CHAPTER 405: ENGAGED?

"They have sent an address," Athena chimed excitedly, her eyes lit with hope, a small smile tugging her lips.

She was so very pleased with these contacts her children had given her, including their chatty chats, which were also respectful at the same time. They could hold the fort until Spider was hale and hearty.

She held back a sigh when it was Aiden that joined her on the sofa then, at her proclamation, and not Ewan. The latter had returned to keeping his distance since their altercation in the adjoining room, and she wondered if she had gone over the bar by claiming she was engaged.

But wasn’t it better to let him think she was a lost cause–only a friend–than to give him nameless hope?

"Let me see the coordinates..."

She handed the phone to Aiden, who perused the details with sharp eyes, then nodded to the fellows in the room with them.

"Let’s head out then. We all remember the plans?"

Echoes of agreement greeted him just as everyone got to their feet, ready to meet the battalion waiting outside for the mission. It was a mixed sort of group—Thorne’s security, Ewan’s, and that of the Nimbus operation.

Susan had convinced her boss to be fully involved in the matter, promising returns from the higher-ups in the headquarters should things go well. The boss hadn’t needed a second urging; he had heard of Athena and her acts, after all.

"But wait..." Old Mr. Thorne called out, raising his hand slightly, wishing he could join them in this mission, missing his younger days of adventure.

But hell would rather lose if Florence should discover that he had left with them. She would start first with the epistle of his uncaring attitude toward her, his unloving ways, and things would go downhill from there. He still wanted to live long.

"We should keep this within ourselves. No telling anyone that is not here. Let’s limit the news that goes about so that, in the event that things go south, we would know where to start a search."

It was a bitter suggestion he made, he knew, but as his eyes moved slowly from his wife to his granddaughter, to Ewan, to Sandro, to Zane, to Aiden, and then to Susan, he knew that they understood what he was saying and that they agreed.

To curb casualties, and to protect their loved ones in cases where they were captured, whatever plan and happening would have to remain in the circle.

"We understand, Senior," Aiden spoke, tilting his head respectfully.

"And we will keep to it," Ewan added firmly, right before he turned to Athena, who was already looking at him.

"Athena won’t be joining us, though..."

Athena’s reaction was immediate. She scowled, mouth opening to release curseful expletives, her fists clenching on her lap, but Ewan was yet speaking.

"You have to be in the lab. You have to be working on the cure."

And those sentences, spoken with utmost calmness, were enough to douse whatever heat she had going on within her.

"That’s true, darling," Florence concurred, patting her husband’s arm with fondness.

"As much as you thrive on the adrenaline like this old man here..." She grasped her husband’s arm, causing the gang to chuckle. "I think you should focus on your work in the medicine field. They might still release the drugs anytime they want. The boss, whoever that godforsaken person is, can still turn on the kill switch anytime... so you have to get working..."

Athena nodded slowly, staring at Ewan with an unreadable expression, then started toward her room. "Let me go get my stuff then. Ewan will drop me at the lab. He will join you lot at the designated locations."

There was no refutal, even as everyone got into motion.

Ewan, however, wished his people luck and sat on the sofa with Athena’s grandparents, aware of the almost-there tension.

"So, is there any improvement in your relationship?" Old Mr. Thorne started, unable to hold in the curiosity anymore.

Florence scoffed before Ewan could give an answer. "He has spoiled it already, again. Didn’t you feel the tension between them when they came out from the smaller living room?"

Ewan shut his open mouth and sighed, rubbing a hand across his jaw. "She said she is engaged to Antonio."

The couple blanched in one accord.

"Engaged? My world... I’m just hearing this for the first time," Florence said, not sure if she should be jubilating that she would be planning a wedding soon, or feeling pity for the son she had always wanted in her family.

"You both aren’t aware then?"

The couple shook their heads.

"We are just hearing it for the first time. It must have been a secret engagement," Florence continued.

But Old Mr. Thorne shook his head slowly. "If I should take a guess, she just told the lie to keep you from pining for her."

Just then, footsteps were heard, and the trio kept silent, flagging the topic as not-to-be-spoken-about, for the main character was back.

"Let’s go," Athena said, gesturing to Ewan, who stood and started toward the door.

He heard Athena say her farewells to her grandparents, heard the chaste kisses she must have plastered on their foreheads or cheeks, and wished he was a recipient of that too—the kisses.

Outside, the compound was already emptied of people, only the security stationed around the house, and the different quarters in the large compound.

Rodney was already in the driver’s seat, the car engine running; Susan had informed him that he would be driving the boss soon, and he wondered what was going on with the level of security detail he had seen in the compound.

"Good afternoon, boss..." he greeted when Athena entered the car.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Giacomeeti..." he greeted Ewan in the same vein.

Ewan returned the greeting with a curt nod and put up the partition. But Rodney was getting used to this.

"So, have your men given Ciara the phone?"

Ewan nodded, opened his phone, and showed her the text that Ciara had sent some minutes ago.

"So, she thinks they are watching her?"

Ewan nodded again, his brows slightly furrowed.

"If the suspicious movements she claims to see are real, then it’s safe to say they are watching her. What do we do about that? We can’t go there, even with disguises..."

Athena rested her head properly against the seat, tapping her knee in thought, lips pursed.

"I think we should take her out of there. Maybe send in an agent who can act as a friend? Maybe take her to dinner, and then lose the watchers?"

Ewan was already typing on the phone, his fingers quick, sharp. "That’s a good idea, Athena. Brilliant as usual."