Curse of the Fallen - 2. Chapter Two: Reunion

Chapter Two: Reunion

Aaron didn’t stay in detention for long. Whoever the member of the Elected who was pulling the strings of the committee didn’t want one of their own to be interrogated by the CIB. Aaron was however banned from the complex. Not that he ever wanted to return. His only concern was how he would get Chase to quit. If there had been a member of the Elected among those who had been in the room then it was no longer safe for his fiancé to remain as a part of the committee.

Heading back to the Rayburn Building and not finding Chase there, Aaron deicide to drown himself with work. When Chase did return he found Aaron busy typing 60 words a minute. Looking over Aaron’s shoulder Chase saw Aaron was working on the legal niceties of a contract dealing with some sort of covert military action involving the military contractor SecCon and the U.S. government. “Is this the Artic deal?”

“Yes…” Aaron didn’t sound all that pleased.

“Still against it I take it?”

“Hey, if the government is willing to pay for it who am I to complain. It’s not like the President will listen to the opinion of a mere peon.”

“You are not a peon.”

“That’s very nice of you to say that up we know it’s true.” Aaron gave Chase a peck on the cheek. “What’s up?”

“Can’t your future husband come pay you a visit without having a reason to?”

“As I said, that’s very nice of you. Still, what’s up?”

“It’s my father. He…”

“Let me guess. He wants me to join him for dinner before I head back to Boston.”

“Yes.”

Aaron’s expression went from a warm humorous to cold stoic glare. “Am I allowed to bring protection?”

“I’m afraid not. Look…we don’t have to stay in politics.”

“I don’t but you do. You are the only reasonably voice on the joint committee. The Elected and your father will not like the idea of you leaving. They could force you to stay.”

Chase laughed. “What can they do… kill me?” By the dark glare in Aaron’s eyes Chase knew he had stepped into the heart of it. “Look I can take care of myself. It’s you I’m concerned for.”

“I can handle Graham.”

“He’s not the sort that gives up easily.”

Aaron’s eyes softened. “Nor are you.”

Chase lifted Aaron up into his arms and kissed him deeply. Only the limits of Aaron’s need for air pulled the two apart. “You should get going,” Chase whispered.

“And you?”

“I’ll be keeping an eye on the committee. Willis knows you weren’t the one to attack him but he might still want to accuse you of knowing who did.”

“Two eyes please.”

“Two eyes, two lips, two hands, two legs, and one big dick.”

Aaron didn’t know about the others but he could defiantly feel the man’s cock pressing against his left thigh. “I better get going.”

“You should.” If Aaron did not leave soon Chase might never let him leave.

Once back in Boston two of Governor Welford’s bodyguards picked Aaron up at the train station. They took him to a waiting silver Aston Martin. One opened the back right side door, revealing the solid blood red interior. Looking at all that red caused Aaron to feel sick. Even after all these years the sight of blood horrified him.

“Is there something wrong sir?” the driver asked.

Yes… there most certainly is. Aaron wanted to shout but instead he shook his head and stepped inside.

Graham was seated there waiting for him. “It is good to see you again… very good.” He placed a possessive hand on Aaron’s left thigh.

Aaron would not lie to return the greeting. “I know you would rather I feel the same but I don’t.” He quickly changed the subject. “I hope things in Springfield are going well.”

“Not just my state but the country as a whole… partly because of you.” He squeezed the muscular flesh.

“I am only a cog.”

“A very important cog. Didn’t you get us out of that mess in Pakistan?”

“Pakistan?”

“The shootout at the border? You know the situation involving Beta Team.”

Aaron would never forget that mess.

Word had it that the area was the base of a terrorist camp that had been linked to a bombing in London that had killed three members of the Elected. The Council had demanded swift retribution. That the U.S. and British government were willing to put troops on the ground without any pressure was a minor example of how much influence the Elected had around the world.

Though one of those killed had only been distant fourth cousin, family honor required Jon to lead the raid. At first everything had gone as plan. The raid was broken up into four teams, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Alpha was to protect their escape route. Gamma and Delta was tasked with destroy the camps. Beta, which Jon led, was to hunt down and bring back those behind the London bombing. The Council had special plans for them.

Riding aboard silent black helicopters, the team had slipped into Pakistan at night into the Wadi Valley.

