The elevator doors opened at the top floor of TD Tower, two floors above the restaurant, Ollie's office. Only the light at the end of the hallway was lit, and that light came from inside the glass doors.

  Almost midnight and an hour late, he'd completely forgotten about this super top secret meeting by sitting on a park bench, looking at Rachel's ring, asking Guide what the hell "Aurumn's Everlasting Fire" was. Needless to say, he wanted to rename Guide to 'stupid face'. Unfortunately, that didn't work either, and now here he was, late because of 'traffic'.

  That was the golden excuse. All adults used traffic as an excuse.

  Opening and stepping through the glass door, he waved at Ollie who glanced his way when he came in.

  "Look who finally decided to show up," Ollie said as Gale walked in. "You're late."

  Gale coughed, clearing his throat. "Traffic was bad."

  "It's midnight."

  "Midnight traffic."

  Ollie shook his head. "Just come in. We're just prepping anyway."

  Looking at the office, the arrangement changed, looking more like a war room. Ollie's usual desk was now against the wall. In the middle of the room, a large circular table with a transparent square device in the middle that projected a monitor in the air that could be seen in all directions wherever he moved.

  Three people stood around the table. Ollie, Lily, and a slim muscular man that Gale didn't know.

  "This is Rodriguez," Ollie said, putting his hand on the man's shoulder. "He'll be your partner for Saturday."

  Rodriguez stepped forward, extending his hand for a handshake. "The famous hunter, Gale. Heard a lot about you."

  "Nothing bad, I hope." Gale shook his hand. He noticed the calluses and that Rodriguez was slightly off-balance, favouring his right side. From the handshake alone, the man had an elevated heart rate. Just in case, he checked Ollie's and Lily's heart rates using Breath of the Void's tendrils. Normal, around 70, compared to Rodriguez's above 90. There was also a faint smell of something animalistic on his clothes. Faint, but definitely there. Gotta keep his nose on that Rodriguez, just in case.

  Rodriguez laughed too loudly. "The Blue Witches talk like you're some kind of legend."

  "That so?" Gale glanced at Lily who immediately looked away.

  "I told him to stop listening to them, haha," she said.

  Ollie clapped his hands together. "Let's get started. Mateo's already waiting."

  At the corner of the hologram, a square was dedicated to show a video feed of a young looking man, egg's nest hair, dark circles, and a whole bunch of energy drinks all over his desk. The young man put the takeout container to his side, still chewing on some noodles.

  "About time," Mateo opened another can of energy drink and sipped it. "Some of us have been working all night."

  "Mateo handles our tech," Ollie said. "He'll be our 'control' during the operation."

  Mateo finally looked at the camera. "Is this him? The new guy? Doesn't look like much."

  "He's more than capable," Ollie said.

  "If you say so." Mateo chugged down the energy drink. "I've named the operation as 'Dustbin.' We need to start being proper with operation names."

  Ollie snorted. "Yeah, real professional, Mateo."

  "You got something better?"

  "Let's get down to business." Ollie snapped his finger, the transparent square device glowed blue for exactly a second, and suddenly, a 3d hologram map of the airport appeared above the table, rotating slowly in blue light.

  Staring at the hologram, Gale tried to touch it, but his finger only passed through. He had never seen holograms before, only in movies they'd watch during class in school. Every corner, shadow, nook, and crease, and even the slight elevation changes in the airport laid out on the table.

  The hologram stopped rotating, and Ollie tapped the table. "Billy Bishop Airport. Our target arrives Saturday at 12:32."

  Lily leaned forward, blue light lighting up her face. "What's the manpower situation?"

  "We'll work in Aur military units," Ollie said, glancing at Gale. "For those who don't know the structure: one unit is two people. Two to three units make a squad. Three to four squads make a platoon. Two to three platoons make a company. And so on."

  "For this job, we're keeping it small," Ollie continued. "Two units. Gale and Rodriguez will be our primary infiltration unit. Lily and I will handle perimeter security."

  Rodriguez nodded, smiling at Gale again. "Sounds good to me. Always wanted to work with a legend."

  "Let's get down to business. According to our intel, there's going to be a full squad escort. Four Awakened, two Attuned, and two Resonant," Ollie said as the hologram zoomed in on a section of the airport. "Tough, but nothing we can't handle."

  "Intel also says the Path twins might be watching Billy Bishop," Lily turned to Gale. "They're apparently hunting you."

  Gale fiddled with his fingers. "What are they looking for?"

  "You tell me," Lily said. "What happened at that asylum?"

  "Nothing worth talking about," Gale said.

  Ollie cleared his throat. "Whatever beef you've got with the twins, stay clear of them Saturday. We don't need complications."

  Rodriguez raised his hand. "Can we back up? What exactly are we intercepting here? Just dust, or something else?"

  Ollie snapped his fingers again, and the hologram changed to show shipping containers. "Not just dust. Our sources say they're bringing in prototype Mystic-grade containment technology."

  "The kind that masks ether signatures?" Rodriguez asked, leaning closer to study the image.

