was likely a very important Member of The Way.  The one Arm of The Brotherhood which accepted women – and which was governed by women.

Aidan had been right – this Arm of The Brotherhood certainly had been secret and no myth.

Stopping several meters from us, just out of immediate striking distance, we considered them as they considered us.

“Collin O’Reilly?” their leader now spoke in question, and by the quality of her voice I could tell she was an older woman – much older than her compatriots, I’d wager.  And she also had a slight accent – one which was hard to pin since I had the impression that it had faded across the years from living so long in a country that was not her native land.

Swallowing hard I then took a deep breath and strode forward to meet her.  I did not get far, however, for both Quade and Bryan interjected themselves, each taking hold of one of my arms to restrain me.  With a black look from me I dared them to make a scene.

“She will do me no harm” I told my Brothers and then looked to the woman.  “Isn’t that right?” I said to the female assassin and then waited for her response.

“No harm shall come to you” she returned, notably being as vague as would any true Member.  They might not harm me, but did not claim the same for the rest of my companions.

“You will neither harm nor waylay any of those who travel with me” I now got specific with her and then went one further.  “Nor will you terminate any of our lives, nor will you spirit away any of us.”  There – that ought to cover it, I considered.  To my words their leader now let out a hearty laugh.

“Got all your bases covered there, son?” she asked, mirth shining from her eyes.  “Agreed” was her simple acceptance and so now, taking her word as scripture, Quade and Bryan released me, but not without reluctance.  Especially on the part of Bryan, curiously enough.

I then made sure my game face was firmly in place as I strode out to treat with this woman.  Stopping before her I offered her a very formal bow, opting to confuse since it was decidedly AFA in its fashion.  A simple reminder that I had a lot more friends backing me who were probably on the way as we spoke – since it was likely she knew exactly where my brother was, who he was with and what they were doing.

“Collin Tristan O’Reilly, Order, at your service” was my formal greeting.  “Why have you been shadowing us?” I now got to the heart of the matter, not even bothering to ask her name or Station.  This was my way of impressing upon the woman her lack of importance to me.  It was a gamble, but one worth the taking – although it probably would be taken as an insult.  Long she regarded me, however, which visited upon my person a feeling of disquiet.  She was far too interested in me, personally, and so now those fairy tales of Aidan’s about the Alternative Faith and the role in it which I might be cast came creeping into the picture.

The woman didn’t answer my question, at least not right away.  Instead she gave a hand sign over her shoulder and swiftly another of her Members came forth from the back of the pack.  Stopping just shy of her Mistress, this woman assassin reached into her pocket and drew out a little flash drive.  Placing it in her Mistress’s hand she bowed and then backed away – oddly enough bowing to me as well.

“Eyes only” the leader said as she extended a hand to me, palm up with her offering of the micro flashcard.  Reaching out to accept her offer, I now noticed her aged hand – she would have had to be around sixty, at least.

Taking the disk from her, I nodded my thanks but then she suddenly took hold of my hand – much to the alarm of my fellow Members.  However, she did nothing other than wrap her hands around mine, a gesture I found strangely comforting.

“Be at peace” the woman told me, now relinquishing my hand as she backed up a few steps.  In the same instant, the mood of our gathering changed for the worst.  One and all were on high alert as my brother came one the scene, at which point relief washed over me in an immense wave.  Mostly because he was safe, and so was Kevin who was in his company – and Aidan had a guest in tow.  A lone woman assassin he was keeping rather close to his person, and I understood he was ready to sacrifice this woman if that meant being able to protect us.

Or rather me first and foremost, I knew.  Something there was about my brother where he would predictably put me first when circumstances would turn dark.

“Lose something?” my brother asked of their Mistress.  “Never send a woman to do a man’s job” he made comment, delivered in conjunction with a wicked grin.

“She performed admirably” the woman calmly countered.  “Hers was to play cat and mouse, and so I see you’ve caught your mouse, eh?  Or rather my mouse allowed herself to be caught, I should say, and so became the distraction that I had commanded of her.”  Now, if this didn’t piss off my brother I didn’t know what would – having one pulled over on him by a woman!  Yes, we were males and in this world of so few woman it was obvious that we’d fall prey to such schemes.

Cautiously Aidan made his way over to where I stood, flanking me as he still held on to the woman assassin.  Would he truly do her harm? I wondered.  And the answer was yes, most certainly Aidan was in protector mode and God save anyone who should fuck with him when he was in such a way.

“Release her” I commanded my brother, mustering all the authority I was able – and praying he didn’t take me down with two well-placed fingers.  After all, in the World of The Brotherhood, he outranked my ass and so my ordering him around was one very grave faux pas indeed.  Oddly enough, however, Aidan was quick to do as he had been ordered.  Once having been released, the captured assassin first bowed to me, curiously enough, and then then to her Mistress before taking her place amid the pack of vixens.  Then Aidan perplexed me for he now got down on one knee, still flanking me, but there he waited, now going offline as Sierra would call it.

What the? I wondered but continued to act like nothing was wrong.

“You and your brother are too handsome to be wandering out here by your lonesomes” the woman now said in jest – a friendly one I could tell.  “If our numbers were greater and could spare the casualties, we’d consider absconding you both, however…” she trailed off with a shrug and a laugh, letting the thought languish.

“If you have no further business with us, then” I began, ignoring her pretty boy commentary – I had had to deal with the burden of my good looks my whole life.  In certain arenas the sky was the limit, such as with women and politics.  However, a handicap this became when having to go toe-to-toe with my contemporaries, most notably when trying to work my way up through the ranks of the AFA, just as had been the case in Pre-Time when I had been in the United States Army.

Something there was about men of war and their disdain for those whom God had blessed with being exceptionally handsome.  I had to work twice as hard to prove myself to my superiors, naturally, and to make myself appear half as good as my competition.

“Good-day, Member-Elite O’Reilly, Head of Assassins O’Reilly” the Mistress said to me and Aidan, offering a bow in parting before she and her Members dissolved into the surrounding brush.  I just stood there for a few long moments, pondering the encounter

I would wager that their Mistress knew who each and every one of us was, and in sordid detail, no less.

Looking down at my brother, who was still bent to one knee, I prodded him with my toe.

“Hey” I called to him, waking him from whatever trance he had gone into and looking up at me there was something akin to amusement in his eyes.

