Chapter Text
The Mark
Across a kitchen table in a studio apartment in Cambridge, England, an immortal family is making plans.
The conversation is led by Andy, the oldest of them, a lethal Scythian woman fluent in all languages and hell bent on making the world better. She is tall and lithe not to be trifled with, her preferred weapon of war being a labrys. But there is a shadow of sadness about her, the result of having lost her beloved to the depths of the ocean centuries before. On either side sit her brothers in arms, the immortal lovers, Joe and Nicky, warriors who met on the bloody battlefield outside Jerusalem almost a thousand years prior. They are both devastatingly handsome, ruthless and coordinating effortlessly in battle yet it is their combined strength, kindness and compassion that leave a mark on those that encounter them. Their final companion is the newest immortal, Nile, the capable young former American marine with the beauty of a Nubian queen and hair pulled back in intricate braids.
Since Nile joined them a little over two decades ago, they have become an efficient and driven team with the assistance of former CIA operative, Copley. While most of their work is for the greater good, this is a little different. Copley has requested they conduct a short operation to collect some valuable information that he can use as leverage to assist them in the future.
“So Copley says this guy is the accountant for that cartel who pulled all that shit last month. If we can get access to the house, we can pull a copy of his hard drive which will buy him big favours with a few agencies giving him options down the road. It’s an easy job, Copley benefits and we can stay sharp.”
Nile complains, “I hate these filler jobs.”
Joe smiles. “I like them. Less chance of us getting shot.” He looks pointedly at his husband. “What’s the issue?”
“Copley can’t penetrate the security system. Nothing he’s seen before. It’s got him stumped. We either need to crack it or find another way into the house to access the files. That’s where your mark comes in.” She gestures at Joe.
“His niece. Isabella, 22, studying some tech course I don’t understand at the university. The only other person who lives there who isn’t on the payroll.”
Nile asks the obvious question, “We can’t just bribe one of the staff for access?”
“This is drug money. He pays them very well so Copley and I don’t think that’s going to be viable.”
Nicky takes the file from Andy as Joe asks, “Why does she live with her uncle? Where are her parents?”
“Apparently the family car inexplicably crashed on an empty road. Could’ve been a message to the uncle. She was 15. Parents were killed, she survived and gained that little souvenir.”
She gestures to the surveillance photos Nicky holds. The young woman’s cheek is disfigured by an ugly, ragged scar.
Nile interjects, “What’s weird is that we needed surveillance photos at all. How is it she has almost no online presence, not social media, nothing? Says there’s just an email she uses to sign up for Netflix, Amazon, Spotify. It’s kinda weird.”
Andy looks at her sardonically. “What is your generation’s obsession with technology?”
Nicky’s only vaguely listening to the now familiar banter between the women on this subject. What Nicky sees looking at the images is a vulnerable girl who wears her strawberry hair long to hide her face. “I don’t know if I like using his niece like this.”
Andy rolls her eyes. “God Nicky, you can’t be responsible for every stray. I thought we agreed after the great kitten fiasco outside Berlin?”
Joe smiles knowingly and Nile looks positively gleeful at this revelation. “This I gotta hear.”
“Later. And we’re only using her to get into his house. If it makes you happy, convince your husband to let her down easy and not break her heart?”
Joe winks at Nicky with a gentle smile. “Of course, habibi. ”
“Copley also said he uncovered a number of out of the ordinary transactions recently. The uncle has been skimming off the top and is preparing to run… This situation is going to go sideways hard when his boss works out he’s robbed them. These cartels are ruthless in the face of this kind of betrayal. He says it’s imperative to move quickly before his records are rendered redundant.”
They all agree the op has merit and work together to map their strategy.
***
Meanwhile across town, in a different kitchen, the girl is hunched over a laptop, squinting at the screen. She hears footsteps approaching and hastily flicks across to bring the more benign browser to the screen featuring an essay for one of her classes as her uncle walks in.
He pours himself a coffee and takes a sip, watching her.
“Remember we will have guests on Saturday. The party for the firm. It is expected that you will be there and on your best behaviour.”
She glances up at him briefly with thinly veiled disgust. “I hate those things. Can’t I just stay in my room.”
“We may need to step out and undertake some business with an associate, you understand me.”
She sighs. “More bank transfers.”
He stalks over and stands over her threateningly. “You’re very fortunate that your skills are of use to me young lady. Orphans are rarely afforded the opportunities that you have. I’d hate for the money that funds your technology addiction and pays your tuition to suddenly disappear…”
She narrows her eyes. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
As he walks out she flicks back to the dark web and continues her work.
