Chapter Eighteen

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Adlai sat at the table in the conference room, spinning from side to side in her chair. Her mind was so full of everything she'd seen and learned that day that she couldn't sit still. Her thoughts whirled into one endless stream and she couldn't make sense of most of it, even if she'd wanted to.

The Red Night, Karn Vail, the Rangers' seemingly endless budget, the beauty of the building she sat in, the amount of resources available for their mission–it all was so overwhelming that she was beginning to develop a stress headache.

The others had all slowly migrated to the living quarters they'd been assigned, but Adlai stayed put, staring out the massive, floor-to-ceiling windows at the city beyond. In the dark, each window was a pinprick of light, most glowing golden, but many brightly colored.

Reflected in the water of the bay, a myriad of ships' lights flickered in the ripples, some cast by the ocean-going vessels, some by airships, starships and shuttles. The Golden Gate Bridge itself was more brightly illuminated than anywhere else, its red towers practically sparkling. Adlai loved it.

The Hub was almost silent, now that everyone had either gone home or gone to bed, but, out of the quiet emerged the click-clack of a pair of heels, and, a minute later, the door swung open. A girl Adlai didn't know but recognized from the video conferences stepped in.

Adlai's jaw dropped. Rowan followed the other girl in, but she didn't look like Rowan. Adlai had never imagined that Rowan would voluntarily wear a dress, but she was. It was midnight black lace over brilliant red, with a keyhole neckline that only hinted at her cleavage, and clung to her hips then flared out girlishly. Rowan wore her hair down, with blood-red lipstick and dark, shimmering eyeshadow. To finish the ensemble off, she wore tall, black heels, except the heels was a red-and-black snake that coiled up the back of the shoe.

The other girl was dressed similarly, but in a clinging gold number that was barely in shouting distance of her knees. Her makeup was equally dramatic, but her shoes were simpler–strappy and gold, they laced up almost to her knees. This girl looked like she belonged in dresses, but preppier, more demure ones.

Adlai realized she'd been gawping to the point of rudeness and shut her mouth, quickly turning away. Still, Rowan was wearing a dress! That was enough to warrant a double take in her mind.

Rowan grimaced. "What? I'm not allowed to wear a dress, now?" she snapped, mostly to the other girl. "Jesus fuck, what is it with you people?"

The other girl laughed. "I just didn't think you were one for dresses," she said apologetically. "Don't get your knickers in a knot!"

Rowan glared at her. "Oh, and you're an authority on everything about me? Carter, you've only known me, like, a month." Then, to Adlai, "Hey, Fletcher. A bunch of us are going out, and we came to see if anyone wanted to join us. You in?"

Adlai's first reaction was to refuse, but when would she ever have the chance to go out clubbing in a city as posh and wealthy as San Francisco again? So she squashed down her reservations and said, "Sure, but I don't really have anything to wear."

"Oh, that's not a problem," the girl called Carter said dismissively. "Neither did I, but Ripple lent me this, and you're about the same size as us."

"Closer to my shoes size," Rowan pointed out. "I'll have something for you." She did something with the bracelet she wore, then, to Adlai's surprise, spoke into it. "Ripple, pick something out for Fletcher to wear, yeah?"

Carter leaned conspiratorially closer to Adlai. "Comms bracelet," she explained. "Rangers' special issue. We all have them. You might get to use them for this mission, too."

Adlai nodded. That made sense to her, for the most part.

Rowan straightened after a moment, then turned back to Adlai and Carter. "Okay, it's all set. Ripple's bringing a bunch of dresses by my flat, and we'll help you pick one out."

Adlai shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot. "Thanks," she said, not really knowing what to say. "But you really don't need to go to all that trouble."

Rowan waved a hand dismissively. "It's no trouble," she said. "We just want you to have a good time tonight. Right, Carter?"

Carter grinned. "Yup," she said, linking her arm through Adlai's in a friendly gesture Adlai wasn't accustomed to. "You and I can stick together. We're both newbies, you know?"

Adlai smiled at her. She never would have guessed that Carter wasn't an old hand. She exuded a confidence Adlai only wished she could have. Next to these two girls, she felt like the poor country relation. Rowan possessed an authority Adlai could never hope to attain, and she carried herself with so much poise and control. And Carter was the kind of person who would be welcome everywhere, the kind who was always so friendly and open and instantly likable, really Rowan's opposite, since Rowan was sharp, too direct for comfort, and sarcastic enough to teeter on the edge of being caustic without ever really crossing it.

