Carnage: Here, boss. Whisper too. All good.
Shadow: What’s going on there?
Whisper: Minor explosion, police trucks and media everywhere. Mission aborted.
Shadow: Fuck. We need this done, but you guys are unharmed?
Carnage: Unharmed. Close call. I had my sights on the target right before the restaurant went up in flames.
Shadow: No casualties?
Carnage: Nah. Target is standing on the sidewalk next to a cop right now.
Whisper: We can follow him if you still want this done tonight.
Ghost: Need backup? I’m bored. Mine was too easy tonight.
Phantom: I need backup. Come hang with me, Ghosty.
I can practically hear Ghost roll his eyes. He and Phantom have the strangest relationship, always egging each other on, but almost always together too.
Carnage: No backup needed. We got it. Boss, what’s the order? Drop it or follow?
Shadow: Follow.
Carnage: Fuck yeah. We’ll update.
Shadow: Everyone else good?
Me: All good.
Wraith: Fantastisk.
Foster: Why are you fantastic? You getting laid right now?
Phantom: Foster, you need a code name, man. It’s jarring.
Foster: Still thinking on it. Joss said it should be something about being fast or efficient. Getting it done quick, you know.
Phantom: Hope that doesn’t reflect your sex life.
Foster: Fuck off.
He adds a laughing emoji.
Foster: Maybe Nimble. Is that dumb?
Whisper: I like it. Understated. Deceptive about how lethal you can be.
Foster: Yeah, okay. Maybe that.
The chat fades away and my eyes find Cashmere again, now at another table. His gaze floats to me and he ever so subtly nods in acknowledgment. He laughs at something a man says, but even from here, I can tell it’s manufactured. He’s playing a role, nothing more. As each day passes, I get to see more of who he is behind the mask he wears so well.
Tonight, I’ll strip that mask off and reveal the man I’m longing to see. Admittedly, my interest started as nothing more than a physical ache, but now that I know a little bit more about him, I’m desperate for the rest of it. I want all of him, every drop.
“What’s your long-term plan?” Wraith asks, seemingly out of nowhere.
“About what?”
