EVE
Kellen and I had finally tracked down our target's location using our laptops. He was five miles away from the lodge. It was time to put our ski skills to the test and plan our approach.
“I wonder what made him go rogue. I guess it doesn’t matter now. Time to get to that traitor and eliminate him once and for all,”. Kellen grunted, his face in an adorable scowl as he concentrated on the laptop screen one last time before closing it shut. “Let's get our bags packed with supplies so we can set off.”
I nodded, loving every moment of this dominant side of him. I was okay with everything he said, agreeing bubbly until he turned with great expectations and let out the next statement.
“We can use the ski’s to get to Chavez. With no motors, it wont alert him of the coming danger—he will never hear us coming,” He chuckled while rubbing the scruff that began to grow out on his jawline.
And as attractive and distracting as that was, there was just one tiny problem—I had never skied before. But, how hard could it be, right? Why was I nervously laughing to myself?
I bit my bottom lip as we wrapped our sniper rifles under our clothes before we suited up in our ski gear and backpacks filled with our assassin supplies, trying to look as professional as possible. I watched Kellen carefully as he put on his boots, determined to mimic his every move. With a confident nod, we headed out to conquer the slopes.
The snow crunched beneath our boots and after about thirty minutes, we reached the top of the hill. I took a deep breath and prepared to make my grand debut as a skier. I pushed off, expecting to glide gracefully down the slope. Instead, I found myself careening out of control, flailing my arms and legs in a desperate attempt to regain my balance.
Oh no! How did you stop this thing?!
As I hurtled down the hill on my skis, both terror and exhilaration hit me at once, like the tree branches swatting my face. The wind whipped through my hair, and my screams echoed through the mountains, sounding more like a high-pitched squeal than anything else.
I clung onto my ski poles for dear life, my knuckles turning white with the effort. It was like a rollercoaster ride from Hades, with no end in sight. I tried to remember all the skiing tips I read, but they seemed to have vanished from my mind, replaced by sheer panic.
There were other people on the slopes. I watched as their eyes widened with shocked amusement when they turned to look at me careening by. I could hear their laughter mixing with my screams, creating a strange symphony of chaos.
I zoomed past innocent skiers, I couldn't help but apologize between my screams. "Sorry! Coming through! Watch out for the human projectile!" I shouted, my voice filled with a mix of fear and embarrassment.
Kellen, being the expert skier that he was, effortlessly maneuvered down the hill, leaving me in his snowy dust. I could hear his laughter echoing through the air as he watched my disastrous descent.
I tried to remember the skiing tutorials I had watched online, but it seemed like all that knowledge had evaporated from my brain the harder I tried to grasp onto it as a lifeline. I twisted and turned, crashing into innocent bystanders like bowling pins and sending snow flying in every direction.
Finally, with a loud thud, I came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, completely disheveled and buried in my temporary white coffin. My skis had flown off in different directions. I dug myself out and rolled onto my side, gasping for breath and I lay there grateful to still have a few lives left in me.
I blinked a few times and looked up to see Kellen, doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down his face. Oh, the jerk!
"Well, that was certainly a memorable ski run," he managed to say between fits of laughter.
I wanted to be mad, I truly did. But how could I? It was kind of funny. As I slowly picked myself up, I joined in on his laughter and dusted myself off. I must have looked like a cartoon character, careening down the hill with no control whatsoever.
Hopefully, that embarrassing memory won't burn too deeply in his mind. A girl’s dignity could only hope.
"Yeah, I guess I need a few more lessons," I sheepishly replied, still brushing the snow off my clothes. But despite my skiing disaster, we were still set on completing our mission.
Once Kellen got his fill of humor, he looked over at me with concern. “How about we walk the rest of the way."
I exhaled loudly in both relief and happiness. "Yes, let's just walk. That way we can talk, it is Valentine's day after all," I chirped, back in high spirits.
As we walked through the snowy landscape, our breaths were visible in the cold air. I let out a sigh. Walking seemed like a much safer option than skiing, especially considering my lack of skill on the slopes.
I glanced at Kellen, and gave him a smile. He always had a way of looking out for me, even in the midst of a high-stakes mission. I knew I could trust him with my life, and that thought brought me comfort.
"Thank you for suggesting we walk," I said, making sure to let him know my appreciation. Communication was key in all relationships. "I feel much more at ease now."
Kellen grunted, his eyes softening. "Of course," he replied, his voice gentle. "Your safety is my priority. Plus, walking gives us a chance to talk and strategize some more."
I nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "You're right," I agreed. "We should take a moment to appreciate each other and the bond we share this Valentine’s Day, even if Professor Carn tried to detract us with this assignment."
As we continued walking, we discussed our plan of action. Chavez's location was constantly being updated on our GPS, and we needed to stay one step ahead of him. We analyzed the terrain, looking for any potential hiding spots or escape routes. But amidst the mission talk, we also took the time to share stories and laughter. We talked about our favorite memories together, the challenges we had overcome, and our hopes for the future.