“Don’t you think she is a little old to be a girl scout troop leader?” I asked of my brother as he now got to his feet.

“You just met the Grand Head of The Way” he returned in a low voice and so my jaw must have hit the ground.

“How the hell would you know?” was my less than polite inquiry.

“The tattoos emblazoned on her Attendants.  Those were no ordinary assassins who guarded her” Aidan revealed.  “Besides – it was plain as day, the tattoo she herself bore on her left wrist” he tacked on with a grin, implying that I really needed to read up on Brotherhood culture.

“The disk” I now heard Bryan speak up as he joined us.

“What disk?” Kevin now perked up and I had forgotten all about it.  Turning my hand over I opened my palm to look at the flash card.  “I’ll take it” my geek was quick to assume, but I just offered him a slow and deliberate sideward glance as I now stowed the disk in my breast pocket.  “It could be a tracking device” he dared further press the issue.  However, last time he’d gotten hold of data on a disk and auditioned its contents, he then quickly traveled down the wrong road, headlong into a court martial.  Or would have done so had it not been for him coming to his senses, and after some ass-prodding from me, of course.

“She addressed Collin as Member-Elite” Bryan pointed out.  “The disk becomes Property of The Order” was his summation and so with an aggravated sigh I looked to my Captain-Major for his opinion, although just how this had turned into decision by committee I had no idea.

“This is an AFA mission” Greg stated matter-of-fact.

“Care to make it a draw?” I now inquired of my brother, glaring at him with a set jaw.

“It might be encrypted” was the voice of reason which emanated from my brother.  “Did she give you the cipher?” was his intelligent question and no, that thought had not even crossed my mind.

“Could just be a series of challenge questions” Kevin now offered.  “Answers only Collin would know.”

“Which means someone in their camp would possess intimate knowledge about my brother” Aidan spoke in a low voice, seemingly troubled by this notion, or at least perplexed.

“Only one way to find out, dudes” Bryan now cracked wise, mocking Kevin, and so my geek now leveled Bryan one very black look.  Choosing not to deal with this at present, I made an attempt to change the subject.

“I assume there’s an airlift on its way?” I asked my brother who nodded once in affirmation.

We need to go somewhere neutral, Aidan signed to me in our own personal sign language.  Da’s getaway house, he suggested and after thinking about it for a moment, I agreed with a flick of my finger.  Once airborne I could call for Wardens to be put into place in the vicinity surrounding the house tucked into the mesa, although I was certain Aidan would do the same, calling in Members.

Now setting aside any discussion, we set off for the pickup location.  This was not distant – only over the next ridge where the land flattened out, making it easier to board the helicopter which was on its way.  After we had boarded our deliverance, I offered up the disk for physical examination – and it was what it appeared on the surface.  Just a data disk.

Pulling out my AFA PDA, I slipped the flash card into the slot on the side.  I was not met with any password prompt or challenge questions and so assumed the single document contained on the disk was protected.

Opening the .pdf file, I was again surprised – the document presented itself for reading, without security, and now I just stared at the screen.  Eyes wide open were the words I read, which were followed on the next line with, The Alternative Faith ~ as Subscribed to by The Ascendancy.  It was now my intention to audition the entire lay before we arrived at my Da’s getaway house in the middle of the desert.

We were first transported to the closest AFA base where we exchanged air transportation for ground and then wasting no time were on our way.  Throughout the whole journey, both air and ground alike, Sierra stuck close to me.  At first I thought it was because her curiosity was on the prowl, wanting to know what was on the data on the disk which I was reading,  However, after a space of time it became clear that she only wanted to be close to me, snuggling in and at points even curling up next to me with her head in my lap.  Almost as if she were trying to protect me.  Well, it was cute and warmed my heart, serving to endear her to me even more, although it wasn’t exactly proper given that we were in public.  After all, she had born Aidan twins and so most all assumed the woman to be his wife, even if this was not the legal status of their relationship.

The further I delved into my reading of the Alternative Faith, the more removed I became from those who surrounded me.  Given the details contained therein, no wonder those who were familiar with my life and had read this work would think that I perhaps might be this Second Son around which the yarn revolved.  Too much there was about this Second Son that fit in with my own life – and granted, it was all subject to interpretation and coincidence, but even I was compelled to suppose that perhaps the man in this work could be me.

Of course, if it wasn’t a fairy tale, that was.

However, I was left with one very unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach once I had finished.  It occurred to me that there were those within The Brotherhood who might seek to make real this prophecy, and it was purely a matter of my convenience, being cast in such a role.  My friend Aaron, he Believed in this Alternative Faith, as he believed in me, that I was something more than what I appeared on the surface.  He had told me that God was not without a sense of humor – and I was beginning to believe that my friend was dead on the money in this regard.

Removing the disk from my PDA once I had finished reading, I handed it to my brother, without one word.  Oddly enough, however, he passed the disk on to Bryan who then merely tucked it away in his breast pocket.

My Captains appeared somewhat miffed by my decision to hand the disk over to my Brothers, but tough.  Greg and Kevin didn’t need to read the contents of the disk.  Not yet, anyway.  It would only have served to fuel their fire, the one stoked by conspiracy.  A conspiracy theory I sought to debunk, but which was becoming harder with each passing day.

Always an uphill battle, I considered as I settled in for the remainder of the ride.

“Did it have a happy ending?” Sierra asked, looking up as she snuggled in more closely against me.

“I’m afraid that was subject to interpretation, my dear” I told her, which was Truth enough, although I wasn’t the only one who fit into the yarn.  Sierra did as well, cited as being mate to the Second Son.  Well, that much at least had yet to come true, since she was, for all intents and purposes, bonded to Aidan.  However, I now considered how the Bonding Proposal between my brother and Sierra had been terminated, and without one single word of explanation by either The Order or the AFA.

So again grew that not so warm and fuzzy feeling – and damned if I was going to play the part of a puppet, with others pulling my strings!  That just wasn’t going to happen and that was the end of that.  I would see to it – personally.

Leaving the old dirt road, we now followed what amounted to goat paths, until we finally abandoned the vehicles, taking to our feet.  It felt like a death march, Truth be known – and in a sense this perhaps would be correct.  If the Order should carry out its intent to use the Cup of Christ to extend the lives of men, all of Mankind, in essence, well – then we would all be damned.  One way ticket to hell anyone?