Adlai wondered what they saw in her that made them want to include her as one of them.

Carter led her out of the building and into a waiting taxi, which took off as soon as the door closed behind the three of them. Minutes later, they came to a halt in front of an old-fashioned, brick apartment building that looked like it had once been a massive warehouse.

This time, Rowan took the lead, ushering them into a glass and metal elevator that carried them up to the top floor. Rowan unlocked the door to the furthest apartment down the hall, and Adlai received another surprise.

The studio apartment was tastefully done out in shades of grey and cream with pale pink accents in the living room area and bedroom area, and yellow accents in the rest. Vases full of cheery flowers were artfully placed on the free surfaces, and one whole wall was lined with a giant bookcase.

Ripple was waiting for them, sprawled on the couch with six dresses layed out next to her. Adlai froze, her jaw dropping. Each dress probably cost more money than she'd ever had. Jesus Christ, the Rangers must pay better than she'd thought.

Ripple stood when they came in, typically expressionless. "Okay," she said. "You wanted dress? I brought dresses." She was the only one of the three who wasn't wearing a dress, which made sense. Adlai would have been even more surprised to see her in a dress than Rowan.

Instead, she wore a black lace playsuit that clung to her body like a second skin, a bright red belt around the waist. She wore matching red shoes–heels made of red suede and covered in black lace. Her makeup highlighted her dark skin, and her white hair was slicked back and hung straight and loose to below her shoulders.

Carter strode over to the dresses and began picking them up, casting them aside, then repeating the process, even with dresses she'd already discarded. After awhile, it seemed she'd narrowed it down to two, one bright red playsuit, and a slinky, silvery-grey dress. Adlai kept her fingers crossed for the grey; the red was much too bright, and she really didn't want to stand out that much.

Finally, Carter came to a decision. "What do you think?" she asked the others, holding the grey dress up to Adlai's body. "This one, or the red?"

"That one," Ripple said, at the same time that Rowan said, "The grey one."

Carter nodded and threw the red dress aside. "Put this on," she ordered Adlai. "Then I'll do your hair and makeup."

Rowan smiled slightly. "I'll go pick out some shoes."

Five minutes later, Adlai emerged from the bathroom wearing the grey dress, which fit her almost too well, although it did show off too much of her chest for her liking. Still, and least the skirt was reasonably demure, unlike the dress Carter was wearing.

Rowan had picked her out a pair of red heels, inlaid with a twining, silver vine. Carter did her hair, curling it and a red clip, then gave her a similar makeup look to the ones the others were all sporting, adding lipstick the exact color of her shoes and hair clip.

Then, before she'd had a moment to catch her breath, Rowan was bustling them outside, and into a second taxi, and they headed off into the night. Adlai pressed up against the window, captivated by the lights of the city that blurred into one as they sped past.

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled up in a district that was unlike anything Adlai had ever seen. A sign, stretched above two lion statues, proclaimed that they were about to enter Chinatown. Beyond the lions stretched a winding street, lit up by neon lights, and, contrastingly, paper lanterns on poles or hung on strings. Vendors manned carts, hawking street foods, and hole-in-the-wall shops sold everything from vacuum cleaners to clothes to computers.

It was the strangest and most wonderful place she'd ever seen before.

Rowan led them confidently into China Town, striding straight up to a massive building covered in neon and flashing lights. Music blasted from inside, the pounding base making Adlai's blood sing uncomfortably. A giant, neon sign read, Club Oasis.

Adlai thought Rowan would take them inside, but she walked up to a tiny door Adlai hadn't even noticed and knocked twice. "Old-fashioned speakeasy," she explained to Adlai. "They serve the best drinks, and no one even knows it's here.

The door swung open, and a gorgeous man waved them in. "Welcome to Lithium, ladies," he said. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Rowan said, stepping inside. Ripple followed, and Carter gave Adlai a small push, and Adlai jumped, then followed Ripple. Carter brought up the rear, pulling the door closed behind her. "And there are the guys," she said, nodding to a corner table.

Sure enough, Lieutenant Reid, Operative Slater, and a guy Adlai didn't recognize had locked down a big table in a corner. Lieutenant Reid waved at them, and Ripple steered the girls over to the guys. "Introductions?" she asked, staring at the guy Adlai didn't know.

