“Agent Shadow, it's January, we need you to come in. It’s just come to our attention that Alphonso Gianni has escaped . . .”
“What? How?” Lucas asked, cutting off his old friend and onetime partner whose name wasn’t January but William Dawson. Many Seeker agents, like Asher, were CEOs or once worked in law enforcement and some were recruited because of their military experience. A few were recruited right out of college—Dawson for instance. And, like Dawson, were simply in the right place at the right time and gained all their experience as a Seeker agent. “How the fuck did he escape maximum security? I want to know who the hell fucked up right now.”
“That is the reason why we need you to come in, Agent Shadow, all will be explained."
“Fine, I’ll be there in thirty minutes, I want all the information on what happened waiting for me.”
He hung up the phone, throwing it on his desk. “Dammit!” he yelled.
Tucker walked over to him and grabbed him by his shoulders. “Go deal with what you need to take care of, I’ll be here waiting for you.”
He nodded and leaned in kissing his husband. “I need to shower first. Do you want to join me?”
Tucker smirked. “I would love to, but if I did, you wouldn’t make it to where you need to go.”
Lucas wrapped his arms around Tucker’s neck. “You’re probably right. You do have a way of making me forget everything around me.”
“Go take your shower before I change my mind.”
He kissed Tucker quickly then stepped around him and walked out of his office. He was going to kick someone’s ass for letting Gianni escape. He was sure that the man had an ax to grind and would surely come after Lucas and the ones he loved.
Over my dead body.
* * *
Lucas walkedinto the building he used to frequent when he thought he was a badass secret agent.Yeah, I definitely watched too many James Bond movies growing up.He greeted Easton and Trapper who were on duty every time he visited. Taking a quick turn to the left, he entered the second part of the hall and looked at the walls filled with names in silver and gold. Nameplates of agents who’d come and gone. Agents who did their jobs, without the citizens knowing they existed.
A phoenix with fiery wings was in the center symbolizing the death of an agent and the rise from the ashes of a new one. Lucas used to tease Tyler that the reason he got a phoenix tattoo on his back was because of his dedication being a Seeker agent. But he knew the true reason behind his little brother's tattoo, Tyler always saw himself as ever-changing, stepping outside the Hamilton box and doing his own thing.
Admittedly, Lucas missed being a Seeker agent sometimes, but he wasn’t going to put himself in danger again, he had too much to lose. He patted his stomach, smiling. He’d worn one of Tucker’s shirts that was large enough to hide and cover his growing bump. He turned away from the wall and walked over to the receptionist who was another agent. The outside of the building looked like a hotel to those passing by. If someone accidentally walked in, they would be turned around by one of the doormen sitting next to the door.
“Hello, Agent Bella,” Lucas said to her as he placed his hand on top of the counter and waited for it to read his fingerprints as he looked directly at the camera that was reading his retina. Once she got the confirmation he was Lucas Hamilton, code name Shadow, she spoke to him.
“It's great to see you again, Agent Shadow, they are waiting for you in control command room A.”
“Thank you.”
He walked through the security doors and prepared himself for what was to come. He’d long since told himself he was done with this part of his life, and even though he knew he couldn’t get involved with Seekers again, it didn’t discount the excitement he was feeling. Opening the door to the control room, he stepped inside and closed it, leaning his back against it. He was greeted with a flurry of activity, and it brought back the nostalgia of his days as an agent giving orders, directing attacks and missions. But it also reminded him of the real reason why he was there.
“I want someone to tell me who the hell fucked up,” he yelled, stopping everyone in the room making them look at him.
“You never fucking change, you always walk into a room demanding answers.” January walked over to him with his hand extended.
He took the offered hand, shaking it and smirked. “Yeah, well, I was at home enjoying being away from all this shit. You called me, remember. What the fuck happened?” he asked releasing January’s hand.
“Well, you're not officially retired, so suck it up, buttercup, and that’s what we are trying to find out.”
“All right, what can you tell me?”
January nodded and handed him the file he had in his other hand. “From what we can ascertain, Gianni was being transferred from Germany back to Italy where he needed to stand trial. During the flight, the plane experienced engine trouble, and the pilot had to make an emergency landing in Austria. Once they were on the ground, the pilot and co-pilot were killed along with the agents that were flying with them.”
“How many?” Lucas asked looking at Alphonso Gianni’s face on the cover of the file in his hand.
“Five,” January answered.
“Any way to track Gianni?”
“No, he deactivated the GPS tracker on his ankle bracelet.”
