Chapter 5

Once again, Gabriel was staring at the ceiling of his room in the Nest. It was something he always did after any mission; he couldn't explain why, but it helped him put things in order in his mind. He used the peeled patches and stains on the ancient structure as if they were the faces and memories he lived through during the mission. It was a strange feeling every time he did that—he vividly remembered every moment from the past weeks or months, and he placed the most memorable ones on each of those marks on the ceiling. Forming a connection was common, even though his goal was to kill his targets. Still, the time spent together was often fun and enjoyable. Even though the end was always the same, and those people ended up dying, looking at him with disbelief, despair, and even disappointment.

Gabriel then separated those negative memories, leaving only what didn't eat away at him inside, focusing on a single memory. Letting everything else slip to the back of his mind, where it would be stored with others. Each mark on that ceiling above his head represented something good, and the rest he simply pretended never happened.

Every Raven dealt with their actions differently, and none ever interfered with another's method. Some were a bit eccentric like Gabriel in the way they kept their minds sane; others used sex, exercise, food, or even drug use to maintain control and not fall into the abyss of madness. For a mad Raven was something extremely problematic and especially lethal.

Naomi, as Gabriel knew well, used alcohol to suppress memories and bad experiences, which is why she was such good friends with Aldrey. But on missions, everyone had the duty to stay calm and never lose control, for they were the last line between control and the animalistic side of humanity. The only line.

He felt his body completely drenched after the long bath, during which he spent more time fighting not to fall asleep than actually caring about hygiene. Gabriel sprawled on the bed completely wet, knowing Naomi would give him a scolding for it later. He felt no pain nor physical exhaustion, just the strange emptiness that came after a completed job, and the intense desire to stay lying down. Forcing himself to stand up, the young man went to the modest wardrobe, where he chose the standard clothes of the Ravens—there weren't many other options.

As he turned around, he reflexively moved his foot away from the spot where he had nearly broken his pinky toe on his partner's chain mail. He was baffled by her wanting to wear something like that, but decided to say nothing. In a way, he found the strange protection quite interesting. Stylish too. He tried to wear it, but the weight when he picked it up killed all his enthusiasm.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway, approaching the room where the young man sat holding his boot. They stopped abruptly, followed by two knocks on the door. Gabriel knew that knock well. Standing up, with only one boot on and his right foot bare, he shouted in response.

— Come in!

With a low but piercing creak, the door opened, revealing Jonas behind it. The man looked exhausted, his hair more gray than before. He entered without ceremony, closing the door behind him.

— I see you're doing well.

— Of course, sir. Just another day at work.

— Good, you haven't lost your sense of humor.

— Never, sir.

Jonas leaned against the wooden door, his gaze lost for a few moments, spending several seconds in complete silence, just staring at nothing. When he finally spoke again:

— I received the mission report. Otto gave me the important details last night. I also got another one from one of the Ravens who went to the site later, after you had left. I heard it wasn't a pretty sight.

— Not at all, sir — Gabriel agreed seriously.

— In any case, I'm glad the mission was resolved without any casualties on our side. — And once again, the worried look returned to Jonas's face.

Gabriel had noticed this for some time now—the leader of the Ravens always seemed to have some concern on his mind. He had never come to see Gabriel or anyone else after a mission before. It was always they who had to go and give their reports. There was something more going on, and Gabriel suspected he was about to find out what it was.

— Sir — Gabriel began, unable to control his mouth once again — why did you come to see me?

— I'll need to talk to you and Naomi later. — He quickly raised his hand to silence Gabriel, who was about to protest. — I know you just got back, and it's been four months, I'm well aware of that, Gabriel, but I'm going to need one of the best Infiltrators I have available, and Naomi has already been cleared to return to duty.

That was the first time Gabriel had ever been complimented by the leader, which left him speechless. He simply nodded as the older Raven opened the door to leave.

— In two hours, in my office. Bring Naomi with you.

The door closed, leaving Gabriel completely bewildered by the turn of events, with an unpleasant cold sensation in his stomach. He sat down to put on his remaining boot, but paused, drumming his fingers on his legs for a few moments. Something like this had never happened to him before. Like the unpleasant memories and thoughts, the young man pushed it aside. He would find Naomi first.

Just before leaving, he remembered his most precious possession. He bent down by the bed, seeing Naomi's katana resting against the wall, and behind it, another bundle. Needing to shove his head under the furniture, he grabbed the package. The cloth was dusty and chewed by rats in a few spots. Placing it on the bed, the knot he had tied four months ago was still there. With skill, he untied it, revealing the contents.

A modified Magnum lay before him. The gun had a barrel twice as thick, and its bullet cylinder held only four rounds. The grip was polished wood, covered in many scratches. His master's inheritance. He carefully checked to make sure nothing was wrong with the weapon. Even though it had been sitting unused for so long and was a bit gnawed by rats, especially on the grip, the deadly object was in perfect condition—at least in his eyes. He would ask Will's opinion on it later. After rewrapping the cloth, a bullet slipped out and fell onto the bed. A bullet two and a half times larger than a regular Magnum round, made individually for this gun.

Gabriel only had two of them. Before leaving, he had asked Will to make another batch. He thought the old Raven might punch him, grumbling about how he was trying to kill him with so much work and spitting out other obscenities. Gabriel liked Will. Placing the bullet back with the others, the young man returned the bundle under his bed and left the room in long strides. He needed to find Naomi—he felt like he was about to step into another storm, one worse than the S.L. incident.