It was late afternoon by the time we arrived at the adobe house which was tucked back into a hollowed out rock face on one side of the small mesa.  I was in no mood to be social and so upon arrival I dumped my pack, snagged some water and headed on up to the top of the mesa.  I could feel Sierra’s eyes following me, but the woman knew enough to leave me to myself when I was like this.  I needed time alone, time to think of a way to extricate my sorry ass from the corner into which I had painted myself.

After all, I had Sworn to my brother that I would leave the AFA for good once the Cup had been Recovered.

Once having made the ascent and was atop the mesa, I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I walked over to the western edge.  To say that I had a lot on my mind was an understatement.  My Brothers of The Order, they would commit the unthinkable.  I wasn’t sure what the majority was, percentage wise, for the High Council Vote, but I had the notion it swung heavily in favor of Aidan and his followers.

Of course, one need Believe in the power of such Relics – and I did, without question.  What Mankind was faced with, I was certain, was a test – one contrived by God Almighty Himself.  One which would decide the Fate of all Men and Women who walked His Earth.  Personally?  I could not care less who wanted to damn his own soul to hell for all Eternity.  That was a personal choice, naturally.  However – to damn the souls of all who lived?  Without their consent or their knowledge?

To say that Aidan and I were on opposite sides of the fence would have been the understatement of the millennium.  Sad fact of the matter was – the AFA was on Aidan’s side as well and so with the Recovery of the Cup, I had, in the bat of an eye, become a man without a country.  Given this, what were my options?  I knew what they were, however – this would brand me as a a deserter.  To the Blackguard I would go, which would mean breaking my Oath to not only The Order, but to the AFA as well.  However, Antonio Abruzzi, leader of the Blackguard – he and I were of like mind.  That the Cup should never fall into the hands of The Order, or the AFA – and much less be used in the fashion as was the intent of not only The Order, but the AFA was well.

Bleak and dismal, this was into what my world had suddenly transmuted.

I would be forced to leave Sierra behind – but how could I do this in good conscience?  I couldn’t – but facts were facts.  She was AFA property and I could not just spirit her away and turn up  with her on the doorstep of the Blackguard.  And even if I could, there were my brother’s children to consider should I make off with Sierra and the twins, Aidan would only track us down, to reclaim his offspring, and his woman.  Not to mention that I had no desire to part my brother from his children.

I was of a mind that relations between the AFA and The Order were going to become even more strained in the near future, more so than they already were, and on a number of fronts.  And I was the link between the two worlds – the AFA’s ace in the hole, or so that’s the impression they had always given me.

However, it took a bullshitter to know a bullshitter.

I wasn’t sure how long I had stood there, considering my options, limited as they were, when I head my brother’s voice.

“If you are thinking the unthinkable, then don’t” was his stern caution.

“You can’t unthink a thought!” I snapped as my tongue surely got the better of me.  Whirling about to face him, I was dismayed – because the man actually looked happy.  Now, about just what he was happy, that was a question best left unasked.

Just like the thought unthunk.

“Mankind will finally get that leg up we’ve so desperately been needing” was his take on the plight of our species.  He was my brother, he could pretty much read my mind and understood what was eating away at me.

And it wasn’t the discovery of Sierra’s supposed twin, either.

“Has the High Council passed a Vote?” I now made inquiry, clinging to a shred of hope that perhaps, just perhaps, these wisest of men might come to their senses.  Then again, Aidan held a High Council Seat, so what was I thinking?

“Not yet, but We will, as soon as I return for the Vote” was his assurance, one in which I could hear his conviction that the Vote would swing his way.  “We need your help, little brother – and that of Aaron” he now bowled me over with a feather.  Although Aaron had Transitioned from Ascendancy, Swearing Oath to The Order, my brother’s loathing of my friend had not diminished, not one iota.  Aidan would rather chop off his own balls than to ask Aaron for help.  “The Council of Priests asked Our Grand Head to have me to locate him.”  To this I just blinked like an owl – ok, so it wasn’t his idea to petition Arron’s aid, and thus my original assessment stood.

“Well, don’t look at me – its been months since I’ve had any contact with Aaron” I told him the Truth and then steered the conversation in a direction which I was more inclined to head.  “Does this mean the Council of Priests hasn’t made a positive i.d. on the Relic?” I tested, wondering if Aidan had put the cart before the horse in this instance, uncharacteristically jumping the gun, as it were.  Naturally he gave away nothing, at least not visually.  However, I sensed that I had hit the nail squarely on the head.  “Aren’t you being a bit premature, then?” I questioned, but in the same instant understood why he would throw caution to the wind – which was so very much unlike my brother.

He was going to use the Recovery of the Cup to aid his bid for Grand Head of The Order!

God help us all, I thought, biting my tongue so it wouldn’t again get stupid on me.

“You know I can’t advocate your intent where the Cup is concerned” I now laid my cards right out on the table and then turned my back on him.  Watching the setting sun I tried to calm my heart, but it was almost unattainable.  I needed to keep my brother guessing, though, even if it was nearly impossible to pull one over on him.  However, nearly was all the opportunity I had, and so would run with it.  “Have you debriefed Harlan?” I again shifted the topic as Aidan now joined me, standing to my left.

“Given that he is officially AFA, I should think this would fall on your side of the fence” he joked, but as I turned my head to look at him – it was no joke.  What was this happy horse shit? I wondered in confusion, but then got it – he’d already been in contact with the Grand Head and it was obvious he had been ordered hands off.

Interesting.

“Sierra is afraid of Harlan, as well as her twin” I made mention but was certain he’d already picked up on that.  “Why would that be?” I wondered, although it was more of a rhetorical question than anything else.

“Jealousy” was his overly simplified explanation.  “Sierra is likely worried that either you or I might be attracted to Sienna” he postulated and thus was forced to bite my tongue so I would not laugh.  I wasn’t sure if he believed his own bullshit or if he was merely trying to put me off the scent of something.

The latter, I decided.

“They might look strikingly alike,” I conceded, “however, any similarity between the two abruptly ends right there” I offered my sincere two cents.  “This Sienna is scared of her own shadow.  She makes a deer mouse look like a bloodthirsty predator” I chuckled for it was true.  Sure, she was a looker, just like Sierra, but she truly lacked fire.  Fire which Sierra had in plenty and which greatly endeared her to me.  Her spunk was every bit as alluring to me as was her beauty.

