Chapter Five
Benji
It would be a lie to say that Benji enjoyed flying.
In fact, he would go so far to say that he hated it.
However, flying was the quickest way to get from point A to point B so he put up with it.
He tried his best to fall asleep whenever he was flying because it was the best way to forget that he was thousands of miles above the ground in a steel death trap, but the unfortunate thing was that he usually couldn’t sleep.
He found planes to be very loud and distracting.
He could probably get a pair of headphones, but he didn’t find that to be very safe either.
What if he was listening to something and he missed the sound of the engine frying that inevitably sent them all to their deaths? He couldn’t have that…
Even as he closed his eyes and feigned sleep, he couldn’t help but think about the task that was at hand for him.
The dread had yet to dissipate and it was different from flying dread.
It was the dread that he had ever since he talked to Andi before they were leaving.
He was hoping that it would go away but it just kept niggling at him like a little bug.
He tried to tell himself it was nervousness for a solo mission.
It had to be that. It was the only thing that made sense.
“Benji? You good?” Spence suddenly asked.
He didn’t open his eyes. He just mumbled, “Fantastic.”
“Nervous?”
“What gave it away?”
“The fact you’ve been squirming forrr…” Spence paused. “I don’t know, fifteen minutes?”
He opened his eyes and turned his head towards his uncle. The guy looked calm as a cucumber. Which, yeah, of course he did. He was Spence. His whole life, he was fairly certain he had never seen him stress for a moment of it. “You know I hate flying.”
“Yeah, wasn’t sure if it was that or something else.”
He raised his brow. “Like what? The fact this whole operation rests on my shoulders? That my dad’s entire impression of me is on the line? Nah, never crossed my mind.”
Spence snorted. “Yeah, well, guess that’s a good reason to be restless. He wouldn’t send you if he didn’t think you could do it. And it’s probably not gonna be that bad.”
“We don’t know that.”
“We kind of do. Mattie said it himself. Should be an easy job.”
“Yeah. Get in, get out.”
“Then why are you nervous?” Spence folded his arms across his chest.
He sighed and shrugged. “Just am. I don’t know. Guess it’s my first…big mission by myself since–” Benji cut himself and shook his head. He didn’t need to say it. Spence knew.
His uncle wobbled his head. “Guess that’s true.”
Benji sighed and shifted his gaze past Spence so he could look out at the sky, which he quickly stopped doing after a few seconds. “I just don’t want to mess it up. I can’t mess it up.”
“Why would you think you even would?” His uncle asked, shifting in his seat so he could turn towards Benji a little more.
“You’re clearly the best person for this job.
Travis would stand no chance. Andi and Mattie don’t leave the bunker.
My knees hurt too much for all that sleuthing. So, clearly, you’re the best option.”
Benji smirked. “Simply by process of elimination.”
Spence rolled his eyes and reached over to slap him on the shoulder. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Yeah…”
“Benji, look at me.” He didn’t. He just stared off beside his head.
“Look at me,” Spence repeated, shifting his seat so that could get into the line of sight that Benji had.
At that point, Benji had no choice but to.
“You’re the best person for the job because of what you’ve trained for.
You’re fast. You’re efficient. You’re quiet.
That’s what the job needs. Don’t let that shit in the past get in your head.
You’re ready for this. You’ve been ready for this. ”
If there was one thing about Spence, the guy really did know how to give a pep talk. Even if it was just a simple one like that. “Yeah,” Benji sighed and frowned just a bit. “I just don’t want to let Dad down.”
There had been several times in the past that he had talked to Spence or Travis about his dad and his need to impress him.
They knew him better than anyone so it just made sense to him.
He couldn’t really talk about him with Andi because she didn’t really experience the same thing he did.
Their dad clearly favored her. He looked at her like she could do no wrong and was the golden child.
Matthew just thought she was absolutely brilliant while he was the idiot who cost him precious contracts and thousands of dollars.