***
It’s mid morning and Isabella is feeling flustered. Her uncle had insisted on her assistance yet again that morning but he was even more cagey than usual. By the time she reached uni all the decent parks were taken and she’d had to leave the car on the opposite side of campus and hustle to get to her tutorial. She was not looking forward to the glare she was going to get from that rat faced TA if she walked in late.
Isabella cuts across a quiet little courtyard and as she’s checking the time on her phone she collides with another person.
She looks up to see a handsome man with a neatly trimmed beard and gentle dark eyes the colour of espresso. She can see wisps of curly dark hair peeking out from under the leopard cap he wears backwards. He’s tall with a solid frame and powerful arms and his muscular torso stretches his shirt…
…which Isabella now notices is drenched in the coffee he’d been carrying.
“Oh my god. I’m so sorry I didn’t see you!!”
The man laughs. It’s a musical sound and she finds herself wishing to hear more of it. He flaps his shirt to dry it.
“No harm done. Nothing a shower won’t solve.”
“Please, let me cover the cleaning at least?”
“I won’t hear of it.”
He looks up at her, his gaze one of smouldering intensity. Her breath hitches and she instinctively brushes her palm against the scar on her cheek.
“I’m Joe.” He flashes her a devastating smile.
“Isabella.”
He takes a long look at her and then blinks, like he’s shaking something off.
“Sorry, you must get this all the time but, you have the most incredible eyes. They’re like... all the colours of coarse sand.”
She flushes and adjusts her backpack. “They’re just hazel.”
He smiles at her again, weakening her knees.
“Well, I should…” gesturing to his shirt. “I look forward to running into you again sometime, Isabella.”
He walks past her and she watches him go, still feeling a little spellbound by the encounter with the handsome stranger.
***
The next day, Joe finds his target sitting by the river on a laptop.
“Well if it isn’t the girl with the just hazel eyes. I hoped I’d see you again!”
She looks up at him and smiles shyly. “Hi.”
He gestures beside her. “May I?”
She nods and he flashes one of his intoxicating smiles at her as he sits and gestures at the high end tech on her lap which she quickly shuts.
“So what are you working on?”
She shrugs. “It’s nothing. Just a puzzle I’m trying to solve.”
“A puzzle?”
She nods.
“You don’t seem that happy about it?”
She shrugs again. She’s either shy or cagey. Either way they need her. If it’s the first, he’ll feel a little guilty about using her like this but the intel will be valuable and she is living off the spoils of a drug cartel associate.
“Would you maybe, want to take a walk?”
She looks surprised but pleased and packs her gear into her backpack. They wander the grounds and talk for an hour or so while he deftly pumps her for information on her life and her uncle woven into casual conversation. She’s frustratingly cautious. Perhaps if he catches her off guard with something painful. It’s a callous move but an effective one.
“So why do you live with your uncle?”
She immediately stops. “My parents and I… there was an accident. They didn’t make it. It’s… it’s how I got this.” She absently brushes her cheek with her fingertips. But he knew that. He looks at her kindly.
“Isabella. I’m so sorry.” He reaches up and cups her cheek running his thumb over the scar.
Her breath hitches and he lets his hand fall. She swallows and continues.
“My uncle took me in.”
Something in her tone sounds off. He can’t explain it but he has a strong instinct to protect her. Joe looks at her, his expression serious. “You don’t like him much do you?”
She chews on her lip.
“Does he hurt you?”
She shakes her head. “No… nothing like that. He only keeps me around because I can do things he can’t with computers. I even beefed up the security system for him last month... But he’s not a good man. My father was .”
It worked. She revealed why Copley can’t crack the security system. Joe’s impressed that it’s her doing. He smiles at her gently. “Well, I can tell who you take after then.” He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear making her cheeks flush a rosy pink.
“I’d better get to class…” Isabella looks at him like she wants to say something else. But then she just gives him a small smile and walks off.
He turns and wanders away when he hears Andy’s voice in his ear. “Nicely done.”
He speaks softly. “I’ll need to get her laptop or find another way in.”
“Once upon a time your mark would’ve handed you anything you asked for. Maybe you’re losing your edge there Casanova.” His only response is a small twitch of his lips.
“Joe!” He swings around when Isabella calls to him jogging back over. “My uncle’s hosting a party at our house this weekend. Would you like to come?”
“I’d love to.” He smiles and punches his number in her offered phone.
She beams and rushes off toward the main building.
