23. Hornet
23
HORNET
L ondon’s fog and drizzle chilled us after our visit to Malta. Though exhausted, there was a peace in Kima I hadn’t seen since we began this journey. Whatever closure she’d found with Jekyll before his death was reinforced by her mother’s blessing to pursue the path he’d started.
On the flight, we agreed the flat we were in didn’t feel like home to either of us, and we’d make it a priority to find a place once we officially committed to working with the Minerva Protocol. Before we could, I needed to meet with Typhon, and Kima had to schedule a conversation with Poseidon, whom she reported to in her role on the Malta Task Force.
“When is your meeting?” she asked, looking up from her laptop, where she’d been reviewing Jekyll’s—no, Hydra’s—files again.
“Two hours,” I replied, checking my watch.
She closed the laptop and set it aside. “Are you nervous?”
I considered the question. Until recently, I would have been, but not anymore. It wasn’t just that my relationship with Typhon had changed; it was more that we’d changed. Him especially. “Not nervous. Uncertain, perhaps.”
“Being part of Unit 23 was important to you.”
“Not so important that it stopped me from disobeying direct orders. Repeatedly.”
We both smiled.
Kima stepped up behind me as I stood at the window, slid her arms around my waist, and rested her chin on my shoulder. “Nothing is set in stone yet, if you’re having second thoughts.”
I turned to face her. “I’m not. I truly believe this is the right path for both of us.”
She studied my face, searching for any sign of doubt. Finding none, she nodded.
“Besides,” I added, “I suspect you’d be utterly hopeless attempting to fill Jekyll’s role on your own.”
That earned me a cocked eyebrow and a punch to the arm. “I’d manage perfectly fine.”
“Perhaps. But why should you have to?”
A car service dropped me outside Typhon’s flat. After he buzzed me in, I found him in his study, reviewing files at his desk. He glanced up as I entered, his expression giving away nothing. When I took the seat across from him, neither of us spoke for several moments.
“You called this meeting,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “What did you wish to discuss?”
I raised a brow. “As I said in my message, my future with Unit 23.”
“Are you suggesting we delve into the part where you directly disobeyed orders and Delfino left protective custody?”
“Seems like water under the bridge, sir.”
He closed the folder in front of him. “Tell me about Minerva.”
I outlined our meeting with Dr. Aldrich and the Council of Twelve, describing the organization’s structure and resources without revealing anything that could be deemed classified.
Typhon listened without interruption, his fingers steepled beneath his chin.
“And the role they’ve offered you both?”
“Jekyll—Hydra—designated Kima as his successor on the council,” I explained. “Dr. Aldrich agreed to the possibility of me joining her in that capacity.”
“So you’ve decided, then.”
It wasn’t a question, but I answered it anyway. “Yes. I’m here to formally resign from Unit 23, effective immediately.”
Something flickered in Typhon’s eyes—not anger, but something harder to define. “I expected as much.”
He rose from his desk and moved to the window, hands clasped behind his back. Outside, London carried on, oblivious to the seismic shifts in my professional life taking place inside these walls.
“You know what happens to operatives who resign from Unit 23,” he said, still facing the window.
“I do.”
Most simply disappeared, relocated with new identities. Others were monitored indefinitely. A select few—those with knowledge too dangerous to risk—were eliminated. The thought should have concerned me more than it did.
Typhon turned, fixing me with his penetrating stare. “You’re not worried.”
“Should I be?”
A smile I hadn’t expected ghosted across his lips. “No.”
He resumed his seat, folding his hands on the desk. “Your service has been exemplary. Until recently, of course.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You understand I can’t allow you to simply walk away with what you know about our operations.”
“Of course not.”
He studied me for a moment longer. “However, Dr. Aldrich and I have reached an understanding.”
That surprised me. “You’ve spoken with her already?”
“Last night, after your meeting.” Typhon opened a drawer and removed a sealed envelope. “The Minerva Protocol and certain elements within SIS have maintained limited cooperation. Your situation simply accelerates what was already in motion.”
He slid the envelope across the desk. “Your resignation has been accepted. All records of your more…questionable decisions regarding Delfino have been expunged.”
I accepted the envelope without opening it. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” His voice hardened slightly. “This arrangement comes with conditions. You and Delfino will serve as liaisons between Minerva and specific branches of SIS. Nothing formal, nothing on record, but both organizations will expect regular intelligence sharing.”
The arrangement made sense. “Understood.”
“I’ll be your primary contact,” he added. “And only when necessary—communication protocols are detailed in that envelope.”
“Conditions noted and accepted.”
Typhon proceeded to shift topics with characteristic abruptness. “Any progress locating Dr. Carrington?”
