APEX - Season 2

Ch. 28: The Reunion

Calla

I knew something was up three blocks into my commute to work with Jackson.

"You usually turn right here to head to the freeway. Is there construction or something?"

"Nope." I caught Jackson frowning in the rearview mirror. "Didn't they tell you? I'm supposed to bring you somewhere else this morning."

"No, they—whoever that is—did not tell me." I sat up and stared indignantly out the window, as if the road leading me further away from my shared office with Rhys was to blame. "Where are we going?"

"I think 'they' in this case is Mr. Rawlings."

"Be more precise. There's a lot of Mr. Rawlings. Are we talking about Gerald?"

"That would be the one. He said you have a meeting with an old friend. That's why I figured you'd know about it already."

"An old friend..." Holy fuck. Gerald had scheduled my meeting with Vicki and hadn't bothered to tell me about it. "So nice of him to spring this on me so I had adequate time to prepare."

"I guess he thought you'd be so busy with the union planning."

I groaned. "Don't remind me."

By now, it had become clear where we were headed: Vicki's apartment. "Will my guards be meeting us there?"

"They've been trailing us the entire way."

I nodded. It stung that the presence of several beefy werewolf bodyguards made me more secure simply to meet with someone I'd considered my best friend for the past ten years. But Vicki wasn't the same as she had been before all this began. There was no telling what her aim was in asking for this meeting.

My palms became clammy and the eggs I'd eaten for breakfast threatened to make a reappearance on the backseat of my mother's luxury car. Maybe Gerald had been right to keep this meeting off my radar until the last minute. I'd have barely slept last night if I'd known this was how my day was going to begin.

We pulled up to Vicki and Brett's flat and Jackson cut the engine. "You going to be all right Miss Bardot?"

"Why Jackson, I didn't know you cared," I said, emulating an affected accent and patting my heart. "I'll be fine." What could be easier than trying to get a best friend turned terrorist to back down on her plans to obliterate my people? Piece of cake.

At the front door, my security flanking me, I had to focus to keep my legs from giving out.

"We'll go in first," My security head said. "Evan will stay here with you while the rest of us secure the apartment. Evan, don't bring her in until we've called clear."

Evan nodded, and then Brett opened the door, looking both alarmed and sheepish. "What's with the beefcakes?" he asked as three fourths of them stormed past him.

"They're making sure you and Vicki aren't planning on murdering me. Be prepared to get patted down."

Brett looked Evan up and down. "I give my full consent."

A minute later, the all-clear was called and we entered the apartment. Brett disappeared into his bedroom, and I turned towards the living room, where my former friend stood shifting her weight from foot to foot.

She gave me an awkward wave, which I did not return.

"Boys," I said, referring to my entourage. "We're going to need some space. Why don't you go make yourselves some tea in the kitchen. Cups are in the cabinet to the right of the stove. You'll see a selection of teas lining the counter."