  "Exactly," Ollie said. "If they get this tech distributed, they could move dust throughout the country undetected."

  "What's the security layout at the shipment site?" Rodriguez asked.

  Ollie zoomed in further. "Two checkpoints here and here. Guards posted at each entry point."

  "And the shipment itself? How's it packaged?" Rodriguez asked.

  "Standard containers on the outside, but obviously glyph artificed inside." Ollie replied.

  "One more thing," Ollie said. "We have reason to believe one of Spotlight's messengers will be present. A guy named Victor Wang."

  "That's a rare intelligence opportunity," Lily said.

  "Which is why we need to be careful," Ollie said. "Capture, not kill. We need information more than bodies."

  "Guessing we're not going lethal?" Rodriguez said. "Don't think paperwork's going to be worth it, especially with the new kid, even if he's the legend."

  "Not because of paperwork. United Knights all around the east coast already. Better to not give them another reason to put more criminal records on our asses," Ollie said, glancing at Gale. "Don't underestimate our new kid. He's got more experience than any of us at surviving. Survived the Red Hollows alone."

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  Rodriguez whistled.

  "Infiltration unit gets in, secures the tech and any intelligence. Perimeter unit keeps escape routes clear and handles any external threats," Ollie said.

  "And I sit on my ass and talk into a microphone," Mateo said over the comms. "What else is new?"

  "What about weapons?" Gale asked.

  "Standard non-lethal capture armaments. Ollie's on frozen shots on sniper. I'm using electro bullets for stuns," Lily said.

  "Best for not starting a war," Ollie said.

  "What about you? Ollie mentioned you prefer your own." Lily asked.

  Gale nodded. "I do."

  "Show us what you're bringing," Rodriguez said, smiling again. "Always curious about a new partner's loadout."

  "Nothing special," Gale said, not saying more.

  Rodriguez's smile faded a bit. "Right. Man of mystery."

  The hologram changed again to a data table, detailing a schedule.

  "We move at 11:00," Ollie said. "That gives us time to get into position before the shipment arrives. Questions?"

  "What's our extraction plan?" Rodriguez asked.

  "Same vehicles we arrive in," Ollie said. "They're not expecting us, so we should be able to leave the same way."

  "Unless they are," Lily said.

  "And if they are, we improvise," Ollie said. "That's why I picked this team. Everyone here can think on their feet."

  Rodriguez smiled at Gale again. "Looking forward to seeing you in action, legend."

  Gale didn't smile back. "Same."

  Ollie turned off the hologram, making the room darker. "Get some rest. We meet back here at 9:00 Saturday morning for final prep. Dismissed."

  Gale watched the others leave through the glass doors. Quick, precise, professional, not staying in the office for more than a minute after they were dismissed.

  On the other hand, he stood behind to catch Ollie by the arm. "Got a minute?"

  When the door closed, Ollie turned to Gale. With a snap of his fingers, the hologram turned off, and the room's light now only came from the city behind the ceilign to floor windows.

  "Something bothering you?" Ollie asked, leaning against the table. "Besides the traffic that doesn't exist for someone who doesn't drive."

  "The setup feels wrong."

  "What part of it?"

  "Rodriguez," Gale whispered. "He smells like an animal."

  "An animal? He has a dog at home." Ollie glanced at the door. "Besides, he's been with me for almost three years. Good field agent. Solid record."

  "Still."

  "Your instincts are usually right?" Ollie caught the transparent square from the middle of the table as it flew to him.

  "Usually."

  "Good enough." Ollie moved to the window with his back to Gale. Toronto's skyline spread before them, still lit up as the nightlife continued. "You know what I've learned in this business? Organizations are just collections of people with their own agendas. The Path, the Knights, the Jiuling, and all the other whatevers. They're not monoliths. They're just people."

  A drop of sweat fell on the tiled floor outside of the glass doors behind them. Obviously, someone was still there, but Gale ignored it for now and asked, "So you're saying don't trust the Path?"

  "I'm saying trust individuals." Ollie turned back to face him. "People you know. People you've fought beside. The rest... The rest are just playing their own games."

  But what about Rachel's warnings? If he told Ollie that, it would be breaking her trust, and she'd get mad at him. The fire in her eyes… literal fire, not the metaphorical kind. That was a clear no-no. His fist clenched. Being an adult is a lot of fucking work.

  "What about Mateo and Rodriguez?" Gale asked instead. "You trust them?"

  "I've known them both for years. Hard not to trust people after working that long together. Though sometimes..." Ollie laughed softly. "But this tech is too important to pass by. Word on the streets, the prototype tech will allow anyone to transport dust worldwide en masse fully undetected or whatever contraband away from UK's or Jiuling's detection."

  "Aren't there already spells that can do that?" Gale asked.

  "No." Ollie answered immediately. "If there was, dust would be contained at consumption already and mundanes wouldn't have to get exposed. That's why-"

  Ollie stopped, looking toward the door.

  Gale followed his gaze. Nothing there but obviously something there.

  "That's why what?" he pushed.

  Ollie shook his head. "That's an answer you'll get another day. For now, we need to focus on Saturday. You got my back, right?"

