They had, eventually, gotten around to eating. Kong had brought the food into the bedroom and they’d had a picnic in the middle of his rumpled bed. The food had been cold, but neither one of them had cared. They talked, they laughed, and they’d fed each other with their fingers – which had led to some incredibly eroticnibbling – before they’d given up on food in favor of devouring each other. It was a perfect night.
Kong’s big hand rubbed her thigh as he pulled the Jeep to a stop in front of the Resurrection hub. “I’ll pick you up tonight?”
Katherine nodded eagerly. “I can cook. Finally break your oven in properly.”
“Sounds good to me. Message me with what you’ll need and I’ll get it.” Leaning in, he kissed her, long and lingering, and not for the first time, Katherine wished she didn’t have to leave him to go to work.
With a sigh, they finally broke apart. If they kept this up, they’d both be late.
It was only once Katherine was seated at her desk that her mood began to dim. Other, less enjoyable memories of the night before intruding on her bliss.Phase two. Meticulously, she searched every file she had access to, but there was nothing there.
“ORION?”
“Yes, Miss Knox?”
“What was phase two of Resurrection?”
“You do not have clearance for that information.”
It felt like a rock was lodged in her chest. It was true, then. There was a phase two. Kong’s source had been correct. But had they been correct in the particulars?
She cleared her throat, but there was a hint of desperation in her voice when she asked, “Is there anything you can tell me about it?”
“Since taking control of Resurrection, I have deemed phase two as not in the best interest of the program.”
Katherine nearly collapsed in on herself with relief. Shelved. ORION had shelved it.
Before she’d come to Black Bay – before ORION and the Resurrection soldiers had been brought to Black Bay – ORION had… Well, it had kind of staged a coup. It had decided that humans were illogical and their intervention was not only unnecessary but a detriment to the program. ORION had locked everyone out and, from what she understood, had set the higher-ups scrambling to retake control.
Commander Grady Carter had been the one to negotiate the deal. Originally, ORION had wanted complete control over the Resurrection program and its soldiers, with no human interference. It had settled for majority control. That, and moving to Black Bay. The Resurrection soldiers would still be operatives for the government, but their memories would be restored and they’d be rehabilitated first. Once ORION deemed them ready for the field, the AI would have the final say on any orders passed down.
Surprisingly, the higher-ups had agreed with only one stipulation: they wanted someone there to monitor the situation and report back. That someone ended up being her. But ORION was in charge. So if the AI said that phase two had been shelved, she could believe it.
Kong was lifting weights in the weight room with Grady and some of the other Resurrection soldiers. Normally, Kong preferred exercising outside, but Grady was here, doing his part as a visible reminder to the other upgraded soldiers that there was light at the end of the tunnel, and Kong needed the man’s advice. He’d already been to see the general to get time off for Katherine’s birthday party.
While he was there, he’d also gotten an update on Cleary. The man was staying put, but aside from a few work calls and video conferences on his computer, he was lying low. He hadn’t contacted, nor been contacted by anyone outside of work, and all of those dealings were on the up and up.
He’d also learned their team had cracked the code on the files they’d brought back from Venezuela. As they’d suspected from the intelligence they’d received before the raid, the weapons – from missiles and armaments to guns, and everything in between – had been sold to several known terrorist organizations. Hearing that, Kong had wanted to immediately mobilize and drag Cleary in for questioning, but the general hadn’t agreed. While the weapons they’d found in Venezuelahad been marked as coming from Cleary Industries, Cleary had covered his tracks by reporting them stolen. Nor did they have proof yet that any of the previous shipments sold had come from Cleary’s stock. Right now, they still only had suspicion of the weapons manufacturer’s involvement. Better to wait, the general had told him, and continue monitoring Cleary so they could nail his ass to the wall when the time came. Meanwhile, surveillance on the terrorist cells was already being beefed up with teams in place, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Kong needed to stand down.
“We’ll get him,” General Davies told him. “We’ll stop this.” Then, the general had changed the subject and the question he’d asked had stumped Kong.
“So a birthday party, eh? What are you going to get her?”
Kong had no clue. Normally, when he bought a gift for Lark, Jayla, Lynx, or Perrin, it was a gag gift. Something funny. It was kind of his default setting. But that sort of thing didn’t seem appropriate for Katherine. Especially if she’d be opening it in front of her family. Thus, why he was here doing bicep curls with Grady instead of outside sparring with Leo or Nova. Grady hadn’t grown up like them. He had a mother and a sister, and now he had a wife. If anyone knew what women liked to get as gifts, it was him. Or so he’d thought.
When he put the question to the other man, Grady shrugged. “I don’t know, man. Has she left you any hints? Mentioned something?”
“What do you mean you don’t know?” He’d been counting on Grady having the answers and his friend was letting him down. “What would you get Lark for her birthday?”
Grady chuckled. “Whatever she told me to.”
Kong grunted. No help. No help at all.
“Ask Lark.”
Kong had considered that but after what happened the last time he’d gone to Lark for a favor, he was kind of scared to approach her about this – she might suggest a diamond engagement ring or some such shit. But maybe Grady was right. After all, Lark had been right in her assumptions. That first night hadn’t just been about brownies despite what he’d tried to tell himself and everyone else.
Grady might also have a point in his other suggestion.HadKatherine said anything? Hinted at something she’d like?