And so again, how could I entertain the notion of leaving Sierra behind?

I couldn’t, and yet I knew must.  Ever between that rock and a hard place – it was the curse of the Irish, after all.  One with which I had been intimately familiar my whole life.

“Sienna is a woman, however” my brother felt the necessity to point out, just in case I had forgotten the primary objective in this Post-Time world.  Be fruitful and multiply had taken on a whole new meaning for those of us who had survived the Apocalypse.  However, why did the thought of this Sienna having children with some man repulse me?  Taken aback by the consideration, I released a weighted sigh as I ran a hand over my face.  Id, I decided, trying to neatly sweep the thought under the carpet.  I was presuming the woman to be something less than human – and thus conspiracy theory began to barge its way into the equation.

If that was the case, and Sienna was some genetic creation, then so was Sierra – which left me with a clammy chill coursing along the surface of my skin.  And not just because the woman I loved might be an abomination, but because I could be one as well.

And out of nowhere it struck – the headache.  Great fucking timing, I considered in anger, but getting pissed about it would only serve to make it worse.

“Collin?” I heard Aidan inquire and so opening my eyes I looked to him.  “Headache?” he inquired, reading the signs, I supposed, and so I nodded.  “If you get some food into you, then you’ll feel better” was his sage advice and I would not argue that.  I was starving, no two ways about it, and my blood sugar level had just about hit rock bottom.

“Yeah, you’re right” I accepted, wanting to terminate this conversation until after I had more fuel from a full stomach.  As we turned round to head back down to the house, we saw our little predator on her approach.  Sierra was stalking her way across the top of the mesa, in a bee line which terminated where my brother and I were standing.  I just rolled my eyes at Aidan as if to say, now what?  However, the little Chiquita noticed my expression and so narrowed her eyes at me in disapproval.  The woman was miffed about something, it was more than apparent.

“Will you tell Amanda to back the hell off?” the diminutive pit bull made demand an so I had to raise a hand to my lips to canvas the smile that was burgeoning there.  Aidan didn’t say a word to her – after all, she was being impolite.  “She thinks she has the right to order me around” the woman now growled.  “Did you tell her to do that?” Sierra directed at my brother who was still keeping his lips zipped, but I sensed he was laughing inside.  “That little tramp really needs to learn to butt out” she tacked on, now treading on dangerous ground – if not but for the fact it was Truth.  Amanda was unfaithful to her husband Ryan, or had been, since such indiscretion wasn’t about to be repeated any time soon.  Not if she didn’t want to have Aidan lock her up in a cell and throw away the key, that was.

My brother had nearly lost it when I apprised him of her adulterous behavior with Tyler Redhawk, the son of Dasan, Chief of the Native Peoples.

For a moment, I wanted to burst out laughing.  Sierra’s commentary about Amanda’s promiscuity was a bit like the pot calling the kettle black since Sierra had had relations with both me and my brother.

And so the irony.

Since Aidan wasn’t inclined to acknowledge her demand, I did in his stead.

“What has the tigress done now?” I inquired, folding my arms across my chest as I looked down upon the little beauty.  “Besides being in your airspace, that is?”  The two got along no better now than when they had first made the other’s acquaintance.

“She’s trying to make me play nice with Sienna” was her cool return.  “So the woman looks like me – but that doesn’t mean I know her from a bloody hole in the wall!” she snapped, stomping her foot for emphasis.

“Indeed” I returned in all seriousness.  “So tell me this – when you had first arrived at my base, wouldn’t you have felt more at ease if there had been a woman who was nice to you?  To take you under her wing?” I asked, since Amanda certainly had made things harder on Sierra, instead of easing her transition – despite Aidan’s command of her to make Sierra feel welcome.

Sierra just glowered at me – I was making sense and I was right but the woman was loath to admit it.

“I’m not sure who she gets her lack of manners from” Sierra now complained and again she was navigating into treacherous waters.  After all, she was insulting Aidan’s little girl – even if I was Amanda’s biological father.  “You sure have plenty of them, though” she complimented me with a shy smile, one which just about gave rise to a hard-on.  Well, it did but control quickly won out.

“Amanda has been discourteous to you?” my brother now decided to ask and so Sierra’s words magically dried up.  She understood that she wasn’t going to win a battle with my brother on this front.  Amanda could do no wrong, of course – at least, in his eyes.  “I asked you a question, Sierra” my brother now pressed her and yup, he sure had – but was she going to lie to him in answer, though?  Coin toss there.

“Takes two” she mumbled, looking away for a moment.  However, in the eyes of my brother, this was no answer and so he waited.  “You know, you spoil her!” Sierra suddenly decided to go on the attack.  “And you” the woman then opted to drag me under the bus as well.  “You won’t reprimand her because you are afraid of your brother!” she hit below the belt, going after my masculinity.  In a huff she now stalked over to the edge of the mesa to stand there watching the sun set, and biting her tongue very hard, I knew.  Aidan and I just exchanged glances before we went after her.  Hearing us approach, she now spun about to face off with us and I had to admit, I was starting to get weirded out by her mood, one which had commenced upon meeting her twin.

“It might help if you were honest with me about Amanda” Aidan suggested, but it was no suggestion.

“Why?  She’s not even your flesh and blood, Aidan!” Sierra now foolishly raised the stakes.  “She’s Collin’s goddamn daughter!” the pit bull barked but then suddenly, oh, so suddenly, she shrank back, sucking in her breath.

She was looking past Aidan and me like we were ghosts.  And so craning my head over my shoulder I then groaned and so Aidan now was quick to turn around.

Standing there in the middle of the mesa, stopped dead in her tracks, was Amanda.  Well, hadn’t Aidan cautioned her about sneaking around?  Granted, he had taught her how to move without detection, but the young woman had used it not to keep herself safe, as had been my brother’s intention.  She instead used it to spy on people, to eavesdrop.

My heart would have gone out to my daughter, if I had felt that way towards her – as a father to his child, but I didn’t.  I’d forever and always just be her Uncle Collin.  Of course, now that the cat was out of the bag, her world was going to get turned on its ear.  Amanda loathed me, and to now realize that I was her father and not Aidan?  Well – that was one house of cards that would surely come crashing down on top of her.

No one said a word, though – and for several long, painful moments.

And I could have sworn that my brother was shaking in his boots.  How he had tried to protect Amanda from finding out that I was her father!

