Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Riley
“I never knew we’d get to ride in the sex room with so many people,” Torin announces the second we’re in the elevator at MIU.
It might have something to do with the fact that the first time he rode in an elevator, he somehow became convinced it was for sex, and it definitely has nothing to do with me agreeing instead of explaining that it wasn’t.
“I’m not sure if I should feel excited that I’m included or left out knowing that I’d just get stuck watching,” Joy says.
“I’ll hold the food,” Tommy offers, like he thinks we really are just going to whip our clothes off and need someone to hang on to the food for us.
When we reach the meeting room, Lt. Lindsey hurries in and sits down before scrutinizing our food.
“We brought you some too,” Mickey tells her, sliding a plate over to her as he begins unbagging everything.
“I heard about yesterday’s… events,” she says, and I instinctively reach for the hourglass.
That comforting warmth hits me again, even through the gloves I wear so people won’t see the stains on my hands and question what’s going on.
“What I’m here to discuss possibly relates to them. I have received information that a unit about nine hundred miles from here picked up a person from the street who said he came over through a Door. They speculate that a horseman has invaded his world.”
That makes me halt in the middle of reaching for a plate. “Do we know what realm he’s from?”
“No. He was disoriented when he arrived, and he wasn’t the person who created the Door. It sounds like their Magical Interference Unit is working hard to find the location of the Door he came in through.”
“So there’s just an open Door somewhere out there?” I ask curiously.
“Supposedly. We haven’t confirmed the legitimacy of his declaration.
For all we know, it could be someone from our own realm who has heard about the Door and the horsemen and is hoping to cause chaos.
This person seems very… unusual. I would like the three of you to fly there and speak to him.
We want to confirm where the Door is and if the horsemen have invaded his realm. ”
“What should we do if he’s right?” I ask, not quite sure any of us are in a condition to take on the horseman that Torin described to me.
While we know that we need to keep the horsemen and that god from destroying any other worlds, I doubt the three of us currently have that power.
“Maybe there’s a super-powerful god over there or something?” Mickey asks, sounding very hopeful. “Maybe we can just kind of explain to them what’s going on and then like get a pat on our back and go home.”
“So much wishful thinking,” I say. “Lt. Lindsey, you said the guy was just found wandering down the street?”
“Yes… he was disoriented and confused as he kept asking for help from people, so the police came to see what was going on before having the West Brooke Magical Interference Unit take over.”
“I see,” I say before looking over at Torin who appears fascinated with the paper shredder instead of the tale. “Don’t stick your fingers in there!” I hastily grab him just as he hits the button and it kicks into action.
He seems mystified and not at all horrified by the fact that he’d nearly crammed his fingers inside.
“Ooh, I would like to feed my enemies to this,” he says as he eyes the shredder and tries to determine how to stick someone into such a thin opening.
He’s now trying to open it, probably so he can see if he can cram them in from the bottom.
“Torin… what are your thoughts on planes?”
“I think they’re a good place to join the mile-high club. I read that in one of your books.”
Lt. Lindsey looks at me in disappointment. “I… really hate sending the three of you as the faces of our unit.”
“Excuse me? I am phenomenal,” Mickey protests while he shows Torin an old-school paper cutter.
Torin looks delighted about the prospect of severing body parts with the thing and tries it out by cutting a bottle of glue in half.
Pleased, he tucks it under his arm, like he’s just going to take the entire thing home even though glue is dripping off it from his glue massacre.
“Torin… maybe we leave that?” I suggest.
He shakes his head. “I’m going to take it on our mile-high club trip.”
“Lt. Lindsey, get us first-class seats, and I promise we won’t embarrass the entire unit and you,” Mickey says.
Lt. Lindsey just crams a folder into each of our hands.
“In addition to your travel information, I’ve written down how you are to act, how you are to respond, and how you are to perform.
Do not shame our unit. And please, stay in your uniforms,” she says as she looks at our unique attire.
All three of us have started wearing clothes from Shaarune.
“It’s so breezy and comfortable, though,” Mickey whines.
Torin looks offended that she’d suggest such a thing. “I refuse. I need to be able to bend my legs and move freely so I can leap onto Quill, behead my enemy, and fuck my man, all with ease.”
Lt. Lindsey just leaves the room.
“Does that mean we don’t have to go?” Mickey wonders.
“Do you think she’s sending the three of us because she thinks we’re the most capable or because she’s given up on us and wants us out of her sight?” I ask curiously. Honestly, it’s a pretty valid question.
Mickey shrugs. “You used to be her favorite. Your nose was so brown from ramming it up her ass.”
“You gave her a rim job?” Torin asks in shock.
“No! It’s a saying! Good lord,” I mutter as I step out of the room and find Lt. Lindsey standing there like she forgot to say something. She glances over at me and I pray that she didn’t hear what Mickey just said.
“Please be careful. Don’t get killed. We need you here,” she says.
I hesitate, surprised by the sincerity in her words. “We will be. I’ll keep you informed of our actions.”
She gives me a nod and hurries off to her office, leaving us to prepare for a flight that leaves in four hours according to our new booklets.
How thrilling… and exhausting.