He addresses the boss as he walks back to the car. “Guess not. We’re in.”
***
On Saturday Joe gives his alias to the security guy at the door and steps into the secluded but opulent home.
He’s dressed in a burgundy button down shirt and navy slacks. He could be any other young man meeting a date at a party, except for the military grade comms unit nestled deep in his ear.
“You look very handsome, hayati.” purrs his husband’s voice.
“Nickyyy.” comes Andy’s exasperated voice.
Joe sees Isabella across the room. She walks shyly over in a simple but elegantly cut black jumpsuit. She cuts a striking figure marred slightly by the hair strategically hanging across her face.
“Joe! You came.”
“I did. This place is amazing. Who are all these people?”
She waves a dismissive hand. “Who cares.”
They walk over to the bar and are handed flutes of champagne. They wander out to the balcony where Joe casually leans against the railing and looks at Isabella. He smiles and her cheeks flush with pink.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re studying?”
She becomes animated as she explains the highly technical degree she has undertaken in the field of programming. While he listens to her he also keeps his attention on the comms occurring between his team. The women have already infiltrated the property and are copying the hard drive from the computer in the office.
Isabella is interrupted by her uncle who gives Joe a stern look.
“Isabella, who is this man?”
Joe notices how her eyelids narrow at her uncle and cold defiance briefly flashes across her face before she smoothes into a neutral expression.
She is all politeness, yet her words and a subtle contemptuous undertone betray the clear hatred she has for the man.
“Uncle, this is Joe. He is my guest and keeping me entertained at this façade of an event you are hosting this evening.”
Joe tries not to smile at the audacity of this young woman. The man flicks her a brief withering look before switching to one of charm as he turns to Joe.
“You are most welcome. I hope you don’t mind but I need to steal a moment of my niece’s time from you.”
Isabella fails to hide her irritation but gives Joe an apologetic look.
Joe smiles disarmingly at her. “Not at all. I’ll be right here.”
He turns away from the party, lifting the glass to his lips to hide his lips moving as he directs Andy and Nile to get out of the office.
After about ten minutes, Isabella returns and apologises. He hands her a fresh champagne as he observes her uncle crossing the room behind her just as two men who clearly don’t belong there step into the party.
Joe sees the automatic assault rifles right before they begin to spew bullets across the room, hearing Nicky’s distressed voice call his name in his ear. He instinctively swivels Isabella to place himself in front of her as the hail of gunfire punches into him.
He hears Nile’s voice in his head, “Joe, what’s happening in there?”
He and the girl fall together to the sound of terrified screams and shell casings smacking the floor. He looks down at Isabella as he gasps through a collapsed lung.
“Joe?” Her weak voice comes from under him. She looks up at him, confused and scared, as the life drains out of her where a bullet severed her femoral artery. Her eyes go glassy and Joe collapses on top of her. The last thing he hears before everything goes black is his husband’s voice in his ear telling him they’re coming.
Joe jolts back to life as his body ejects the final bullet from his back. He rasps, “Nicolò. Sono qui. ” He hears a sigh of relief in his ear. He looks around at the room now littered with bodies and smashed glass. Joe vaguely hears the squeal of tyres and the roar of an engine heading away from the house. There is nothing they can do. He grunts as his wounds close and he kneels by Isabella. He closes her eyes with a disheartened sigh. Andy and Nile emerge on the balcony from the shadows. Joe gingerly rises to his feet. He runs a hand across his forehead as he stands and addresses the women as they walk over. “Did you get the intel?”
“We did.”
Nile surveys the dead girl on the floor with regret. “Dammit. Let’s get the hell out of this cluster fuck.”
They haul ass over the back gate and into the waiting car.
Moments later, the newest immortal gasps back to life.
***
Isabella opens her eyes. She shakes her head trying to clear the flashes of overwhelming images of Joe, a man with intensely green eyes, several very different women and the scruffy blue eyed man. It feels so incredibly real.
Something feels off immediately. The weight of the man on top of her is gone. She sits up and looks around her. There is no sign of Joe and she stares aghast at the bodies and blood around her. She looks down to find her clothes drenched in blood and a telltale hole in her jumpsuit. She was shot. Shot. There’s too much blood. She died. She’s sure of it. Isabella staggers to her feet.
She goes up to her room trying to avoid leaving bloody footprints in her wake and strips to wash as much of the blood off as she can. Isabella throws on fresh clothes, hastily packs a few others in her backpack. She throws on a baseball cap to hide her face and, not thinking, she grabs her laptop and phone and leaves the dead behind.