It was hard not to see from the outside looking in.
Benji had tried and tried over the years to impress Matthew but it just was never enough.
He never harnessed any ill will towards his sister.
It wasn’t her fault. She was just doing her job.
But he would be lying if he said that there was a small part of him that resented his dad for it.
Being a twin was always a bit hard because no matter what, they were going to be compared to one another and that just wasn’t something he wanted. But, that was just how life went. He accepted it, even if he didn’t particularly care for it.
“You won’t.” Spence said assuredly.
“You’re just saying that because you have to.”
He shook his head. “Not at all. I’m saying it because I believe it.”
Benji just sat with that statement for a moment before he nodded once. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Spence flashed him a quick smile as he readjusted himself in the seat to face forward again.
“Now leave me alone. I need to get some sleep.” Benji leaned his chair back as far as it could go and folded his arms across his chest before he closed his eyes.
“Oh, so this is my fault now?”
Benji smirked. “You’re the one that woke me up.
“You’re the one that wasn’t even sleeping.”
He didn’t say anything in response to that (unfortunately) true statement. “I need to make sure I’m awake for the drive to the location.”
“Don’t trust in my snow driving skills?”
“Not even a little.”
He heard his uncle snort but nothing else was said so Benji could continue his attempt at sleeping.
“Pass me my burger.” Spence took his hand off the steering wheel and held it out towards Benji.
“I would really prefer if you kept your hand on the wheel while I get this ready,” he muttered as he dug through the bag.
“Oh, c’mon. It’s not that bad out.”
And just like clockwork, as soon as he said that, the wheels of the car lost some traction and Spence turned the wheel left and right so they didn’t spin out. Briefly, he glanced over to Benji who was just staring at him with the most agitated stare. “Like I knew that was going to happen?!”
“Look out of the window, Spence.” Benji growled while he unwrapped the burger and handed it over to him. The weather was horrendous. It was a total white out. They couldn’t see a foot in front of the car. If the flying hadn’t totally fried his nerves, driving with Spence was going to do it.
Spence just rolled his eyes. “I clearly am.”
“Not well enough.” Benji muttered, reaching into the bag to retrieve his own burger.
They had stopped at a drive thru since they didn’t have time to sit down anywhere considering how bad the weather was.
And the weather was a big part of the plan of getting Benji to the location without being seen.
According to the GPS, they had about another hour before they would be close enough for Benji to start walking there.
Which, admittedly, he wasn’t looking forward to.
It beared repeating that he hated the cold.
Luckily, the rest of the drive seemed to go pretty smoothly. There were no other random patches of black ice. Spence kept them generally safe and sound. That was really all that Benji could ask for at that moment.
Parking the vehicle on the side of the road, Spence turned it off and glanced over to his nephew. “Ready?”
“Yeah. As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Spence nodded and slapped Benji on the shoulder before he got out of the SUV, heading towards the trunk.
He, on the other hand, took another couple of minutes inside before he had to step out into the tundra that was Philadelphia, apparently.
He put on his gloves and hat and just relished the warmth for a bit longer before he forced himself to get out and met his uncle at the trunk.
“I’m going to set up not too far from here.”
“SUV will be fine here?”
“Yeah, I think so. The snow will have it covered shortly.” That was true. There was no sign of the storm slowing down.
“Got it. Guess I’ll start my journey then.” Benji flicked on his comm and began to walk forward.
Spence reached out and grabbed his arm then pulled him back so he could wrap him up in a hug. “You got this.”
Benji couldn’t help but sigh as he returned the gesture, nodding a bit against Spence’s shoulder. “Yeah.”
“I’ll check on you in a bit.”
“Okay.”
The two parted and Spence flashed Benji a quick smile before he turned back towards the trunk so he could finish gathering his supplies.
With a huff, Benji walked forward and jumped over the barricade on the side of the road so he could begin his journey towards the bunker.