Evolution - The Oasis Project Book 3

Sixteen - Ira

I pretended to be asleep when I heard Fang running up the stairs. Being an aunt was hard work, especially when I'd only slept a handful of hours after texting Yulian and I could feel my body aching. Four's team was planning to infiltrate the Oasis compound in China today, and all of a sudden everything stopped being fun and games. After a month of laughing at Yulian's antics in Japan - he'd made it his mission to send me his efforts at being kawaii while they were there planning the attack - Yulian was anxious about finally flying to China to carry out the operation. I would be kidding myself if I said I was any more calm.

"Aunt Ira, wake up!" There was a fumble with the door before it squeaked open without a knock. I was sure that Stuart was awake by now, but he never got much attention from the kid. Even though Stuart hated being called Doc - he blamed Thierry for that nickname - he was patiently kind with Fang. I was not when Fang started jumping on the bed, occasionally stepping on my shoulder.

"Fang, I've been so nice to you," I groaned and rolled over to the edge. "Give me five more minutes?"

"She means five more hours." Stuart was not helpful as he got up and stretched. "Careful with all the jumping, Fang. Remember Aunt Ira hides dangerous things under the bed."

"You went and fed your stinky chickens already, huh?" I asked Fang groggily and yawned. "Tell you what, Uncle Stewie is up, you want to take a nap with me?" I smiled and pulled the sheets over my head.

The smile didn't last long as Fang giggled and pulled the sheets off me and right off the bed. "No, Aunt Ira! We are making cookies!"

"What are you cooking?" I mumbled, suddenly hungry.

"Cookies," Fang corrected me. "But I think Thierry is cooking. If you don't get up, we won't have any eggs left for you."

I propped myself up on my left elbow. "Fang, why are you so mean to me?" When he giggled shyly, I reached out to tickle him, which made him shriek with laughter. Sitting up and rubbing my temples, I told him, "Let's make a deal. I'll meet you downstairs in five if someone makes me coffee?"

󠁌♟♙♟♙

Fang held up his side of our deal, and there was strong coffee waiting for me at my spot at the dining table. "Thanks, buddy," I said, before lifting Fang above my head and swinging him in a circle before setting him down.

Fang was laughing, but Linkin was staring at me in horror. Behind her, Thierry was making breakfast with a grin on his face. "What?" I asked Linkin, blowing on my coffee.

"Be careful with him," she said, cringing. "He's not a... machete or whatever."

"What is a-"

"Never mind, Honey!" Linkin said. Even though Fang's English was better than when we'd first met, he still had to ask for clarification sometimes.

"It's a big knife. A very useful big knife," Alessia said from the corridor. Her light brown hair was tied up in a messy bun and her face was hard to read as always. When she cast her eyes on Fang, I placed a protective hand on his shoulder. I was going to sit down and have my coffee, but Alessia's presence still made me uncomfortable after all these months together. She was the only one who never complained about the heat, never even said much until Stuart brought her into the conversation out of courtesy. "Good morning, everyone."

"Hi," Thierry said stiffly and we joined in, trying not to look more relieved when Trevor and Stuart also appeared. Stuart had reassured me that Alessia wasn't being manipulative despite her antisocial tendencies, but she and I continued to stare each other down whenever we were close by. Stuart had also suggested that maybe I disliked her so much not because she was that unlikeable and untrustworthy, but because she reminded me of a side I had that I wanted to put behind me. I'd shaken off the observation, but the more I saw her, the more I knew that to be true.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I fished it out to find a text from an international number. Four had made the country code different today, but I knew it was still Yulian. T-10, the message simply said.

Got drinks for tonight? I replied. We could only communicate in English because I couldn't read a lot of Russian, and every day it felt less strange talking to Yulian in English.

Four has weird Chinese wine, he said. I want it now.

Patience, I typed, before I was interrupted by someone snapping their fingers in front of me. I jumped. "What the f-"

"No bad words, Aunt Ira!" Everyone said in unison, making me roll my eyes. There was now a plate in front of me, scrambled eggs piled on toast, but I took another sip of coffee and went back to my unfinished message.

"Someone throw Eagle's phone to the chickens?" Thierry suggested.

It took so much willpower to not flip him off. Thierry just asked to throw my phone to the chickens, I told Yulian. This is my life. Swap? I'll get the bad guys. Thierry had also suggested that I chase some livestock when I was bored out of my mind on the farm. I'd been considering it; trying to lure Asmar into the open was a headache on top of farm life.

I sprinkled some pepper on my breakfast, only to be interrupted by my phone lighting up. THIERRY!!!! I MISS U! It wasn't the reply I was expecting. I laughed loudly and that caught Thierry's attention. "Yulian misses you a bit too much, Thierry."

"Doctor Mad." Thierry laughed and shook his head. I couldn't believe that Thierry still remembered the couple of times that Yulian had to play Doctor Madiev.

He doesn't miss you, I sent. After a split second, I got a crying emoji back.

"Ira, eat first." Linkin was mothering just about everyone these days, not just Fang.

I took a bite reluctantly and washed it down with a gulp of black coffee. "China takedown is still happening today. Ten hours."