Chapter 26: Impending doom.

Jasmine's POV.

I was on my way home from a late air surf game when someone suddenly clasped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into a corner. I tried screaming but I couldn't get the sound out when the person suddenly whispered in a calm voice "relax queen, it's me" my eyes widened in recognition, not of the voice, but of the realization that there is only one person that calls me queen. That particular someone that I've longed to see since forever.

Charles' POV.

I noticed her body stiffen and she held her breath, before slowly relaxing and I removed my hand from her mouth. She turned around slowly then whispered "Charles" I smiled, for the first time in a long time, feeling actually happy "Charles" she said again, this time a little higher "OMG, it's really you" I saw the excitement build up on her face before she crashed into me, knocking my breath out and the next moment, I felt a punch in my gut "ouch" under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have yelped, cause I didn't really feel it. But she feels accomplished when I behave as if it hurt, and I'll generally do anything for my favorite person in the world.

"where the hell have you been?" she half yelled, then gasped, before punching me again "hey, aren't you happy to see me?" I said sounding hurt "looking like that I'm not, why did you cut your hair?" she pouted and I scratched my head, forgetting that part "my line of work does not allow me to keep my long hair, but I can grow it back if you want" I explained and I saw her slowly erupt into a wide grin "okie doke" She replied.

Then I waited for her to ask the obvious question "wait, what are you doing here? hiding in the dark?" and instead of a straight answer, I answered "there's a problem, like a really really big problem" I said bracing myself for her reaction. "I need to tell you a few things Jasmine, promise me you'll not be too disappointed" I fidgeted slightly "of course not, I would never be disappointed in you Charles" she said but patterns of confusion outlined her tender face.

"alot has been going on since I left queen" I started, then paused trying to summarize the whole story "I joined an agency, that trains men on different martial skills and weaponry training, to get us ready for field operation" I said gently "field operation?" she asked the question I feared she would "we're freestyle agents at the agency, we work for the higher ups to get the job done" I avoided her gaze "to get the job done?" she asked then her eyes widened in realization "are you an assassin?" my heart broke.

"I don't kill innocent people queen, just the bad ones" I said "that's why I'm here, I'm on a contract, to wipe every arite in the world, and we're starting from the headquarters, here" I said with urgency "what? you're what?" "the man I work for has been lying to me all along, he said he's trying to restore balance and that people like arites shouldn't exist but I then found out that he is working with the archines" I said my voice now down to a whisper "who are the archines?"

Jasmine's POV.

"they are the rebellious parts of arites, they're our enemies, their skills counter ours, and they unlike arites, do not have lines on their faces, which makes then unrecognizable" Carl said eyeing Charles "how are we sure that you're not one of them?" he said and I immediately got defensive "of course he's not one, he's on our side" "I am an archine actually" Charles interrupted "shocking" Carl muttered sarcastically "how come? I can't remember you being weird" I asked a bit disappointed that I didn't know something about my best friend "I kept it a secret" he said quietly "oh" was my simple reply and the silence stretched a little before Carl interrupted.

"so, what are you doing here, you realise that there are grave consequences for invading the camp, and to make it worse, you are an archine, you really must have a death wish" he said "because we need to stop what's going to happen" Charles responded "which is?" I asked "the destruction of arites" "what?" Carl chuckled "that can never happen" he continued "except it can, Santiago's plan is to plant bombs at strategic places and attack the HQ at it's weakest point" Charles said laying emphasis on every word.

"well we won't let that happen, it can't happen, we have a strong and impenetrable defense system, it's impossible" Carl bragged "well, I'm sorry to say that it is possible, in fact, as I'm speaking with you, over 20 bombs containing chemicals only known to Santiago and his cohorts are about ten feet below us waiting for the slightest hum resembling a signal from Santiago's control team to go kaboom"

Charles said in an emotionless voice that I started wondering when he got so serious "what?" Carl exclaimed color draining from his face "this is a joke right?" he said, but I could tell he knew the answer deep down "I don't think so, cause well, I lost my sense of humor" Carl looked between I and Charles, then back, before he spoke to me out of the blue "I need to talk to you" then he walked away.

"we have to turn him in" Carl muttered immediately I stepped into a room just next to the one Charles is in "turn who in?" "him, Charles, we have to report this whole situation to the council" he said and I felt like punching him in the face "are you out of your effing mind? what has he done for crying out loud?" I controlled my voice, but that still didn't hide my annoyance "what has he done? well how about this, he infiltrated the camp with a couple of people, planted bombs all over camp, and as if that isn't enough, he is a freaking archine Jaz, an archine!" he exploded.

"if he had bad intentions he wouldn't have snuck out of where he and his colleagues are based to come tell us all this when he knows how dangerous it is" I said looking around to see if there was anybody in sight "and you know this how? how do you you know this is not a lie? or even a trap?"

"because he is my cousin" I face palmed myself in exasperation "that you've not seen in a long time and all of a sudden just appears in your life, doesn't that seem to budge you?" my reply was fast "no, it doesn't bother me actually, because I trust him, no matter how long it has been since we've last been in contact, I trust him and I know that he is not a liar" I said calmly and Carl snorted.

"what if it's true Carl, what if we're under a threat and there is only one chance to stop it, if Charles didn't come to inform us of this, we probably would have been chilling at the cafeteria when we'd suddenly hear explosions" I'm getting to him "he is trying to help Carl, we can't dismiss him with the possibility of it being a lie when we know deep down that it is true" I can't remember the last time I ever spoke this long in a calm voice.

Carl closed his eyes for some time before finally speaking "fine, but if it goes wrong..." he let his voice trail off "throw me into the camp's lake" I said without thinking "okay, that seems like a good idea" he replied with a mischievous grin and I couldn't help but smile back.

"so, how much do you know?" Charles looked up from a book he had been studying in surprise and looked behind Carl who spoke, as if asking a question which I answered with a wink "well, there's good news and bad news" he paused "which would you like to here first?" he continued "good news" I said grimly "well, if I can get my hands on Santiago's control unit system, I can turn off the signal, and I know a way to get us into the building" he explained looking from me to Carl. "and the bad news?" Carl asked.

"we have just 48 hours to turn of the signal or everywhere goes kaboom".