"Hisashi," the guy said, and he reached out and pulled Carter into a hug. "Hey, girl. You look good."

Carter grinned at him and said to Slater, "I'm Carter."

"Slater," he said, offering her a hand, which she shook. "Nice to meet you. Hey, Rowan. Hey, Carter. Hey, Ripple."

"Hey," Ripple said flatly, sliding into the seat next to him.

Lieutenant Reid turned to Carter. "I'm Levi," he said, and then Hisashi turned to look at Adlai, one eyebrow raised.

"My name's Adlai," she said quickly, taking the seat between Rowan and Slater.

Rowan reached out and plucked the drinks menu from the middle of the table. "What are we having?" she asked. "I don't think absinthe is a good idea, but..." She leafed through the menu. "Anyone else want whiskey? We could share a bottle of Lagavulin."

Lieutenant Reid–no, he was just Levi, right then, just a regular guy–raised a hand. "I'll have whiskey."

"Me too," said Slater. "But just a glass. Then I want a pint or three. Ripple?"

Ripple took the menu from Rowan and perused it. "Three olive martini," she said. "And some snacks. How about the tapas?"

Rowan swatted her arm. "We are not having tapas in Chinatown. We're having Chinese. Get Dim Sum instead, you barbarian!"

Ripple rolled her eyes and handed the menu to Carter. "Fine, Dim Sum, then. Make sure you get extra sesame balls, then."

Carter handed the menu to Hisashi. "I want something sweet, but I also want tequila. I guess I'll start with... uh, a hurricane, maybe? Hisashi, want to do tequila shots later?"

Hisashi shuddered–wisely, Adlai thought. "No way. I just want a pint of Guinness or two. I do not want to wake up with a hangover tomorrow. No tequila for you, either. It fucks you up too bad and I am not listening to you complain all day tomorrow."

Ripple tapped Adlai's shoulder and handed her the menu. "What do you want?" Ripple asked her. Quickly, she leafed through the menu, but the array was bewildering, and she hadn't even heard of most of the drinks, even the ones her companions were drinking, before.

"Uh, just a pint of cider, please," she said quickly, before someone could try to give her a crazy recommendation for a stronger drink.

Ripple nodded, then yanked Slater out of his seat. "Come on, pretty boy. You and I are ordering the drinks," she said, dragging him over to the bar.

The others fell into comfortable conversation, but Adlai didn't know what to say to them, so she sat there, on the outside, tuning out the conversation. After a few minutes, Ripple and Slater reappeared, dumping the drinks onto the table, and Adlai took hers, cocooning it in her hands and staring into its depths.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder, and she jumped and whirled, meeting Rowan's gaze. While she'd been distracted, the speakeasy had filled up, and now it was so crowded she could barely hear when Rowan said, "Come with us. It's too busy in here. Levi and I were going to head out for a stroll."

Adlai nodded and abandoned her drink, pushing back her chair and following Rowan and Levi out of the bar. Outside, the chilly night air slammed into her, and she shivered. Rowan noticed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Fucking freezing, huh?" she said, but she was grinning. "Let's go uphill. I know a place."

So the trudged deeper into Chinatown, until the two blocks of clubs and bars faded, at which point Levi led them into a narrow alley and held a finger to his lips. "Okay, look," he said. "We're here for a reason other than having fun. We're looking for a Red Night hangout. They usually put their logo–seven points in the shape of the Orion constellation–on the sign to wherever they congregate." He traced it out in the dirt on a wall. It was easily recognisable, and Adlai and Rowan nodded.

Levi smiled. "Okay," he said. "Listen: this is our plan. Rowan and I are a couple, and Adlai, you're going to be my sister, okay? We're looking for a nice night out, maybe making a few new friends. Yeah?"

Adlai nodded. "Okay," she said. She wondered if Major Kramer knew of their plan, then decided he probably didn't. She didn't think he would have approved of it, since she didn't have much experience in the way of espionage.

Levi wrapped his arm around Rowan's waist, then draped the other arm around Adlai's shoulders, and they set off. "Try not to use our names, or, if you do, don't make them the same as they are now."

"Actually," Rowan said. "That's a good idea. Okay, Adlai, you're officially called Addy. Levi, you're Luke. I'll be... uh..."

"Quinn," Adlai suggested. "How about Quinn? It's kind of similar to Rowan–same sounds and all–and you do look a bit like a Quinn."

