My Crown

Chapter 20

"If it isn't my favourite Bond girl." I tear my eyes from Hades to see Savat standing a few feet away from us with his luggage.

Dio, I missed him.

I run up to him and give him a hug, inhaling his familiar seasalt scent.

There are a few people in this world I consider friends; Caroline, Melly and Pam are the only ones from my old life. I lost contact with the last two, but gained two new friends; Savat and Ita.
Technically, I knew Savat from my old life, but we only became friends after everything.
We text everyday, but I haven't actually seen him in person in eleven months. But that isn't why we're hugging.

I feel the annoying pinch of a needle before letting go of him but remaining close while he hides the syringe.

"Hades, this is Savat." I introduce, "Pleasure to meet you." Savat extends his arm which Hades ignores, chosing rather a nod. "I'm not a hand shaker." He explains. "Understood." Savat nods back.
"You look good. I forget how hot you are when we haven't seen each other so long." Savat compliments me putting his luggage in the trunk.
"I forget how inappropriate you are."
"Lighten up, will you. One of the best parts of our job is we don't have to be professional all the time. You can tell me I look good too."
"You do look good. Have you been working out?" I realise he has bulked up a little. His skin also looks amazing and his eyes have this sparkle to them.

"I have. Thanks for noticing." Savat has always been attractive with his perfect caramel skin and dark hair and eyes. He is also 6'1 and always had a nice body. But he went from swimmer's body to basketball player's.

"What am I calling you?" Savat asks as we pack his luggage, "Helen." "Helen? Why?"
"You are in no position to speak. You named me after the girl in Titanic!" I remind him to which he laughs. Idiot. "Took you long enough. Ita and I had a bet going for how long before you realised. You cost me." I rolled my eyes at him. The three of us are always making bets. It's our way of dealing with all the darkness we see. The darkness we live with.
These three have been a pseudofamily for me and I can't thank them enough.

The ride to the Leos' private island was easygoing. Savat was his usual talkative self and I enjoyed his company. I did notice Hades was quiet. It is almost as though he had his assassin persona on. Did he not trust Savat?

This time, Nic came to fetch us. The drive to the house is silent and tense. I think these people do not like having visitors.

The tense atmosphere persisted even until dinner. I could not care less, the food was too good for me to be bothered by the obvious tension. Adam might just be my new best friend. The filet mignon is the best I've ever had and do not even get me started on the sushi. The man is an artist.

Savat pulls me aside after dinner, "Which one did you say is the hacker?". I observed Savat practically gawking at Demi from the minute she walked in. Surprising since she was wearing an oversized matronly blouse with a long plain skirt. Not flattering at all. But Savat couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She kept glancing his way as well.
"Blonde girl sitting across from me." He fails at trying to suppress his smile. Please do not tell me he likes her.
"And what's her deal?"
"She's in love with Michael, but he does not feel the same."
Savat scrunches his face at the news.

"Why wouldn't he like her? She's gorgeous and smart." Now, I'm suspicious.
"I may have been talking to her ever since I hacked her encryption." He admits once he notices my questioning look. He did what?
"I was just curious, okay. Her coding was so elegant and complex. I wanted to recognise the artist behind it." "She's that good?"
"Better. She may even be better than me." I notice the look in his eyes.

Fanculo. "You really like her, don't you?" He scratches behind his neck like he always does when he is caught. "She's the best kind of weird." Dammit. He has it bad.
"You want me to ask her to work with us?" His face lights up like a fucking bomb, "Fine. But you better not be distracted."
"Don't worry, business is business." I hope he's right.

"We start work tomorrow. Get some rest." I order him.

¤

"How is it going in here?" Andy asks peering into the room.
We've been in this room for nine hours going over everything. I can tell Hades is bored, but I live for this. Pieces of a puzzle coming together. Slowly but surely.

But I'm still missing something. I have reached out to a few of my contacts for help.

"Agonisingly slow." Hades answers her. "He hasn't been much help." Demi adds on, "Not true. I had Rosa make us doughnuts." I have to admit, that was very helpful.
I had forgotten about food completely.

"It's getting late. Let's pick it back up tomorrow." I can tell they are all tired. Savat may be used to my process, but Hades and Demi are new. And besides, I don't need them for this next part.
Going over all known medical records is boring and confusing, but it is usually informative. Fortunately, their clinic here keeps meticulous notes on every patient.

I get to it as soon as they are gone. There is not much and most of it seems completely ordinary. Nothing is sticking out to me.

"What are you still doing here?" Hades' voice fills the room.
"Working." Although, if I see anymore medical nonsense, I may shoot somebody.
"So you decide to do the one thing I might be helpful with without me?" Right, I forgot about the medical degree.
"Take a seat. I haven't gotten to those over there." I point at the five remaining files. With that covered, I turn my attention to his training files. They keep files on trainees' progress and strengths. His is quite bizarre.

All of his trainers note his attitude and general lack of effort. All except his gym trainer.

"Have you come across penicillin in any of his other files?" Hades suddenly asks. Penicillin? Now that he mentions it...
"In the early files, not the later ones."
"He developed a penicillin allergy. Sometime eight-nine years ago." Hades informs. A penicillin allergy? "What does that mean?"
"He is unlikely to go to any third world countries. He has an ancient idea of them as no hospitals and one doctor for every village."
That's good. That eliminates a lot of countries.
"You're getting the hang of this." I commend him watching as he picks up his academic record.

"I watched you do this all day. Picked up on your methods." He shrugs.
"Is that why you wanted to work with me?" Son of a bitch. He's learning how I do things so he won't need me next time. Learning new skills to add on to his repertoire.
"Smart girl." The smirk on his face is annoying. And definitely not sexy. At all.

"Did you do this when you were looking into us?" He asks after more time going through more files. This time on his parents.
Of course I did.
"This is a lot of work. A lot. Why do you do it?"
Does he think I'm tired enough to reveal my secrets?
"There're more files if you're bored." He breaks out into the most breathtaking smile I have ever seen. Something about his smile brightens up his entire face; his eyes sparkle and his skin glows. It doesn't hurt that he has sexy teeth too. That smile of his may very well do me in.
But I pretend not to be affected as I focus my eyes on the file in front of me.

Peter Montgomery worked at the Reibon Scentire Bank for two years while in college.

Wait.

The Reibon Scentire?

And there it is; the missing piece of the puzzle.

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Any guesses??