“None,” I admitted. “According to Aldrich, she’s been missing for six months. She was last spotted in Montenegro, investigating a potential security breach.”
“The same area where Jekyll was operating when he was killed.”
“Yes.”
“And Amaryllis?”
“Still missing as well. Neither Jekyll nor the council has any information regarding her disappearance.”
Typhon frowned. “Jekyll’s warning about a traitor before he died—you believe he meant Amaryllis?”
“It’s possible,” I said. “Her behavior was inconsistent at times. But there’s no conclusive evidence either way.”
“Reaper believes otherwise.”
My head snapped up. “You’ve spoken with him?”
“Briefly. He’s tendered his resignation from the coalition.”
The news hit harder than I’d expected. “Did he say why?”
“No. Only that he had a personal matter to attend to.” Typhon’s gaze sharpened. “You weren’t aware?”
“We haven’t spoken since Montenegro.” I shifted uncomfortably. “He’s been…unavailable.”
“Interesting.” Typhon reached for another folder. “He specifically requested that neither you nor Delfino be informed of his movements.”
That stung. Reaper had become more than a colleague—I’d considered him a friend. His deliberate silence felt like a betrayal.
“Any theories?” I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
“Several, none of them particularly comforting.” Typhon’s fingers drummed once on the folder. “His departure documentation contained legitimate contact information, but all attempts to reach him have failed. His brother claims not to know his whereabouts.”
“That’s concerning.”
“Indeed.”
I considered the implications. “Could his disappearance be connected to Amaryllis’?”
“It’s possible. Or to something else entirely.” Typhon shrugged.
“One of many loose ends,” I muttered.
“Such is the nature of our work.” Typhon leaned back in his chair. “Which brings me to my final point. The council has assigned you and Delfino to search for Dr. Carrington as your first mission. I’ve agreed to provide whatever support I can—discreetly, of course.”
“We appreciate that,” I said.
“Don’t.” His tone was sharp. “I’m doing this because finding her is in everyone’s best interest. If Romanov has her, the consequences could be severe for all of us.”
“Understood.”
Typhon rose, signaling the end of our meeting. “One last thing. About Delfino—Kima.”
The use of her real name caught my attention.
“Yes?”
“Take care of her.” His voice softened almost imperceptibly. “She’s…important to me.”
“I know.” I met his gaze steadily. “She’s everything to me.”
Something akin to approval flickered in his eyes. “Then, we understand each other.”
“We do.”
He extended his hand. “Good luck, Devin.”
The use of my given name, something he almost never did, underscored the significance of the moment. I shook his hand firmly. “Thank you, Leviticus.”
Outside, London’s perpetual drizzle had intensified to proper rain. I raised my collar against it as I walked rather than take a car service, my mind turning over everything we’d discussed. The transition from Unit 23 to Minerva would be challenging, but Typhon’s blessing—however qualified—made it easier.
I pulled out my mobile and dialed Reaper’s number, though I expected no answer. As anticipated, it went straight to voicemail. Whatever path he’d chosen, it was clear he didn’t want me following.
“It’s Hornet,” I said after the tone. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you need anything—anything at all—you know how to reach me.” I paused, then added, “Take care of yourself, Kingston.”
I ended the call, knowing the odds of a response were slim. My friend had gone dark for reasons of his own. I could only hope those reasons wouldn’t put him—or us—in danger.
The rain eased as I approached our flat. Through the window, I could see Kima moving about inside, preparing dinner. The sight of her—so domestic, so normal after everything we’d been through—grounded me.
As I reached for my keys, my mobile vibrated with an incoming message. For a moment, I thought Reaper might have responded. Instead, I found a text from an unknown number. It contained just three words.
Mercury needs you.
I stared at the screen. Mercury—Dr. Carrington’s code name. Someone knew who I was, who Kima and I were looking for, and how to reach us. Whether friend or foe remained to be seen.
I pocketed the phone and unlocked the door. Kima looked up as I entered, her smile warming me more effectively than any heater could have.
“How did it go?” she asked, crossing the room to greet me.
“Better than expected,” I replied, wrapping my arms around her. “He’s given us his blessing, more or less.”
“I’m surprised.”
“So was I.”
She studied my face. “There’s something else.”
“There is.” I showed her the message. Her expression turned serious as she read it.
“It begins, then,” she said softly.
“It does.” I pulled her closer. “Are you ready?”
She looked up at me, determination replacing the momentary concern. “With you? Always.”
Whatever challenges lay ahead—finding Dr. Carrington, understanding what was going on with Reaper, what happened to Amaryllis, taking our place within Minerva—we would meet them together. For the first time since this mission began, I felt certain we were on the right path.