Levi smiled at her. "Good idea, Adl–Addy. Quinn it is."

They sauntered up the street, Levi whispering in Rowan's ear like a lover might, but, when Adlai heard snippets of what they were saying, the gist was, instead, "That guy over there, could be suspicious. Nope, not the lady in red. Too rich, too prissy. No way she belongs to anyone who could upset her way of life. That sign! Oh, never mind, that's the Big Dipper. Astrology place, I think. Load of bullshit."

Then, suddenly, Rowan pulled them to a halt. "There," she hissed, pointing at another bar. "The Grove. What the hell kind of name is that?"

Levi snorted and Adlai had to muffle a giggle. Sure enough, the sign had nothing to do with the bar's name, but, instead, showed the seven points–or stars–of the main body of the Orion constellation. "And here we go," Levi muttered, steering them inside.

As soon as they entered, a hush fell over the room, but as Levi led the girls over to a table without making a fuss, conversation slowly picked up, though it seemed like everyone still kept an eye on them.

Levi tugged on Adlai's sleeve, as if he didn't already have her attention. It was clear to her that he was the commander of this mission, and every nerve in her body was on edge, waiting for his directions. "Addy, sugar, be an angel and go get the drinks." He handed her a twenty-unit note, then turned back to Rowan, kissing her neck.

Adlai obeyed without question, and, nervously, made her way over to the bar, keeping her fingers crossed that no one had noticed that she was shaking. She didn't really want to leave the others, but orders were orders. A few feet from the bar, she paused, studying the array of options, which was minimal. Then, squaring her shoulders, she stepped up to the bar.

It took a few minutes for the bartender to notice her, as he was fully absorbed in pouring about a dozen pints of beer, which he handed to one of the waiting patrons. Adlai studied him while he worked. He wasn't much older than her, maybe about nineteen or twenty, with shoulder-length dark hair, and dark eyes. He worked quickly, the rings he wore flashing in the light. Adlai couldn't help noticing that none of them was a wedding rig. When he finished pouring, he wiped his hands on his apron, scanning the other customers, then froze when he saw Adlai. He snapped out of it quickly, but she'd already noticed.

He strode over, pressing his hands against the bartop. "Hey," he said to her. "Sorry about that. It's just that we don't really get many new customers. Everyone here's a regular." Adlai nodded, trying to hide her interest in that piece of information. "Especially not pretty girls," he went on, winking at her, and she blushed bright pink. "What can I get you, gorgeous?"

Adlai bit her lip, trying to will her heart to slow its pounding. Nope. Didn't work. "Two pints of cider, and a pint of Guinness, please," she said. "What'll that cost?" She prayed it wouldn't be more than what Levi had given her.

The guy smiled. "How about your name?" he asked, and she froze. Clearly, he noticed. "Sorry, sorry!" he said quickly, looking genuinely devastated. "You're with the guy you came in with, aren't you. Fuck, I didn't think. God, you're taking, and I'm hitting on you."

Adlai bit her lip, wondering how to answer. Finally, she made a decision. "He's my brother," she said quietly. "Not my boyfriend. I'm Addy, by the way." She offered the bartender a hand, which he shook gallantly.

"Cade," he said, smiling at her, and her stomach lurched. Holy shit, he was hot. "Nice to meet you, Addy. Okay, two ciders and a Guinness, coming right up." He started pouring, but kept talking. "So, what brings you and your brother and his... friend... here? It's not exactly on the beaten path."

Adlai shrugged. Time to make something up. "We live a little ways away, and we were walking back when we saw this place. Quinn–that's my brother's girlfriend–thought it looked nice, so we stopped by."

Cade smiled at her, and she couldn't help smiling back. "Well," he said. "I'm glad you're here, Addy. It's nice to see a new face around here. Pretty much everyone here knows each other. They're all part of the same social circle, see?"

Adlai nodded, even though she didn't, not really. "You don't include yourself in that list?" she asked, deciding to fixate on that detail, for the time being.

Cade made a face. "Nah," he said, giving her a wink. "I'm just the hired help." He slid three glasses over to Adlai. "Your drinks, milady. Need a hand carrying them back to your table?"

Adlai considered it, then decided that she couldn't easily carry three pints without spilling them. Plus, she though Levi and Rowan should meet Cade. He could maybe

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