“Excuse me?” the tigress now spoke, looking past my brother and me as she directly addressed Sierra.  My little pit bull, though, now hid behind me, actually clinging to me, predator now having turned prey.  “All because you and I don’t see eye to eye, Sierra, is no reason for you to go around making slanderous remarks!” Amanda barked, but when the young woman got a clue that no one was backing her up, she lost a good deal of her bravado.

Silence ensued and so the young woman prompted, “Da?”  And what was Aidan going to do now?  He couldn’t say that Sierra was just being a bitch, after all, since her words most certainly had merit.

“Which one?” I now spoke up, clearing my throat and praying that my brother would not deck me.  “Biological or surrogate?” I tacked on and with that I was visited by one rather threatening look from my brother.  “What?  Did you think you could keep this a secret from Amanda for her whole entire life?  She’s an adult, brother – in case you have failed to notice?” I spelled out the facts.  “I believe she is well past the age when she became able to handle the Truth.”  There.  I said my piece and was now inclined to head for the hills.  Aidan, however, just hung his head – he loved my daughter as if she were his own, to the point of having excluded me from anything more than casual contact with her from the day she was born.

Under a threat of death should I color outside the lines, of course.

Sierra was now tugging at my sleeve and so I looked down at her.

“I think we need to leave them alone, Collin” the creature whispered as she looked up at me with pleading eyes.  I was inclined to agree with her – this was between Aidan and Amanda.  It was he who had kept the secret, enforced the secret, and so it was he who needed to do the damage control now that Amanda’s world began to crumble around her.

“I agree” I spoke up, and then dared in comfort to clasp a hand over my brother’s shoulder.  “If you need us” I told him and to this he only nodded once.  Sierra and I wisely took our leave, with Sierra notably using me as a buffer between her and Amanda as we passed on by.  I offered Amanda in passing a quick bow of respect, but was then dragged away by Sierra, who now had hold of my hand and was urging me to get the led out.

Once we reached the path leading down from the mesa, Sierra broke into a sprint, wanting to put as much distance as possible between her and the unfolding drama on mesa top.  Jogging along after her, I caught up with the woman just as she reached the entrance of the adobe house.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa” I called to her and then was lucky enough to latch onto her arm before she had opportunity to start racing down the path that led away from the house.  Kevin was sitting out front on the bench and was on his feet as soon as he saw us.

“What’s going on?” he inquired, sensing that something was rotten in Denmark, as that old saying went.  Restraining Sierra, I turned her to face me but the woman would not look me in the eye.

“Aren’t you going to yell at me?” she wanted to know, finally looking up, with tears in her eyes, a sight which nearly broke my heart.

“Whatever for?” I asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes.  “It was bound to come out sooner or later” I pointed out what should have been obvious.

“What was?” my Captain now decided to get nosy as he moved in closer.

“The female praying mantis just found out who her daddy really is” Sierra laid out the facts and so Kevin promptly turned white.

“Holy Mother of God” he mumbled, shaking his head.  “Who spilled?” was his next question and since Sierra didn’t answer, instead looked down shuffling her feet, he got it.  “Oh, man – you’re fucked.”

“Excuse me, Captain Wong?” was my reproach, one delivered in a low voice.  I didn’t care how those two carried on when they were chumming, but foul language in front of a lady wasn’t going to happen on my watch.

Even if Sierra used plenty of it herself – one habit of which Aidan and I had not been able to break her.

“Sorry, Commander” Kevin now apologized.  In the meantime, Sierra was beginning to fidget and kept glancing towards the path leading up to the mesa.  What did she think that my brother was going to do to her?  Whip her?  Not possible, after all, she had him whipped, I considered with a twist as I regarded the frightened little kitten.  As amusing as this all was, I had far more on my mind besides my brother getting his panties all in a bunch.

“Where is everyone?” I asked looking around, since the place had the appearance of a ghost town.

“Bryan is skulking around somewhere” the geek told me, the translation of which meant that my brother’s IT geek was getting caught up on some work now that he had ‘net access.  “Ryan and Quade are inside with Sienna and Harlan.  Greg is down the path getting caught up and fielding irate emails from Colonel Jones” he got rather descriptive and so I had to laugh.

“I’ll bet” I laughed under my breath.  “Sierra, I need to have a word with Greg – so, just chill, ok?  Aidan loves you, just remember that – he’s not going to punish you.”

“Wanna bet?” the woman was quick to counter and although this was probably true, to some degree, I still wasn’t about to bolster the notion.  Leveling her a look of disapproval, Sierra now held my eyes for a moment before nodding.  Leaning over I planted a kiss the top of her head and then went to go find Greg – however, I didn’t get far.  The woman was following me and so I just glared at her.  Now she was being downright ridiculous.

Stopping in my tracks, I closed my eyes as I pinched the bridge of my nose, counting to ten.

“Captain Wong, you have my permissions to restrain the woman” I told him and then waited.  The geek hesitated a second but then obeyed.  When I opened my eyes, the look I saw on Sierra’s face was priceless.  “Not… one… word” was my caution.  Kevin then took hold of her arm and started pulling her backwards, away from me.  Taking a deep breath, I collected myself so I would not lose my temper.  I needed to put myself in her shoes for a moment and yeah – the thought of my brother going off on was a pretty scary thing and so I could only imagine how she would feel.

“Look, my dear – everything thing will work out, so please don’t worry overly much” I tried to assure her.  “I need to consult with my Captain-Major, that is – if I have your permission?” I chuckled, trying to execute an about-face so I would not present myself as a total hard-case.  “I’ll be back before you know it” I told her with a wink and then turned on my heel to leave.

“No you won’t” the beauty now shocked me and so, right on cue, I whirled about to face her.  “You’re gonna leave me behind” she said, and like – what?  Was the woman now a fortuneteller?

“Come again?” I prompted as I now slowly closed the distance between us.  Kevin was watching the exchange with great interest and so I dismissed his ass.  “That will be all, Captain” I told him and knowing better than to piss me off, the geek did as he was told, but to his credit he did remember to bow before turning tail and making himself scarce.

Getting down to one knee before Sierra, I took her hands in mine own, squeezing them.

“You’ve been acting strange from the onset” I made observation.  “What are you so afraid of?  And please don’t tell me a tongue lashing delivered by my brother.”  Biting her lip the woman sighed, looking down for several long moments.

