Is this destiny?

About twenty minutes ago in Frankfurt…

Oni was sitting on the outdoor terrace of the coffee shop and looking at the door across the street anxiously.

She glanced at the time. It's more than five minutes how Michael disappeared behind those doors and she can't hear or see anything from the devices he has equipped.

Oni cursed under her breath. Michael said that he will let her see what he sees! And even the ear stud is not working. Oni checked the connection, and she can see that Michael is not reachable. Why did he block her access? And not only that, even his phone is off! What is he thinking?

After numerous attempts to contact him and confirming that connection from his side is dead, she gave up.

Time: seven minutes and twenty-four seconds how he entered that building. Why is he not coming out? Doesn't he know that she is worried to the point of madness?

Oni wondered, what could make Michael behave like that? The only conclusion was that he saw a familiar face. Is it possible that he saw a friend and they are catching up with a cup of tea and biscuits and sharing laughs while she is drowning in anxiousness? If that is the case, she will give him a big scolding when she sees him and then not talk to him for a month! How can he be so irresponsible? But if he is not irresponsible, what are other options? That he saw an enemy? That he got captured? Is he being tortured or… dead? These thoughts were suffocating and then she hoped that he is inside enjoying tea and biscuits.

Time: ten minutes and thirteen seconds since she saw Michael the last time.

Every second feels like an eternity. Oni tried coming up with a good explanation of why he would cut off his communications, but nothing made sense. Unless... he is hiding something. Is he trying to rejoin the Shadow Ravens? Or is there some other secret he does not want Oni to find out? She reminded herself not to spiral into a rage because she will get an explanation later.

With every passing second, there is less oxygen and she is rubbing the ring on her finger while the possibility that something horrible happened to Michael is looming over her and taking over her heart.

Oni repeated to herself a few times that she will give him fifteen minutes, but she can't delay this any longer.

With shaky fingers, she fished a bundle of euros from her purse and put them on the table before standing up. She hoped that it's enough, and that waiter will not come after her and attract attention because she can't focus enough to calculate the cost of Michael's coffee and her hot cocoa and their lemonades and the slice of the black forest cake they shared.

Her legs were uncomfortably stiff, and Oni was aware that she does not have a plan, but she had to go after Michael and to confirm that he is OK.

The entry door looked unusually normal. There was not even a passcode required to enter.

Oni pushed the door and walked in, making her way toward the stairs through the empty hallway. The modified apartments (based on the floorplans they studied) start from the second floor, and Oni guessed how that is the floor where she will find Michael.

Oni placed her palm on the handrail and lifted her foot to step up. She felt pain at the back of her neck, and everything turned dark.

…

Michael opened his eyes with difficulty and found himself facing a lamp which is pointing in his face so brightly that he can't see anything beyond its glare.

He tried moving, and he realized that he is unable to do so. He was tied up to a chair with his back secured to the backrest with a leather strap that went around his chest and his forearms were secured to the armrests. His legs are tied as well and the fact that chair didn't budge when he wiggled proved that this is not a simple chair. It is unusually heavy.

"You can leave us…", the female voice got Michael's attention and then he saw two male figures leave the room.

The lamp was turned off, and he blinked a few times while trying to observe his surroundings, now illuminated by lights from the ceiling.

A few seconds later, he noted that he is in a room without any windows. A basement? Maybe. He remembered that he is in the building which had its floorplan altered, and considering that this is Shadow Ravens, there is a chance that this is on any floor, a small room in the middle of the building, designed for activities which should not be exposed; something secret; like torturing.

"I didn't think I will see you again.", the female voice sounded in an otherwise silent room. It is the same voice from a minute ago and Michael's insides shook when he realized that the voice is familiar, and her words confirmed that.

Michael turned toward the voice and stared at the face of the woman like he is looking at the ghost.

Jesse smiled. "It seems that you thought the same about me."

She pulled a chair to sit opposite from Michael and observed his shocked expression.

"You are alive.", Michael said in disbelief.

"As you can see. And you seem to be doing well also."

"I thought you are dead."

Jesse rolled her eyes. "Can you stop talking about it? I am alive and not dead. You established that the moment you followed me here."

Michael tried yanking himself free, making Jesse laugh lightly.

"That won't work.", she said mockingly.

"Why am I tied up?"

Jesse ignored his question and asked hers: "Why are you here?"

Michael observed Jesse and thought that if she appeared in front of his house (or a workplace) he would be suspicious also and tie her up until the situation is clarified, so he decided to answer because once the air between them is cleared, she will release him, right?

No matter how the current situation didn't look right, he refused to see it because this is Jesse, a woman who used to share a bed with him, and until a few minutes ago, he thought that he lost her forever. He is glad that Jesse is alive, and he does not see her as a threat, because she always relied on him to protect her.

"I saw you and I needed to confirm that it's you.", he responded honestly.

"Well, you confirmed. It's me. Now you answer my question: why are you here? Don't tell me that you are here on a vacation and you saw me accidentally because I know that you are sitting on that terrace across the street for more than three hours and that is a lot of time to enjoy coffee and lemonade."

Michael was surprised that Jesse knows about him watching this place. He thought that it's a stealthy scouting mission, yet he was the one being watched.

He wondered if they saw him when he was here in June as well, but he didn't want to ask about it because if they didn't, it will expose him and confirm that he is persistent in figuring out the truth.

Michael responded to her question: "I am looking for answers. The whole team was wiped out. And I thought that you are dead as well. I wanted to know why and who did it."

"You are here for revenge?"

"A closure.", Michael corrected her.

Jesse was not sure if she should believe him or not, but in the end, she decided that it does not matter. His presence here is more alarming than the reason behind it. She scrutinized him before asking: "How did you find out about this location? This is not something that field agents know about."

Michael opened his mouth to respond and then he realized that some things don't add up. Why is he having a conversation with Jesse casually? Sitting here with Jesse made him drift away into the past and he recklessly lowered his guard. Jesse is not the same person he thought she is! He almost told her about Sarah and Aiden!

Michael glanced around anxiously. What is the time? How long was he out? Where is Oni? She is probably worried sick. And why the hell is his lens not working?

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