Chapter 12

I get with Mills to arrange an escort to my apartment.  He is more than happy to get out of the office, almost as happy as I am.  Mills guides me over to a large door, a garage door of sorts.

What I see next is purely amazing.  A huge garage with a large variety of cars, all black with black window tint.  We've got an Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban, Malibu, Town car, two Mustangs one of which is a Shelby GT-500.  That was all I could spot a one glance. 

Mills grabs a set of keys from the lock box on the inner most wall.  We take the Tahoe just in case I need to bring a lot of shit out my sad excuse for a living space. 

I look at the key pad for the Tahoe and I see a purple button on there, along with the grey unlock and lock buttons.  "What's the purple button for?"

Mills responds, "Watch and learn Gregg."  He pushes the button and the wall to our left opens up.  It's a freight style elevator.  The Tahoe, the biggest car in the fleet, barely squeezes in the over-sized elevator.  It raises us to ground level, inside of a nasty, bird shit covered shack. 

Another click of the purple button causes the shack to lower its forward main wall so we can exit.  We take the thirty minute ride to my apartment, not speaking too much.  Mills did have me open the glove box, in it was my new service weapon and my new badge.

The gun was a Springfield Armory XD .45 with an extended barrel for tactical applications and enlarge clips for not so tactical application.  The all black gun was very well balanced in my hands and felt like it was meant to be there.

The badge had my picture on a card with all my info in one pocket and an actual badge, gold in color.  Both stated I worked for Homeland Security and didn't acknowledge K.U.N.T. division in the slightest.

I clip the gun to my hip and pull my shirt over it and place the badge in my back pocket.  I was really feeling bad ass official right now.  We pull up at the front of my building, the area looks even worse in the daylight.

I step out and shake my head to Mills as he asks, "You need me to come with?  You need help?"

Mills waits in the car keeping constant surveillance of the area so we stay protected and unrevealed.  I enter my apartment excitedly; I'm hoping Holly is still there.  I want to see her so badly. 

I scrambled from room to room and see no signs of her, no signs that she even existed.  Nothi…wait, I can smell her.  Her aroma was that something dreams are made of.  Very sensual and very relaxing at the same time.

I knew she was real, I knew she was here.  I search again, this time a much more in-depth search.  I found long black hairs; I found the jacket from the closet I had taken out for her the night earlier.  She was in this apartment at some point!

I hear the door knob activate and the door slowly creek open.  Standing in the bedroom, I pull my recently acquired service weapon from under my shirt and prepare for the worst.  I slowly inch my way to the bedroom door as someone enters the apartment silently.

I step out and position myself directly behind my uninvited visitor.  Right as I'm about to press my gun up against this person's back, I catch a whiff of something.  Coffee and that aroma, was this Holly? 

As soon as the coffee was on the table, I grabbed this person's arm and spun them around.  My gun was still pointed at her as she spun to face me.  It was Holly!  I grabbed her and just held her, I held her very tightly. 

She embraces me too, not trying to pull away for a split second.  Her cheek feels so soft against my neck, so comforting.  Her body held close to mine is the only thing that could fill my heart at this point in time.

We pull back from our loving embrace and I gaze into her perfect light brown eyes and gently stroke her hair.  It was like I hadn't seen her in ten years and I just found her or she found me.  Her beauty doesn't even scratch the surface.  She is drop dead gorgeous but that feeling inside that she gives me is blissful. 

We still gaze into each other's eyes as we exchange smiles and joy.  I lean in and touch my lips very lightly to her lips.  I just let them touch, I didn't even try to kiss her, I wanted her to have that anticipation, that rush of a kiss being received.  Finally though, even I couldn't take it and we kissed, my hands on her waist and her hands around my body.  The most meaningful, emotional feeling I've ever felt in my life, happening right at this very moment.  I never want to be away from this woman again.  I cannot be away from this woman again.  I love her!

This is happening for a reason, all the pain and suffering I have gone through in my life and I am finally getting the one good thing I deserve.  But the sad reality of Mills down stairs waiting to take me back underground sets in.

I blink a tear, "Holly, I have to go away for awhile, I'll be able to visit every now and then but I have a very important job to do and it requires me to…travel."

She smiles, "Are you breaking up with me already and it hasn't even been twenty-four hours?  Don't worry Gregg, I travel too and I work too.  What you saw last night was merely a deception implanted into your perception."

"Where do you work?  I just assumed after last night you were on the streets and earning money the old fashioned way."  I explained.

She smiles again as my heart soaks that smile up like a dry sponge, "Let's go talk, gather your stuff and meet me at Mills car in ten."

She exits the room with a small peck of a kiss before I can inquire more.  I grabbed all of my hot wheels and other random decorations to put up around my new office and drop them in a box.  I grabbed the old picture of my mother from my nightstand and exited my apartment, never expecting to see it again.

As I exit the main entrance, I notice that Holly is in the Tahoe, she sits in the middle seat in the back.  I open the trunk and place my box down and enter my seat as the co-pilot.  I look back with sheer confusion splattered all over my face and I turn to Mills with the same look. 

For some reason, I knew now was not the time for questions, nor the time for panic.  Maybe this is somehow a good thing, maybe.

The thirty minute drive back included no sound what so ever.  No radio, no chit chat, nothing.  We just rode and I just sat and thought about Holly.  I swear being around her feels like being around a long lost friend.

Her beauty, her hair, her body, her embrace, her kiss, the way she smiles, the way she tries to be authoritative but it's cute not intimidating.  Everything about her, especially her brains, I could tell she was a very calculated person and a very intelligent person. 

All this from one night together and one morning together.  I know, I know, I'm in love but if you could see her and be with her, you would be too.

We arrive back at the "secret lair" entrance.  The purple button lowers the door and we pull into the freight elevator.  The elevator is in the middle of lowering us down when Mills says, "No need to ask to speak to Debra, she's in the back seat."  He bursts into laughter.

The elevator stops but my jaw continues to drop and my mind begins racing.  Was Holly a full on setup to aid in my recruitment?  Did we really share last night together and this morning or was she merely on a mission?  Many questions need answering but I kept my mouth shut. 

I grab my box of toys and enter my office, slightly slamming the door shut.  I don't give a fuck about any of this shit, I feel very betrayed, very frustrated.  Was she Debra or Holly or Barbie or fucking Jesus Christ? 

I need some god damn answers.  I've fallen so hard for this woman and now I find out she is a part of this team.  Did anything we had mean anything at all, was it genuine or all an act?  Just as I think that, my door opens slowly.