It was you (Completed)

Chapter 5

Sang's POV

                We are both frozen, and I think that I'm hallucinating for a moment. It had happened before, thinking I saw their faces out of the corner of my eye but when I turned it would just be a random stranger. But then it hits me, his spring soap scent floating up to my nose. As much as I had imagined them before, that smell is what brings me out of my haze. This is real. He's here.

                "Hello, Mr. Blackbourne."

                My voice seems to rouse him as well. "Hello,Miss Sorenson."

                "What...what are you doing here?" Dammit Sang! You are a strong and independent agent of the Academy capable of taking down men several times your size, but seeing this man immediately reverts me to the stuttering, shy 16 year old I had been the last time I saw his face.

                I could see that he was struggling to gain back his typical control of his facial expressions and voice too. "My apologies for startling you. I was asked by a member of Mr. Toma's team to come pick up a Miss King and escort her to an event this evening. Is she a housemate of yours?"

                "What? No, I'm Miss King. I mean...I'm Jamie King. That is, that's what the Academy members know me as, other than the Board and, well, your team." Jesus, pull yourself together! And stop talking to yourself! "The Board thought it prudent for me to change it and fully separate from my former life and family." I see him flinch slightly. "Not your family! I mean the Sorensons, that family. Although I did separate from your family." Breathe. I pull my eyes away from his steel gaze. "I'm sorry. I'm so completely flustered right now and can't seem to stop talking. Just...give me a minute."

                I shut the door in his face. Leaning back against it, I try to get control of my breathing. He's here, on my front porch. Why is he here? Oh, he's escorting me to the country club. Wait! He's escorting me to the club! I'm going to spend the entire evening with him. Why was I going there? Shit, the mission. Focus! Breathe! This is important! And OH MY GOD, I shut the door on Mr. Blackbourne!

                Wheeling around, I tug it back open. He has his hands in his pockets and lifts one eyebrow as I look at him. Did I think he was perfect when he was 19? At 25, he's stunning. Complete perfection. Same chiseled face and black rimmed glasses, but his shoulders seem broader and his proportions are just exquisite. Knowing I'm staring again, I try to distract myself and look down at his tie. It's silver and his tuxedo fits his form so well. Ok, not helping.

                "Well then, shall we go?" I ask, only a little breathless. I focus on finding my keys on the table next to the door and locking up. I feel a hesitant hand touch my elbow and I glance up at him again.

                "It's lovely to see you, Miss Sorenson," he says and gives me his signature millimeter smile.

                I feel my face smile as well in return, finally relaxing a little. "Likewise, Mr. Blackbourne." I allow him to guide me down the walk and open my door to sit down. I notice he still has a silver BMW, though this one looks different than the one he had previously. Must have updated, I think idly as I track him with my eyes as he makes his way around the front to the driver's seat.

                "So, where are we headed?" he asks as he slips behind the wheel and starts the car. 

                This helps pull me back into what I'm supposed to be doing this evening. "Shadowmoss Plantation. Do you know it?"

                "Yes," he answers, while smoothly backing the car out of the driveway.

                I remember that I need to make sure the guest list is updated, as this evening I'm supposed to be an unnamed plus one. I draw my phone out of my purse and shoot a quick text off to Corey to check. He responds that it's already done and apologizes for the change in plans. Apparently Kayli had opened her big mouth at the wrong time, again, and Brandon was required to rescue her from the situation that she had found herself in. Corey assures me that he would still be tracking me and acting as back up. Glad that I'm covered, I put my phone back in my clutch and look over at my date for the evening.

                "Did Brandon bring you up to date on the mission?" I ask.

                "All I was told was that I needed to escort a young lady to a country club, none of the details."

                I couldn't help but blow out my breath in exasperation. Brandon must've been seriously distracted if that was all he had bothered to tell his replacement. "Ok, while that's basically the case there are a few more things you'll need to know. Are you familiar with Ouroboros?"

                "The crime syndicate that originated in Italy?"

                "Yes, the same. A few years ago, they seemed to have decided to expand internationally and there is now a significant presence here in the southeast of the U.S. They have set up Charleston as a sort of exit port for their human trafficking ring. For the last three years, I have been involved in tracking down those involved in kidnapping young men and women that they then ship to several cities around the world. With the assistance of several teams, usually the Tomas and the Castles, we have been rounding up the ones responsible but up until recently we had no clue who was in charge of their American operation. We finally received a lead a couple weeks ago and tonight's mission is to perform surveillance on the two suspects, place a bug on them if I can get close, and try to convince them that I'm worth taking."

                "Excuse me?" he sputters. Mr. Blackbourne actually sputtered! "What do you mean 'worth taking'?"

                "Well, I'm the bait, of course."

                He slams on the brakes, mutters "shit" when a car behind us honks, and then moves the car over to the side of the road. I stare at him again. He is looking out the windshield while sitting up perfectly straight, appearing completely calm other than the white knuckled grip he has on the steering wheel.

                "Mr. Blackbourne?"

                "Just give me a moment, please."

                I lean back against his leather seat, glancing out the passenger window. We seem to be getting close to our destination. I hear him take a couple deep breaths from his seat next to me.

                "Miss Sorenson," he starts so I look back over at him, but he's still facing the front. "Are you telling me that my purpose this evening is to help get you close to someone suspected of stealing women and selling them in hopes that you will become their target?"

                "It sounds bad when you say it like that."

                He finally turns to look at me, and I can feel his eyes bore into mine as he tries to read my innermost thoughts. Hopefully they are not as easy to see as they used to be, where one look seemed to be all it took for him to know my every secret.

                "Actually your purpose is to pretend that you picked me up on a business trip you recently took to Florida. My name this evening is Casey Dublin and, after having a conversation with me at Starbucks, you asked if I would join you in Charleston for the weekend. Other than that, you just have to allow me to be a bit clingy and act tipsy. We need to work out what signal to use when I need you to excuse yourself to go get drinks or use the restroom, whatever excuse you'd like, to walk away for a few moments and give me the chance to hopefully attract their attention. A kiss on the cheek has worked well as a signal in the past. Is it ok if we use that?"

                As I stop speaking, I hear what sounds like a low growl. Did he just growl at me? What did I say this time???