“I never should have given him children” were the next shocking words to come out of her mouth – pure ludicrous because I knew how much she loved Kaden and Kiran.  Especially Kaden – that little boy had brought her so much joy.  He was a quiet lad, lacking the fire of his trouble-making sister Kiran, but Kaden had resolve – and lots of it.  For a youngster, he had an unusual singleness of mind, possessing an intense need to puzzle out things, and would do so in a very quiet, nondestructive way, never giving up until he had succeeded.  His sister, on the other hand?  Kiran’s idea of exploring her world was to tear it from limb to limb, leaving devastation in her wake.

And thus why Aidan was so taken with his little girl, and conversely on the flip side was thoroughly disappointed with his son.  Kaden wasn’t even officially his Firstborn.  Sure, he might have been the firstborn son, but he wasn’t Firstborn.  That lucrative title had gone to his sister – but would do her little good in the Realm of The Order.  A world truly belonging to men – always had, always would.

Drawing in a measured breath, I gathered my words.  I couldn’t spare the time just then to cajole and pamper this beauty, although had time permitted I would have loved nothing more.

“Look, I won’t pretend to understand what you are going through” I spoke Truth.  “Even if I am a twin myself, well – Aidan and I aren’t identical, so its not quite the same.”

“She’s not my twin” the woman hissed at me and ok – it was getting more freaky by the second.  “Just promise that you won’t leave here without me, please, Collin?  Promise me!” she implored and I was beginning to wonder if she had more than just women’s intuition, but perhaps instead had one serious case of esp going on.

“What’s this bullshit about your regret of giving Aidan children?” I decided to backtrack for a moment, morbidly curious why she would say such a thing.  The woman, after all, loved my brother – heaven and earth, as it was.  A small detail which pained me right down in the pit of my gullet, but what was there to do?  Love was just that – love, with all its handicaps and impediments in tow.

I loved her every bit as much as did Aidan, but the woman just could not see this, having been blinded by the majesty that was my brother, Lord of The Brotherhood and one hell of a prime specimen of the male animal.

Made me want to hurl most days – I had truly gotten the short end of the stick because Aidan had it all.  Always had, always would, too – facts were facts, and adding insult to injury, the damned guy was hung like a horse to boot.

Shuffling her feet, Sierra looked down, not sure how, or if, she should answer my question.

“It… complicates things” was her iffy answer, one she mumbled and then looked into my eyes.  “How can I run off with you and leave them behind?” the poor creature asked and then started to whimper, sending a chill up my spine.  Perplexed as perplexed could be this was how I felt.  “And how can I leave their father behind?” she tacked on and if I had felt the least bit of satisfaction to think the woman follow me to the ends of God’s Earth, well – then that was dashed in a nano-second when she made mention of my brother.

“Who said anything about me running off?” I asked in a low voice and again, the woman wasn’t inclined to answer.  At least, not right away.

“Women’s intuition – you’ve painted yourself into a corner, I can tell” Sierra spoke in a hushed voice as she now raised a hand to stroke my cheek and damned if I didn’t shudder.  Closing my eyes, I bowed my head and counted to ten – how I wanted to kiss her!  And do so much more than that.  In moments like these I was coerced to do battle with my self-control otherwise the very male beast in me would surely win out.

I needn’t have worried overly much, however.  All thoughts of violating Sierra were immediately vanquished for as I glanced up and past Sierra’s shoulder, I now saw my brother descending the path which wound its way down from the mesa.

And he was alone.

“Shit – that was fast” I mumbled under my breath as I quickly got to my feet.  Aidan made a bee line for me and Sierra, and so the woman again hid behind me.  Not wanting to get caught in the middle – literally – I took hold of Sierra and dragged her out in front of me.  At the very least she would act as a shield, since I wasn’t so sure that Aidan would not take out his anger on me.

Sierra shrunk from Aidan as he walked right up to her, but then he dropped to one knee.  Bowing his head for a moment, he then raised a hand to press his palm to her cheek.

“You spoke Truth” he told her, which was his way, I supposed, of reconciling what had happened, even if the timing had just plain sucked.  “I love you, Sierra – you should never have cause to fear me” my brother assured her in a voice that could talk the birds right down from the trees and Sierra swallowed it – hook, line and sinker.  With a shy nod she acknowledged this and so Aidan dared kiss her, and to my disheartening the woman accepted his gesture with great warmth.  Once the sultry kiss had ended, my brother got to his feet – and after tenderly placing a single kiss on the top of her head, he then disappeared.

Notably without a single word or even a look my way.

His brief time on the mesa top with Amanda meant only one thing – he had given her the bare facts and nothing more.

“Please stay out of trouble” I mumbled and then started to make my way back to the top of the mesa.  Sierra didn’t try to stop me, but this time she wasn’t inclined to shadow me, either.  Maybe she would have had she known that there were other points of egress from the mesa top.  After all, no man would all himself to be cornered up there and thus we had long ago made sure there were other viable ways to make descent.

I took my time as I made the climb – but I had no idea what to say to my daughter.  She hated my guts and that’s all there was too it.  Making discovery of my being her biological father wasn’t going to change her perception of me – it was only going to deteriorate from here on out.

I told myself I shouldn’t care – but I did, and had from the very day Miranda told me she was pregnant and that I was the father.

Shaking my head to clear the cobwebs of an ancient past, I now broke from the path onto the mesa.  Amanda was standing on the far side, watching the remains of the day as they now quickly slipped away.  Which was what I felt like doing, but a coward I had never been, and so wasn’t about to start now.

Resolve in my heart to just get it over with, I strode up to Amanda and took up a place along side her.  Stuffing my hands in my pockets I just stood there in silence and waited.  I’d let her have the first swing if she wanted it – Lord knew I was deserving.  Regardless the circumstances of that long ago moment in time, facts were still facts.  Miranda had been Aidan’s wife, she committed adultery and I was the interloper.  Pretty darned simple equation there.

Or, it should have been, at any rate – but it wasn’t.

Deciding that Amanda was passing on that first blow, I now spoke up.

“I’m not sorry” I told her and so as a result her temper kicked in.  Turning to glare at me, I saw anger in her eyes, eyes which were unmistakably inherited from my genes and not my brother’s.  Same shade of green, same intensity – that the woman never had a clue that Aidan wasn’t her father just blew my mind.  “If the sin had not been committed, then you would not have been born – so, I am not sorry for it” I clarified.  “You have brought my brother boundless joy – I would not change that for the world” I spoke Truth, even though my pain of it was equal to that of his happiness in having had Amanda to raise as his own.  My daughter just held my eyes, unsure what to say.

