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“Nope, O and I were. It just took a few years for us to be in the same place at the same time again,” said Poseidon.
“We’ve got you both beat. Cayman and I met in primary school,” Bexli chimed in.
“Don’t look at me,” said Verity when most everyone did. “Zeppelin and I couldn’t stand the sight of each other for months after we first met.” Zep cleared his throat. “Correction, neither of us had a problem ogling each other. It was every word we uttered that got in our way.”
“You’re together now, and that’s all that matters,” said Nemesis. “Thanks to Z and me, by the way.”
“Did I hear my name?” the man said, walking into the situation room with George, who was now his wife.
“God, it’s good to see you,” said Nemesis, the first to approach them.
“We’ve come to send you off on what we hope and believe will be the final op in the AMPS mission.” He looked around the room. “It seems my well wishes are premature. We’re awaiting one more arrival.” He’d no sooner finished his sentence than Baissier walked through the front door.
My arm was already around Schön, so I gave her a squeeze before she stepped forward to greet her uncle.
“We will speak privately before your departure, yes?”
She nodded. “I’d like that.”
Baissier stepped over to Z and stood beside him. “We’ve come to send you off on what we believe will be the final op in the AMPS mission,” Marchand repeated.
Those in the room who held glasses raised them. Others expressed their agreement.
“If that felt a bit anticlimactic, I said almost those exact words right before you arrived,” Z told him.
“Almost?”
“I said we hope and believe it is the final op.”
Baissier shook his head. “You always were the, how do you say it?” He looked over at Schön, who shrugged.
“Debbie Downer?” said Oleander.
Baissier grinned and pointed at her. “That’s it!”
While the mood in the room was upbeat and positive, I could guarantee there wasn’t a person here whose underlying emotions didn’t include trepidation and even fear. We might be looking for one person, but AMPS wasn’t made up of her alone. I had no doubt it would be years before we took down the vast networks of traffickers, money launderers, and customers of the organization. More would rise in their place, and more were already out there.
“Before I spend a bit of quiet time with my niece, I will remind you all again that the mandate you have been given by the United Nations is a monumental undertaking of the direst urgency. However, there are no others I trust more to lead the fight against human trafficking than those assembled here today.”
“Uncle Henri, would you mind if Magnet joined us?”
The ambassador looked me up and down. “If that is what you want,” he said to Schön.
“I do.”
He raised a brow. “Our conversation will be of a personal nature.”
“Nothing you will say to me cannot be said in front of him.”
“Very well. Lead the way.”
“Are you sure about this?” I asked as we walked in the direction of the solarium.
“Until the op deploys, I want to be by your side every minute I can be.”
“Understood.”
“I will keep this brief since I know you will be on your way soon,” said Baissier. “I hope someday you will be able to forgive me.”