Altogether the campaign was to last two weeks. During the first three days they establish their perimeter and gathered intelligence. They had come in with a good idea of where most the camps were but as the Council wanted revenge, they needed to learn the likely routes of retreat and find ways of cutting them off. On day four Gamma and Delta moved against the camps. Instead of raiding the nearest camps they attacked those further away. They didn’t want to give the terrorist any idea of the direction they were coming from.

The panicked radio talk among the terrorist after the first attacks led to enough intelligence for Jon and his team to track a few of the leaders but not all of them.

It was into the start of the second week that things began to go badly. It was not guns or explosives that turned the tide. It was the rains. It came down in sheets creating flash floods that destroyed the remaining camps. Delta and Gamma made it to withdraw point but Beta insisted on remaining until the last terrorists on the list were captured.

As the flood waters rose, the terrorists fled for dryer ground and Jon chased after them. It was at the border with Afghanistan they found themselves sandwiched between the Taliban and the Pakistani army approaching from behind. Still Jon wouldn’t leave until the Elected had their revenge. He had manage to get all those on the list but he was now trapped. The Taliban would never let them cross into Afghanistan and in fact had overrun the border to get at Beta Team. Jon called in for air support but the U.S. would not directly attack the Pakistani army.

All the while Aaron had silently watched as the other teams returned. When he learned of Jon’s predicament, he saw to it himself to get him out of there. After 24 hours of frantic calls with the Defense Department, the office of the President, as well as with the Pakistani government he managed to get the Pakistanis to allow safe passage to Karachi. The deal had required Jon hand over those he had captured but as a member of the Elected he could not allow that to happen. He executed each and every one of them in front of Aaron and the Pakistani negotiators.

While the Pakistani government was furious they could not afford for what Jon had done to become public. If word got out that a U.S. military team had sneaked into the country to deal with terrorists who had killed a Pakistani governor and three judges that the Pakistanis had been incapable of dealing with on their own the embarrassment and loss of national pride would have cost them a significant amount of political support among its citizens. There was also no question about whether or not the Pakistanis would execute or even just imprison Jon and his team because with Aaron and other U.S. government officials being present on the scene the Pakistanis couldn’t kill them and blame it on the Taliban.

Of course Aaron had known what Jon would likely do when faced with surrendering his prisoners, which is why he had insisted on being at the scene of the handover. Aaron had also not come empty handed. He brought with him a suitcase filled with cash as well as his Talent. Both of which he used to help soothe away the commanding Pakistani military official’s rage when Jon broke the terms of the agreement.

It had long been the rule that the Elected were not to use their Talents against major political figures. If it was learned that a mentalist had used their abilities to force politicians to obey them then the safety of all Elected would be put in danger. Aaron however was not about to let his future husband end up in a Pakistani prison. His touch was so faint that not even the Elected’s agents dealing with the Untalented, the Liaisons, would know what he had done. A light touch here, a nudge there, the feeding the emotions of subconscious fear of what would happen if they didn’t let Jon’s men go with faint hopes of rich rewards led to not just the release of the prisoners but eventually to the Pakistani’s signing a profitable antiterrorist aid contract with Dr. Balthazar’s security company, SecCon.

All in all it was a win/win. Well almost. Jon spent several months in the dog house where Aaron refused even let him to touch him. For Jon that was worse than ten years in the slammer.”

Aaron didn’t know why the governor was reminding him of that difficult time. If it was meant as a compliment it fell flat.

As soon as he could he sated the governor’s sexual appetites. Refusing to spend the night he hurried off to his home in Cambridge. Tomorrow he would graduate. More importantly he would get the chance to meet with old friends.

After Aaron and the others left the Lakes School for the Gifted, Sam stayed on for one more year and went on to medical school but Joshua, the meta-mental Talent went back into hiding. Every now and then Aaron or Jon would hear rumors that he had made an appearance on this or that task for the Order. No longer able to feel the love of another Talent his only reason for living was to see the Coven suffer.

Greg Balthazar had eventually resigned his position as headmaster and set up his own company, SecCon. What had started as a small security firm had grown into the third largest in the world. The company also expanded into medical research developing counteragents and vaccines, first for military’s bio and chemical weapon department but eventually expanding into all sorts of medical issues an armed force might face in a hostile environment from a malaria vaccine to nano technology treatment of severe frostbite. One day, to Greg’s amazement, the medical side was out grossing the military contracting business. Not that humanity had moved any closer to world peace.

