บท 76: 36. When I kissed The Teacher.
Number two grunted, his frustration evident as he peered through the scope and realized he had missed his target once again. The damn rifle felt rigged, he thought angrily.
In contrast, Mimi remained calm and composed as she pointed out, "You didn't check the wind. Don't assume it's always the same. This tall building sways in the wind, and it's quite gusty right now."
Number two grumbled, comparing her to Murdock, who had apparently been just as bad according to number one.
"And this damn rifle is rigged," he muttered.
Losing my patience with him, I positioned myself next to him and instructed, "Move over."
Taking aim with my best rifle, I aligned it perfectly and fired. I stood up, allowing him to see my successful shot. Number two looked through the scope, grunted, but remained silent. Without a word, he got into position, made adjustments, and took another shot, only to miss due to his impatience.
Once again, I repeated my advice to him for what felt like the millionth time. "First, check your grip. Don't squeeze the rifle too tightly. Assess the wind for at least 20 seconds to gauge any changes. Look through the scope and observe if there's any movement down there. Take that into account. Relax your posture, take a deep breath, and gently caress the trigger, treating the rifle like a seduced woman. Keep it light."
He listened to my guidance and fired again, this time with more accuracy, though not hitting the bullseye.
I reminded him, "Don't rush. It takes time to get it right."
He refocused, and I allowed him to shoot a few more times. He improved, but perfection would require more time. It wasn't necessary for him to become a sniper, since we had others for that role. As I watched him, I couldn't help but think about the damn teamwork we had to accomplish. It meant that I had to play the role of an instructor at times, especially when someone showed potential.
According to my five and the council as well, it did me good to do something other than lead all the time. Number one maintained constant communication through the hive mind and ordered the rest of the salvatores to the nearest base to continue their mission. So, my hands were quite dirty as well.
So, I had the task of teaching this aspiring sniper the ropes, to see if he had what it takes. But Salvatore, always impatient and proud, made it a bit challenging. He had a unique way of trying to impress me, sometimes standing up abruptly, pushing me against the wall, and kissing me with intense passion. He has the method of kissing the teacher and seeing if he can kiss me in a better mood. Well, I was a pro, so it did not really work. Made me even more frustrated.
Meanwhile, Adam, Charles, and the boys were almost finished and would soon join the team. I had already given Mariella some pointers on handling gigs, and Wulfe was assisting her in finding suitable crew members. The Magic House had also shown interest, but our vetting process had to be thorough to ensure no spies infiltrated our ranks. Background checks took time as those were done before even the first interview.
I had to train the number two as a sniper and then spent some time in the gym. Magnum was my partner as we practiced taking down Salvatore numbers five and seven. It was quite satisfying to call them sloppy. Magnum insisted that I be part of this training, as we were overwhelmed with work. We were unloading our frustrations at the same time. Meaning Magnum made sure that I was unloading as well. Higgins and Dexter had numbers three and eight to work on as well.
It was time-consuming and required effort from all of us, but it brought some change to our routine. During the night, I had to catch up on paperwork and assess what needed to be done. I had also paperwork from our clinic as Colin was busy touring the bases, implementing new changes that number four had come up with. Mariella and the pack went to their house to rest and eat.
Meanwhile, I practically lived on the base. It seemed like I would eventually have to go on missions. Our leads had uncovered some dangerous places, and it was my responsibility to eliminate them or gather more evidence to prioritize our actions. Number four had recently returned, and I had a few more missions lined up for him, leaving little time for him to act as a doctor, but rather focusing on the missions.
Mariella was planning an attack on those facilities, with Taylor as her handler, teaching her everything she needed to know. They also trained together in the gym almost every day. Taylor was a skilled fighter, one of the best, and Mariella was the perfect match for him to train and have fun with.
As for my twins, they were doing well. Sometimes, I felt guilty for not spending enough time with them, but they seemed happy and had a large extended family. It seemed fitting for them to be a part of this side of my life.
I had sworn to myself that this was something I was supposed to be doing, and I would never stop this altogether. I could keep holidays and not be the leader all the time, but quitting? Never again. As I had seen number one a few times, he was frustrated, but he was starting to see this whole thing from a whole new perspective. He had told me about an upcoming vampire wedding. He had described how he would be in my office, which would now be our office, and the Salvatores would make sure that no one would come to ask stupid questions.
