Perifidy

Chapter Two: Preliminary Preparations and the Mysterious Enigma

It was another bright and early day for Rainbow HQ. The sun rose beautifully over the hills, recruits milled about all throughout the base, completing all the menial task that come with running the most covert counter-terrorist base in the world. Ela groaned as her body woke itself up. Glimpses of the previous night pervaded her foggy morning thoughts. Fuck me she said exasperatedly in her mind. Her head pounded painfully, making her wince as she got off her bed. Zofia then walked into the room, clad in her workout attire. She smiled at her sister, "Finally awake, sister, it's not like you to sleep so soundly, or so late, or in the clothes you wore yesterday." she teased. Ela threw off her clothes, each garment being launched towards her sister. Zofia laughed, mimicking her sister with the same action. There was suddenly a knock at the door, surprising them. "Gówno! Alexandr, you bastard, we will not join you in the showers!" she exclaimed, the sisters darting to wrap shower towels around their exposed bodies. The door slowly opened, revealing Valkyrie and IQ barely containing their laughter, also in their towels. Zofia blushed in embarrassment, while Ela laughed at her sister, but, stopped immediately as it made her head pound like a jackhammer. The women chatted as they walked to the girl's bathroom, but, Valkyrie quickly noticed that Ela was being oddly quiet, quieter than she normally was. Valkyrie affectionately bumped her,

"El, what's going on?" Valkyrie asked, worry reflected in her eyes. The other two women took notice, looking expectantly at Ela. She felt cornered and flustered, unsure of what to say, she simply blurted out:

"I was at Kade's last night!".

"Oh my" IQ said, a mischievous look on her face.

"Well damn, you better tell us everything! The guy's a prick from what I heard from Jordan." Valkyrie said. Zofia's face was frozen in a shell-shocked expression. Ela realized what it meant and quickly zipped into one of the shower stalls before Zofia could grab her.

"Elzbieta!! Ela you get out here this instant and tell me every detail! Not a single missed one! Did he hurt you?!" she demanded. Ela smiled at her sister's overprotectiveness. When they were first reconciling, she found it borderline rage inducing, but over time she came to realize it was only because she cared. Ela shed her towel, turning on the water, the warm water in the coldness of winter with her added hangover was a god send.

"He did not hurt me, Zof, I can assure you of that!" she said over the water. She could hear the others getting into the stalls.
"Well, what did he do then?" Valkyrie asked.

"Well..." Ela said, unsure of how to word it.

"Did ze two of you make love?" IQ asked. She could hear the question launch Zofia into a tirade of curses and insults towards Kade.

"No. No! We just...smoked and talked. That was it!" Ela said. She could hear sounds of disappointment from IQ and Valkyrie.

"Aw, damn, was hoping for something a little steamier!" Valkyrie said despondently.

"Truly, a shame." IQ lamented.

"You know smoking is bad for your health, Ela!" Zofia scolded. She decided that for her own health and Zofia's, she would not mention the finer details of the encounter, at least, not while Zofia remained within earshot.

The girls eventually finished, Ela dodging her friend's more specific questions and discreetly popping some ibuprofen when Zofia wasn't looking before heading to the B.O.D by the mess hall or "Board of Directives". Many of their fellow operators and friends joined up with them as they walked, but, Ela was lost in thought. After the previous night, she wasn't sure how to feel about him. On one hand, she hated how he teased and taunted her, seemingly out of enjoyment. On the other hand, there was just something about him that caused her to be attracted towards him, like a magnetic force had pulled her across his threshold that night. She scanned their posse of ultra-deadly operators, but, Kade Summers was no where to be seen. They stopped at the board, "Well, ain't that something." Blackbeard said, studying a white piece of paper that had been affixed to the center of the board. Thatcher read the paper, "Ah, blast! Everyone who's goin' on the operation has to report to the function room." he said. Ela's heart began to beat at the prospect of seeing him. She remembered something. She felt his lips on her head last night, as he went to leave. Why did he kiss me?! she shrieked in her mind. Now she was angry. She wasn't a damn child. She didn't need to be tucked in to bed. What did he think she was, his student, susceptible to whatever form of manipulation he expensed?! Fuze and Kapkan made sounds of disappointment, "I wanted a shot at his face!" Fuze exclaimed, disappointed. Kapkan mirrored similar disappointment, longingly stroking his prized combat knife.