Say It’s Forever (Fate #1)

Chapter 1

ACE

I go over the information my brother gave me for a second time, making sure I have everything correct and memorized. The map is where I focus a lot of my attention.

Here I thought I was going to be stuck over at the bar while I rode out the snowstorm alone. There wasn’t much to do in this town to begin with. I own the only bar in town and live above it. It's not that I can't afford a real home; I just don't need one. It would be pointless. All that empty space would likely drive me insane.

When I envision a house or a home, it usually involves a family, something I don't have. I hadn’t thought I wanted one until recently, when a blue-eyed girl came into my life as quickly as she left.

Not sure you can even count it as coming into my life. I’d only seen her in passing when she’d been in town in the back seat of a car outside of the hardware store. I was standing across the street when she turned her head, her eyes striking me. You could see the bright blue from blocks away. Then, before I had a chance to react, the car she was in began to pull away. That moment in time had changed me, making me feel emotions I hadn’t thought still existed for me.

Sometimes I wonder if I've made it up. I even tried searching the vehicle's license plate she’d been in, but it came back to a different car that had been salvaged two years ago, which made no sense. I have since resorted to going over the feed at the end of the day of the cameras outside of the hardware store, hoping for her to return again, but there has been nothing.

I knew she wasn’t from town. I would remember her. I know everyone here. That meant she might have only been passing through, and those eyes will haunt me for the rest of my life if I’m unable to find them. So living above the bar is where I’ll be staying.

I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought this place. All I knew was this is where my twin had wanted to retire, so if I wanted to be near him, then I would need to lay my own roots down here. Garrett and I have always been close. We might look a lot alike, but we're far from the same, and it suited us and also played in our favor when we enlisted after our mom passed.

We moved up quickly in the ranks. Garrett and I were thick as thieves on missions. We didn’t even have to be in communication to know what the other would be doing or thinking. They sent us on a shitload of missions before they moved us to the Star Team, where we spent some years before getting out.

It can be a hard life. Spending days in the freezing cold or in the middle of the desert. Shacked up in places no one would ever want to be. Once we left, we ventured into the private sector, often contracted by the government. The best part of it was we had the freedom to choose our own jobs.

I still do private work here and there, but my brother is completely out. I should be too, but what the fuck else am I going to do? I thought this bar would keep me from going stir crazy, but that’s far from the case. I thought about selling it, but then I would end up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, outside of town like my brother. He only comes to town twice a month, and it’s because I demand it. I don’t know how he does that shit. I’ve spent enough time alone for a lifetime.

I don’t get him sometimes. He chose for us to live in this town, but he has never expressed a desire to integrate into it. But my brother has never been a social butterfly. That was my role. I am the talker and smooth one. He is more brute force and action. We play well off each other.

That's why I was more than surprised when I woke up with an email from him that he’d sent me in the middle of the night. I had a feeling that something was up with him when I called last night. He’d been at the bar the night before for one of our two-week check-ins. The snowstorm had started getting worse when he was leaving. I called to make sure he made it home okay. The roads leading up to his place are steep and windy. He’d actually cut out the path to the cabin he’d built.

He was short on the phone, which isn’t abnormal for him, but I noticed his tone was off. No one else would have picked up on it, but I did. My suspicions were all but confirmed when he was suddenly asking questions about some cult that is outside of town.

From what I gathered, they had a large amount of land hidden away. A patrol kept watch over the area. I hadn’t even known about the place until now. I’m all kinds of fucking curious. Especially since one of the members ended up on my brother's doorstep. He found her when he’d gotten home, and I think he might be more than a bit smitten and possessive.

It's not often that my brother can surprise me. Actually, not sure if he ever has. This, however, has. When Garrett comes to the bar, women always try to get his attention. I think it’s a challenge for them since he only glares back at them and tells them to step away. Now he’s got one in his home, and I could feel the possessiveness he had over her with each word he spoke.

He has never been that way with a female before. Garrett has always valued his privacy, especially since his retirement, and I don't hold it against him. We often got stuck in tight situations where you had to hunker down. What baffles me is how he manages to avoid feeling lonely. The quiet has always irked me. I actually thrive under pressure, especially when there is chaos around me.

I go over to my bookcase and give it a tug to reveal the hidden door. I punch in the code before placing my thumb on the scanner. It pops open. I grab a few guns, knives, and other toys before I debate which drone I should take with me.

“Rather be prepared.” I push the aerial surveillance UAV drone over that has no counter weapons on it. The Loitering Munition Drone is overkill. This isn’t a blow everything up mission and suicide my drone. I give the box a pat before shifting it over and grabbing the combat drone. The best of both worlds.

Garrett used to give me shit in high school with all the video games I played, but it paid off. He might be a better shot than me, but I’m killer with a drone. I mean that figuratively and literally. I drop everything down onto the bed.

My place is an open-floor plan directly above the bar. It’s like a giant studio. I had it all updated, but you can lie in bed and see right through the living room area into the kitchen. The only other rooms are the bathroom, closet, and my hidden one. It’s more than I need.

Max leaps onto the bed, eager to explore everything I've brought out. I give the little asshole a scratch on his orange furry head. He appeared shortly after I purchased the bar, acting as though he was the owner. I tried to fight it, but he won in the end. So I guess we’re partners in the bar business now. At least he doesn't get upset when I have to leave for missions. He holds the fort down for us. I have to have someone come check in and feed him.

I check my phone to see if I have any new information from my brother or any of our contacts that we put feelers out to that might know details about Heaven’s Temple. The FBI must have a comprehensive file on them.

My objective for today is to solely explore the area. The snowstorm is going to help provide cover, and it would also mean most people would be inside. I imagine that there would be minimal, if any, patrols. That all works in my favor. Not seeing any new updates, I text my brother for a description of his girl's sister. She is the main focus, after all.

Garrett wants to locate her and see if it would be possible to extract her easily or find out how much gun-power will be needed to come up with a strategy to get her out.

In my closet, I find my winter gear, and I don’t mean everyday winter wear. It’s what I’d use on missions that involved cold and snow. It's completely white from head to toe, keeping you hidden and preventing your dick from freezing off. It also protects you from being picked up by heat sensors.

Garrett: Blond hair, blue eyes, one freckle above her lip, and walks with a small limp.

He fires back. The limp thing might help, but blond hair and blue eyes in a cult could be pretty standard. I might not be able to get close enough to spot a freckle.

Garrett: Snow says they look a lot alike except for their eye color. They’re only ten months apart.

Irish twins.

Me: Can I get a picture?

After I sent the text, I realized my mistake. With how my brother has been with this girl, I quickly correct it.

Me: Of YOUR girl.

Garrett: Hold on

I start arming myself before pulling on my snow gear. I check the drone over to make sure it’s good to go.

Just as I finish getting ready, my phone goes off. Perfect timing.

The second I see the picture, everything changes. The girl in the picture bears a striking resemblance to my blue-eyed angel, with her blond-ish white hair. Only this girl has green eyes.

Me: Her name?

Garrett: Libby

Me: Tell me something I can tell her so she knows her sister sent me.

Garrett: This is recon. You can’t get the girl out alone.

Does my brother forget who he is talking to?

This is no longer a recon mission… I won’t be leaving without the girl.