It was a moment of connection amidst the chaos, a reminder of the love and trust that bound us together. And I was grateful for it. Life had always thrown me lemons, but the moment Kellen came into my life it was as if the world shifted and everything started to make sense.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the alabaster expanse, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace. Despite the danger that surrounded us, I knew that as long as we were together, we could face anything. I was so glad I was partnered up with Kellen. I mean, if I wasn’t, I would have found a way anyhow, I snickered to myself.
“Time to set up camp.” Kellen stopped and casted his gaze around us. “Looks like tonight we will be snuggling together.”
My heart skipped a beat. Last night we were both so exhausted, we succumbed to sleep right away. But my blood was still pumping wildly from the day’s events that I knew I wouldn’t be going to sleep any time soon.
I watched as Kellen dropped to his knee and pulled something out of one of his pockets. He had brought one of the pieces of the new technology from the AU: tent in a box. He removed the small box, placed it on the ground and pushed the button on top that read ‘PUSH ME’ then quickly leapt back. I watched with my mouth in an ‘o’ as the tent emerged from the box and marveled at the ingenuity of the technology.
Kellen had always spent a lot of time in the assassin store and had a knack for finding the latest gadgets and tools to make our missions more comfortable.
With the tent quickly set up, his small heater provided a cozy warmth in the chilly evening air.
Our backpacks held ‘Meals for Assassins’—just had to add water. There were several flavors to choose from but we chose the beef roast and veggies. We poured bottled water on the trays and watched as they began to cook themselves. Soon, the scent of the beef roast and veggies filled the tent.
We savored each bite of the delicious meal, the flavors mingling on our tongues. It was a moment of respite, a chance to recharge and gather our strength for the task ahead. We continued to discuss our plan for eliminating Chavez, strategizing every move and anticipating every possible outcome.
But amidst the serious talk, we also found moments of laughter and lightness as we always did. Kellen, despite being the most cantankerous, grumpy sniper on this side of the states, always made me smile. A lot of the girls back at the AU had asked me how I was able to be his girlfriend and all I could tell them was that he was different with me. It made me feel special. We shared stories, jokes, and dreams for the future. It was a reminder that even in the midst of danger, we could find joy and nurture our connection.
With our guts full, we soon found ourselves drowsy so we snuggled up together. As I lay there, listening to the sound of Kellen's steady breathing, I let my eyes slowly flutter down. Tomorrow, we would face Chavez and eliminate the threat he posed.
Lost in the blissful peace of sleep, a thunderous noise suddenly jolted us awake. It was as if a herd of elephants were tap dancing outside our tent. Kellen, in a panic, grabbed his trusty sniper rifle and immediately dashed out of the tent. Of course, being the girlfriend I was, I followed suit, armed with my new pink rifle as well.
To our astonishment, we came face to face with a colossal moose. It was sniffing the air, nostrils dramatically flaring, probably enticed by the mouthwatering aroma of our pot roast.
"Nice choice of cuisine, Einstein!" I sarcastically remarked, earning a chuckle from Kellen.
“Don’t worry, Eve. Moose don’t attack humans, especially when we have guns.”
Just as the words left his mouth, the moose charged.
Kellen steadied himself and let out a steady breath and took aim, about to shoot. But he clicked his trigger only to realize his rifle was as empty as a politician's promises.
"Talk about bad timing!" he exclaimed, cursing his forgetfulness to load the bullets. With lightning-fast reflexes, he dodged the moose's charging horns, narrowly escaping its wrath.
Kellen was unafraid and engaged with the moose in a fierce battle of wits, dodging its antler attacks like a clumsy matador. I seized the opportunity to become the hero of the day. Sneaking up behind the unsuspecting moose, I mustered all my strength and whacked it on the head with the butt of my new rifle.
The moose let out a comical yelp and bolted off into the distance, leaving us in both awe and relief.
With the moose safely gone, Kellen and I took a moment to catch our breath and collect ourselves. We couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation we had just found ourselves in. How was anyone able to get a decent meal out here with that thing roaming around for leftovers?
We settled back into our tent, and decided to take some precautions to avoid any more unexpected encounters with wildlife. We made sure to properly secure our food and belongings, keeping them out of reach from any curious creatures before laying back down to sleep. It didn't last long because Kellen's snoring reached new decibel levels I couldn’t even comprehend. I was amazed at the sheer power and volume of his snores. It was as if a sawmill was operating at full speed right next to me. The sound reverberated through the air, causing me to instinctively cover my ears in an attempt to block out the noise.
I watched in both horror and awe as Kellen's mouth hung open, emitting a symphony of snores that seemed to defy the laws of physics. It was a sight to behold. How could a human produce such a thunderous sound? This was inhuman.
With sleep in the distance, I sat upright, contemplating the mysteries of Kellen's snoring. My annoyance slowly transformed into humor the longer I stared at his cute face. Despite the deafening noise, I couldn't bring myself to wake Kellen. There was something endearing about his blissful slumber, even if it came with the soundtrack of a sawmill. So, I resigned myself to endure the symphony of snores, finding whatever solace I could in the warmth of his body.
It was like Kellen to be blissfully unaware. It was a moment I would never forget, a testament to the unique quirks and idiosyncrasies that make each of us who we are.