I had just smiled, seeing him quite rundown and tired as he had come by to see the twins. It seemed that he wanted them too, and I had heard him snapping a few times at Magnum, asserting that he was their father, not Magnum. He had then also offered to make Magnum into a hybrid, as well as Higgins, telling how Magnum could have his own pack and cubs with Higgins.
I had seen Charles a few times talking with Jarod. He seemed jealous, as Jarod had been talking about me. And when Damon had seen Jarod, well, Jarod had a sense of humor. He had gone to Damon, giving him a packet full of small syringes, if he wanted to flank me. Again, Damon was offering Jarod the same thing - he could make him a hybrid and put him to be part of his breeding stock, relocating them to another realm to have their own cubs and babies there. Jarod was thinking about it. He really was. I was less happy about Damon offering this to my people, but I kept my mouth shut.
Wulfe, of course, was the talk of the town. The Damons were wise enough to see that Wulfe could teach them the most, and they wanted to talk to him, let him teach them, and test them. Sometimes I noticed Mariella looking very keenly as Number Nine was talking to Wulfe. She was almost worried. I had no idea why.
My days were as full as ever. I trained Number Two for a little over a week, getting him to a decent skill level, and he had found his favorite rifle. Ironically, it was one that I had never used much, as it was not really my type. Soon it would be time for Number One and Two to get to know Jarod and Miss Parker a little better, and they had a plan of their own. They took Number One and Two on a two-week cruise, which would give them ample time to get to know each other. I was actually surprised by that idea, but then again, it gave them the best chance and, moreover, forced them to interact and minimized Mariella's influence.
I was in my office, preparing my gear. I had just booked a few weeks' worth of gigs for myself and had assigned gigs to my foursome as well. Each of them had to go to a different base to carry out missions. Adam was in Chicago, Charles in Wyoming, Demon in New Mexico, and Lepard in Minnesota. I was traveling from state to state, scouting locations, doing some missions, and maybe even saving a few lives. I wasn't sure yet.
Mariella informed me it would take a week to complete the plan for the two facilities and another week before we could execute it. She hoped that numbers one and two would have time to come on board. I reviewed the plans, gave my approval, and wished her good luck. I knew it would be a few weeks before I could see my twins, but I trusted they were in excellent hands. Once this wave of salvatores was over, maybe I would have some time with them, too. They were very special to me.
I grabbed my guns and packed my bags. Of course, there was the usual office traffic, especially when they knew I was about to leave. So many questions to answer, but I had time. I always kept my schedule flexible, just in case there was a rush job somewhere that needed my attention. I was thinking to myself how great it would be to assign number one, Mariella, as a base leader while I did my job in Europe. I didn't want to be with them all the time.
Most of the time, I was on the move, and I knew I had a lot to accomplish in South America. I could recruit more people my way, and it was always fun when they didn't believe who I was. But that was for later. Right now, these missions require my full attention. I informed everyone that I would contact them when necessary. In some missions, I might have to keep an eye on the target for several nights, and if an opportunity arose, I would take it without maintaining contact.
Besides, my team and most of the council were busy with the salvatores and their training. I had assigned handlers to each of them, so my people knew how to direct them. For number one, I had chosen Tim, Jake's son. He was one tough individual, more than a match for number one.
Besides, I knew my people and what they were capable of. Taylor had a way with Mariella, and although he didn't have much respect for women by default, he expected the best from everyone, regardless of gender. He enjoyed fighting in the gym, so Mariella was handled and trained properly.
I didn't have much to worry about with these recruits. I would hear stories about their progress later on, and maybe one day I would take them on my missions. I was very selective about who I chose for my missions. It was always the mission leader's job to select the crew, and usually, no one declined if I chose them. I had my own trusted group, and earning a place in my inner circle was not easy. I was very demanding in the field. I was the boss out there, and everyone knew it, rightfully so.
I got fully geared up, kissed my babies one last time, and grabbed my bag. I slung it over my shoulder and took one final walk around the big space, making sure everything was going as it should and helping where needed. After three hours, I headed to my car, a big SUV. I placed my bag on the bench and started driving to my first destination. The drive would take only two hours, but I enjoyed the act of driving itself. It helped me get into mission mode, clear my mind, and appreciate the journey.
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