  "Always," Gale said.

  "That's all that matters then." Ollie picked up his phone, checking the time. "Listen, no matter what happens on Saturday, remember what I said. Trust individuals, not organizations."

  Gale nodded.

  Ollie put his phone into his back pocket. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow we finalize preparations."

  Rodriguez walked into view on the glass doors and pushed them open. His eyes widened as he saw them still in the office.

  "Sorry, forgot this," he said, picking up a tablet from the table. "Was I interrupting something?"

  "Nah, we're done now," Ollie said.

  "Right. See you tomorrow then." Rodriguez nodded, smiling again. He turned to leave but stopped before taking his first step. "One thing. If there's anything else I need to know, now would be the time. Don't want any surprises."

  "Everything's covered for," Ollie said. "Rest up."

  Rodriguez waved at them and smiled again.

  After he left, Ollie shook his head. "That was subtle."

  "What do you mean subtle? He really smells like an animal. A dog or a cat or a dog cat," Gale said.

  Ollie shook his head at Gale. "I'd better go check in with Mateo. That kid works all night if someone doesn't remind him to sleep."

  Ollie left through the glass doors, leaving Gale alone. Before he could follow, Lily walked in. Seems like everyone literally stayed behind.

  "Hey," she said, avoiding eye contact. "Got a second?"

  "Sure."

  Lily closed the door behind her. "So, about what Rodriguez said earlier. About you being a legend with the Blue Witches?"

  "What about it?"

  "It's exaggerated." She leaned against the door, arms crossed. "The others kinda tell stories about what happened in the forest, and it just keeps adding more over the years."

  "Stories about what?"

  "About you. How you fought off a hundred Knights to save us. How you single-handedly defeated some dark wizard. Jessica started most of it." Lily rolled her eyes. "And then the others just kept adding more to whatever she said, as a joke, but then they started taking it seriously."

  "Dragons would've been easier than what was actually there," Gale said.

  "That's what I keep telling them." Lily sighed. "It's embarrassing, really. They talk about you like you're some fairy tale hero."

  "I've always read about those kinds of books. The ones where the hero would slay the demons," Gale smiled, remembering the days he'd spend under the blankets at night and when Ms. Molly would nag him for sleeping too late. "Didn't think I'd actually do it though."

  "It's just stupid rumours. Mostly just Jessica and her besties talking bullshit," Lily said. "I was there, remember? I know what really happened. How close we all came to dying. How much of it was just luck and desperation, not some grand heroic plan."

  "Luck counts," Gale said.

  "Yeah, well." Lily pushed off from the door. "I just wanted you to know I wasn't the one making up all those stories. In case Rodriguez brings it up again."

  "Thanks for the warning."

  "Get some rest, Gale. Saturday's going to be rough." She turned and waved at him behind the glass doors.

  Putting his hand up, he looked back at the ring on his left middle finger. The red stone shined on its own without any source of light, and right now, the pulse of the ring beat at a clear 94 beats per minute.

  She did say that she was worried about him. Her worrying about him, somehow it made the room feel warm, not the literal kind of warmth. Just hearing those words felt more calming than thinking about going to the library.

  Gale sighed. Ollie was probably right anyway. Trust individuals, not organizations. If his friend trusts that guy, he might as well trust Rodriguez as well.

  The door opened again suddenly, interrupting him from his thoughts. Rodriguez came back in, tablet under his arm.

  "Still here, partner?" he asked, smiling. "Just grabbing the rest of the gear I forgot over there on the table."

  The man went to the table and picked up a small black case.

  "Partner," Gale repeated. He never really called anyone that, ever.

  "That's what we are, at least for Saturday, right?" Rodriguez's smile widened. "We'll see what you're packin' tomorrow. Who would've ever thought I'd be able to work with the legend of the Blue Witches? Tomorrow's going to be interesting."

  Gale showed a soft smile and just watched as Rodriguez got his things.

  "Nice ring," Rodriguez said, eyes looking at it with focus.

  Gale put his hand in his hoodie's pocket. "Gift from a friend."

  Rodriguez whistled, "Must be some special friend."

  He picked up his case and headed to the door. "Well, partner, I'm off. You should get some rest too. Word is you're one hell of a fighter. Looking forward to seeing that from front row seats."

  His phone vibrated in his pocket after Rodriguez had left.

  [Rachel: Still up?]

  [Gale: yeah. still at Ollie's office.]

  [Rachel: get home safe. i know you dont need it, but still. watch out for bad guys.]

  The bad guys should be the ones to watch out for the dark hunter, hehehe, he wanted to say, but laughed it off.

  [Gale: I will. you sleeping now?]

  [Rachel: Yup. Sleep well when you get home, and don't lose that ring.]

  [Rachel: Goodnight.]

  [Gale: goodnight, sleep well.]

  - 605/700 Followers

  PSA: Apologies for the inconvenience. I accidentally released chapter 113 which was supposed to be scheduled for tomorrow 4pm.

  Bonus chapters are dropped the following day whenever the goal is hit!