“You truly love your brother, don’t you?” she made inquiry, and how could she think I did not?

“I cannot live without Aidan” was my simple statement.  “by his wishes, I deferred to my brother.  I would not lose you both, after all.”  Apparently she had no comment and so looked out over the desert dusk which was swiftly settling in.

“I loved your mother, more than life itself” I felt a need to tell her.  “I can live to be a hundred and ten years old and still would never understand what happened between she and I.  That’s the Truth of it, Amanda – and again, I won’t apologize for our indiscretion.”

“Does anyone else know?” she now wondered but I had a sense she was just playing it coy.  She had suspected for a long time, I ‘d wager, that Aidan was not her true father.  She was no dummy, after all – but on the flip side, she would not have been able to conceive of Aidan lying to her.

“Amanda – it’s plain as day to everyone that I fathered you” I spoke out in pride, for this was truth.  We were very much alike.  The young woman was a drop-dead gorgeous beauty and it was more than apparent to all that I must have been her true father.  “It doesn’t matter, though – Aidan is your Da” I reminded her.  “He raised you, protected you, nurtured you.”

“Lied to me” she complained in anger and disappointment.

“Did Aidan ever say to you I am your father?” I had to ask her, knowing that Aidan wouldn’t lie – but he sure had creative ways to get around the truth.  Again looking to me, I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she considered my question.  “If I know my brother, he would have always referred to himself as your Da” I surmised, but she didn’t answer. – which meant I was right.  “And I have never lied to you by calling you my niece.  Look – I know how disappointing it is to discover that I’m the man whose seed breathed life into you” I put to her, trying not to choke on the words.  “However, everything you are, you have Aidan to thank.  In every sense that matters, you are his daughter, not mine.

“My advice to you is this – forgive my brother for not being forthright.  His love for you is such that he would go to any lengths to protect you.  Nothing has changed in that regard, Amanda – he still loves you, you still love him, and you still hate me.  Status quo at the end of the day, really.  Just don’t take it out on Sierra for spilling – it was an accident, she didn’t realize you were present.  And for your information, she thought it wrong that you had never been told, but also deferred to Aidan in the matter as well.

“Now, I don’t know about you but I’m starving, and food always makes me feel better” I chuckled.  “Why don’t we go have some dinner?” I suggested but she just shook her head.  “Fine – suit yourself.”

“Tell me about her” Amanda suddenly requested as I was about to make my escape and so now I froze in my tracks.   This I could not do – the pain was as fresh then as it had been all those years ago, my loss of Miranda.  Looking down for a moment with my eyes tightly shut, I released a long, low breath.

“You need to broach that with Aidan” I refused.  “He was Mira’s husband, not me.”

“But you loved her?” she prompted and how could she suppose that I did not?

“Heaven and Earth!” I now defended myself, feeling pain rip through my heart like a jagged knife.  “And this has never changed, Mandy – I still love your mother, to the point I have never been able to get her out of my head, or my heart” I swore to her.

“Your interest in Sierra – is that payback?  For Aidan marrying my mother?” was her next cutting question and here it comes, I thought – the headache was now ramping up to increase tenfold.  A real head-throbber in the making and agan what bad frigging timing!

“If you believe that, then there’s nothing I can do to convince you otherwise” I told her in a growl.  “I am perhaps not as honorable as your Da, but I have tried to respect the fact that Sierra and he are, for all intents and purposes, Bonded.  I won’t lie to you – Sierra and I share a very strong chemistry between us, but I am trying to do the right thing this time.”

“You’ve slept with her, though” she challenged and yes I had – only once, but once was all it took to violate that sanctity.

“Yes – once,” I confessed, “before Sierra conceived Kaden and Kiran – and not since.”

“What about all those stolen kisses?” was her next cutting inquiry and what could I say to that?  guilty as charged, Sierra and I did flirt, and at times it went beyond the casual kiss – but if Amanda hadn’t been sneaking around spying on us, then she would not have been witness.

“Yup – you got me there” I grumbled, running a hand over my eyes as the pain of the headache exploded.  “I am only a man, Amanda – I am weak as are all males, this much I can admit” I told her, dropping my hand from my face so I could now hold her eyes.  “Sierra was not unwilling, so if you are going to place blame, place it on us both” was my advice.

“As was the case with you and my mother?” she pressed and yes, Mira was to blame as well – although I would not reveal to my daughter that on the day of Amanda’s conception, it had been Mira who sought out me and was the instigator.

“It takes two to tango, young lady – although I should think that you would be the last person to point a finger,” I now reminded her in spite, “given your own infidelity.”

“At least I now know it runs in the family” was her next attack and ok, before the contention had opportunity to escalate, I was going to retreat.

“If it looks like duck…” I began and then shaking my head I turned on my heel, making my exit and leaving her to stand there, contemplating our exchange.  I had wasted enough time; there was business that needed to be done.

Quickly I made my way down the path and once again at the bottom, as before, I spotted Sierra and Kevin sitting on the bench just outside the entrance to the house.  However, this time Greg had joined them.

“Sierra, gentlemen” I said in greeting and now Kevin was fast to his feet – discerning that his Commander wasn’t in the mood for any lack of formality.  “Captains, if you would” I said to Greg and Kevin while I motioned with one hand towards the path which lead around the base of the mesa.  Sierra was now on her feet as well and tugging on my sleeve.

“You ok, handsome?” was her shy inquiry and in her eyes I could see the depth of her concern for me.  Giving way to indiscretion, I took her face him my hands to deliver a heartfelt kiss.  Then going one further, I backed her up against the outer wall of the adobe house and pressed my full length along hers as the kiss now intensified.  I wanted something to remember her by, of course.  I had made up my mind to leave, but leave alone I would.  In everyone’s eyes Sierra was Aidan’s wife, and I would do nothing to split them asunder.

“I love you, Sierra” I whispered in her ear and then kissing her neck I could feel shivers running across her skin.  Without further distraction I then made my exit with my men in tow, leaving Sierra standing there staring after me.

“What was all that about?” Greg asked me as we coursed along the winding path.