Seven years after winning the Chicago Council Tournament most people didn’t remember how a mere Blip had defeated the best the Order and Coven had thrown at him. Greg claimed it was for the best for Aaron’s victory to be forgotten. That most people had forgotten meant the Coven probably had lost interest in Aaron as well.

Almost all the Coven that is.

As Aaron crossed the stage to receive his diploma, all the most important people in his life had come to watch him receive his degree. Landon Casper, Aaron’s brother, who himself had been busy since Aaron left Lakes, had come in secret to watch as well. Having kept his existence from Aaron secret all these year he had watched from a distance as Aaron received his degree. None but Greg knew he had come but then again there was very little Landon could hide from his secret lover. Greg was now the head of all the Covens in North America.

Aaron, Jon, Sam, Joshua, and Greg found themselves in the same room for the first time in seven years. Andrew, who now insisted on not being called Andy anymore, also showed up. This was the first time Aaron had seen Andrew since his fight in the arena. He looked much better than he had when Landon had taken him away. Being back with the whole gang again however had Andrew acting quite jittery. His coming was kept secret and was meant to be the graduation surprise for Aaron.

To say Aaron was surprised would have been an understatement. The moment he saw Andrew, he fell to his knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. It took Jon and Greg both to lead him out of the auditorium. As soon as they did however Aaron grabbed Andrew in a vise like embrace and wouldn’t let for a good half hour.

The whole group then went to the house Chase had rented for Aaron to reminisce about the old days.

“I don’t get it.” Sam remarked. “The last time I saw you Aaron, you were the silver fox… now it’s brown. What’s up with that?”

“Decided I needed to do more to fit in.” Aaron explained. “When I was a kid I would fight Ms. Mays tooth and nail not to get it dyed. Now it’s become a bi monthly ritual.”

“And the goggles?” Sam asked. “Not saying I don’t mind finally seeing those brown orbs but I thought you couldn’t stand the light.”

“That’s my doing.” Jon said. “I had our military division come up with a special set of tinted eye-contacts. The military versions can have images and video displayed but all Aaron needed were ones good enough to keep out the light. By the way Aaron’s eyes are really silver… but for some reason he thinks brown eyes make him less noticeable.”

“You didn’t think he could have used the military specs? I know if I had a set of those in gross anatomy I could have saved money on tutors,” Sam replied.

“As I said he only needed a pair of sunglasses.” He didn’t know about Aaron but Jon was not about to let anyone know the top secret specs of the ones Aaron wore.

Sam decided to move on. “What about you Jon… still fighting the good fight?”

“Yes… but as of yesterday I’m no longer working for the good old, and ever dysfunctional, U.S. of A.”

“What?” This bit of news was new to Aaron. “I thought you were going to be in there for life?”

Jon took one of the pillows he was lying against and hit Aaron in the head with it. “No… my plan has always been to stick it out until I could get you and me under the same roof you silly goose.” He hit him a second time for emphasis.

“What do you mean… same roof?” Andrew asked. Once he had been where Jon was now as Aaron’s boyfriend. Even to the bitter end Aaron had refused to break up with Andrew. It had taken Andrew becoming a full Covert of the Coven for them to breakup for good.

“I mean to say I’m going to be working for the same boss as Aaron.”

Aaron looked at Jon dumbfounded. “I’m coming to work for the Congressman.”

“Weren’t you planning to help me run the company? I did pay you that hefty signing bonus.” Greg asked.

“What can I say…? Surprise!”

“Look, getting Andy… I mean Andrew here was one thing but not to tell me Jon will be working with me as well that’s downright… silly,” Aaron felt the need to point out.

“I guess we are all a bunch of silly geese then.” This time when Jon hit him with the pillow Aaron snatched it away.

“What about you Andrew? What have you been doing all this time?” Sam asked after the laughter had died down.

“I’ve been working for the Washington Chosen. My job is not all that different than Jon’s been only I serve the Coven.” Andrew replied. “It’s not easy when you have half the Coven bending over to kiss your ass and the other half trying to decide where to stab you with a knife.”

“How many want to do both!” Jon asked as he and everyone but Aaron and Andrew laughed.

Aaron watched as Andrew tried to shrug off the comment but he could see the pain Andrew was doing his best to hide as everyone continued talking among themselves.