“Huh?  Oh, nothing” I muttered as I stuffed my hands in my pockets.

“Hmm” was his only response, then falling to silence.  I led on for a while until I was comfortable with the distance between us and the entrance to the house.  The moon was on the rise this night, and it was full.  Stopping in my tracks, I now turned to face my men.

“Talk to me” I made command, suspecting that Greg had tales that needed telling.

“The AFA disavows any knowledge of Harlan having AFA rank or affiliation” the Captain-Major told me.

“That’s odd because I’m pretty damned sure that Grand Head Sokolov has ordered Aidan hands off since Harlan is purportedly AFA” I laid on them and so my two Captains exchanged a curious glance.  “The tide has turned, gentlemen, and not in our favor” I told them, waxing dramatic.  “This Harlan thing is troubling, though, and the timing stinks.”

“After rounding up Harlan and and the woman, Bryan cautioned Aidan against allowing you to come into bodily contact with Sienna” Greg now told me and so I blinked.  If he was going to set foot on that road to conspiracy, I would deck him myself.  However, by the minute their conspiracy theory regarding the Plan and Its Furtherance was gaining ground, especially after having read the Alternative Faith of The Ascendancy.  So much so that these days it was becoming impossible to ignore said conspiracy.  And by this point, if they were inclined to declare that Sienna was a clever genetically  engineered trap?  Then I would be inclined to believe them.

“How would you know this?” I asked for surely Aidan would not have shared with my men Bryan’s caution, since my brother hadn’t even told me himself.

“Sign language” was his simple reply, which just raised yet another question.  Granted, I had been taught the sign language of The Order, but just when did my Captain learn?  It was a closely guarded language, and one not written down anywhere.  “You were looking the other way at the time” Greg explained.

“And you learned their sign language just, when, Captain?” I asked.

“Not me – Kevin” was his revelation and now my tech geek grinned.

Bryan taught me, Kevin now signed just like a Member and I almost fell over backwards.  I’m not fluent but not too bad either, he added and like yeah – he was pretty frigging good though.  But why would Bryan teach him such a thing?  Doing so would be punishable by death, for it would have been considered an act of treason.  And so curiouser and curiouser became my world.

Why would Bryan teach you? I signed in return to see just how good he was.

He told me it might save your life someday, was his response and so now I swallowed hard.  When did Bryan start giving that much of a rat’s ass about me?  The Order is going to go through with it, Commander, using the Cup – they need you to be on board, however, he told me and I understood what he meant.  If down the road I was Confirmed Second Son, and had been against using the Cup, then that would have dire implications for those who had condoned Its use.  My brother would obviously be among those men.  They need you to track down Aaron – that’s an imperative for some reason but I don’t know why.  You’re every bit as good of an antiquities scholar as is Aaron, right?  To this I just blinked.

So you think you’re not fluent? I signed in return, trying hard not to laugh.

Its easy – just like using terminal commands, Kevin explained with a shrug and he was right.  I had seen him working at the command line time and again with lightening speed, performing amazing feats with sparing and cryptic keystrokes.  What I wanted to know was when did he and Bryan find time to do a face-to-face for all this instruction?  Some questions were best left unanswered, I understood.

Have you been teaching Greg? I asked him but then then glanced at Greg to see if he understood.

He has – I’m not so good with the subtleties… yet, Greg signed in return with a grin.

Thanks for cluing me in, gentlemen, I signed to them both with as much sarcasm as I could imply, now switching over to AFA sign language.  What we needed to discuss should not be left to open ears, even if I was fairly certain we were alone just then.  I didn’t sense the presence of others, but then again, I was nowhere near as good with this facility as was Aidan.  He could sense a mosquito in the dark of a new moon night at fifty paces, I was certain.

Sir, can I say something? Kevin made request and I could tell that he wanted his remarks to be off the record, and so I nodded my permission.  We were in uncharted territory when it came to the Cup and associated topics.  Sierra is afraid you are going to take off, he told me but I didn’t answer.  That would be ill advised, the geek offered opinion but it was just that – opinion.  You are Order, sir – so you can’t just up and decided not to obey, was his dire reminder, one where Greg was of like mind, nodding in agreement.

And you can’t hide behind the AFA on this one, Greg tacked on – yet another undeniable Truth.  My superiors would order me to obey my Brotherhood Masters and go with Aidan.  After all, they would charge me with seeing to the AFA’s interests in the matter of the Cup.

However, neither party’s interests reflected my own.

My intent from the beginning had been to turn to the Blackguard when the time came.  This organization and its intentions did reflect my own, and its leader Antonio Abruzzi owed me a great debt.  One of which I had yet to call in the marker – but that time was swiftly drawing near.

I won’t suffer its passing! I now signed in angered protest, making clear my feelings when it came to use of the Cup of Christ.

And what can you and the Blackguard do about it? Greg was quick to inquire.  Nothing.  Your being a conscientious objector will only alienate you from both The Order and the AFA, branding you as a deserter with each, he made clear and he was right – but we were talking about an act poised to be committed which would damn to Hell for All Eternity the souls of every living man, woman and child on God’s Earth!

You should at least find Aaron, get his advice, he now advised me but there wasn’t time for that!  I literally had no bloody idea where my friend had gone, or how to get in touch with him.  Or at least talk to Eric, were the next surprising words Greg signed and so in this he showed his desperation.  Both Greg and Kevin knew that if anyone could twist my arm, then it would be my Second in command, Colonel Jones.  However, this go around I didn’t want anyone’s advice.  They all thought I was a nut case anyway when it came to the topic of the Cup.

Which squarely labeled them both as Unbelievers in my book.

Send a communique to Matt, I now signed to Kevin, my resolution set.  Ask him how’s kicks, toss in some techno-gossip and in the end challenge him to a game of online chess, I told him.

I hate chess, Kevin signed in return, so does Matt.

Point being? I signed, my patience beginning to run thin.  My Tech-Staff Captain hesitated but then drew out his Palm and began tapping away.  Greg now took hold of my arm, a plea for me to change my mind, but I just brusquely shook my head.  My mind was made up.

Matt would pass off the curious communique to Antonio, I knew, who would understand the message loud and clear.  Would the leader of the Blackguard come to my aid?  That was another question, one I wasn’t assured of the answer – but at least he would understand the ground upon which I stood.

And it was the same as he – way above it all, standing on higher ground.