The Rites: Ethos Society Part One Read online

  We both looked down at it for a second, me in amusement and him in slow-progressing, abject horror. The dark haired man behind him started howling in laughter as he finished buttoning his pants before slinging an arm around the shoulder of the other man and offering his own hand instead.

  “I swear, if you’re not in gear or in the lab, you’d think you have no interaction with people. Call me Ramsey. My darling Reed here would be the one who you’ll be living with.” He spoke with confidence and a faint hint of a British accent, probably picked up from a parent. His posture and high quality clothes told me that not only did he come from money, but that he was comfortable being in charge. Plus, given how he handled the situation, he was highly adaptable and intelligent. There was still a rugged masculinity to Ramsey, but it was much more refined than the brute strength Reed displayed. Something told me there was more than meets the eye with him, and if I’ve learned anything in my years of training, it was to trust my instincts.

  “Pleasure to meet you both. I actually need to get a few things done, so I’ll leave you to it.” I made to move to my room, wanting to give them and myself an easy out. I knew as soon as I closed my eyes I’d see their scene replaying in my mind.

  Before I could take more than a few steps Reed moved in front of me, lowering his head to meet my eyes.

  “Look, that’s not exactly the first impression of a new roommate you should have. Why don’t we grab some dinner in a few hours and we can reset and get to know each other a bit? Pizza, beer, and good conversation. What do you say?” I nodded my head in acceptance before Reed looked at Ramsey.

  “I’d love to fluster Charlie some more, but I have that training tonight,” Ramsey said placing one more chaste kiss against Reed’s lips before moving towards me and placing one on my left cheek. I quickly took a step back from him, but he just waited patiently with a raised eyebrow before leaning towards my right side. Whoops. I turned my other cheek towards him and he dropped another kiss that seemed to linger longer than the first. His arrogance fit his profile as I watched him retreat out the door before facing Reed.

  His arms were crossed over his chest, emphasizing his corded muscles as he looked at me with an assessing gaze. By the slight crinkle of his eyes I could tell that he was amused, although nothing else in his stance would give that away.

  “You alright with pizza and beer tonight? The facility should be open all day from your class’s arrival and I’d kill for some Napoli’s.”

  “Make the beer a porter and you have a deal. Order whatever you think is best for the pizza, but if it has anchovies I’m afraid this living situation isn’t going to last,” I told him with a completely straight face.

  “I’m glad I didn’t get put with someone who is as salty as anchovies. I think we’re going to be just fine Charlie.” He nodded firmly looking a little lost in thought before retreating to his room at the opposite end of the apartment.

  Making my way into my room, I unzipped my backpack and went through the different contents I found in the compartments. Enclosed was a sleek black phone, that was no doubt encrypted and monitored, my badge, and another glass tablet that housed my electronic docket for the week, a map, and a list of resources available at the facility.

  I slipped the phone into my pocket since I was supposed to have it on me at all times, per instructions. Everything else was pretty straight forward on the digital docket. I had a blend of classes, some to enhance the areas I specialize in, like non verbal communication and foreign language. While my afternoons looked to be scheduled in the subjects I was weakest in, such as long-range weapons and hand-to-hand combat. Not to say I was some kind of pushover, I could hold my own and put down any civilian with ease, but my strengths definitely lie in observation and intellectual categories.

  It looked like a training regime on crack. Taking the best minds and bodies from across the world and putting them in the same sphere, learning and improving with each other. No wonder GRAVITAS had the reputation that it did.

  I decided to use the rest of my downtime before dinner to call my sister and check in. It’s crazy how here I was unexpectedly starting a new chapter in my life at a place like this, while she was moving to her new apartment and starting a Masters degree. But honestly, that’s where the similarities between our lives and appearances stopped. Where she had light brown hair that has been naturally streaked from the sun, mine was a deep brown. Rather dull, but it made it easier to blend into the crowd in certain situations. Phone in hand, I called to fill her in before my life got even more hectic.

  “What’s shaken’ sister of mine? Make any plans for world domination yet?” Alicia answered brightly, unconcerned if anyone was inevitably listening. I’d warned her about her teasing, but, at least in this regard, she’s actually funny.

  “Not yet Leash, but it’s only the afternoon. The day is still young. I’ll see what I can do for you sweets.” My heart filled with joy at hearing her voice. Despite the age difference we’ve always been super close, talking every other day, even when things got hectic. Whether or not it was a quick update on how we’re doing or a full recounting of some decision or life event.

  “Awe, you’re no fun Charlie. Not that I don’t love to hear your voice, but what’s going on? Aren’t you usually at work right now?” I paused at her question, deciding what information would be safe sharing.

  “Let’s just say I got a promotion this morning, a big one. To another agency. One that requires me to stay with them.” I could hear her breathing start to quicken on the other end of the line and I knew I needed to assuage her growing concern. “On the plus side, my townhouse will be vacant, so anytime you and your friends want to come into the city you’ll have the place to yourselves.” I heard an excited yelp from her and a mumble about how her key was going to get one hell of a workout.

  “So, tell me about your new digs? How are you liking it?”

  “It’s more remote than I initially expected, but they have pretty much anything you could want here. I’m in a 2/2 that’s furnished pretty well and I’m living with a real life GI Joe.” I laughed a little, thinking over my initial encounter with Reed.

  “So, does he have potential? Does he have a shot of tending your lady garden? Hell Charlie, you probably have weeds growing in there by now. You have an IUD for a reason, you should use it.”

  “Oh, come off it sis. You know I need more than just a pretty face to get me going, not that he isn’t built for days. He and his boyfriend, who I just met, are both excellent pieces of eye candy.”

  “Really subtle with the boyfriend dropping, Charlie. One of these days you’re going to meet someone who shakes up your life and takes you on a whole new adventure.” She started humming A Whole New World in the background and I couldn’t resist laughing at her persistence.

  My sister didn’t wear rose colored glasses or anything, she knew in broad strokes what I dealt with. But she continued to be an optimist on her self imposed mission to get the most out of life and enjoy every second. Whether that was trying new things like BASE jumping, joining a new group on campus, or taking a semester to study abroad, she wasn’t afraid to really live and that’s what I loved most about her. That and the fact that like every good sister she called me on my shit and loved me unconditionally.

  “I’ll wait for that day with baited breath, sis. Hopefully I don’t pass out before I find him.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. We spent the next hour catching up on her new place and what her class load looked like. We said our goodbyes with a promise on my end to try and call her in a few days when I got a break.

  I packed my backpack for the next day, then laid out my outfit so it was ready to go. From the brief glimpse I got of the grounds earlier, and my interactions with people at the facility thus far, it seemed I was surrounded with like minded people who were above all the day-to-day monotony and petty crap that people got caught up in. Even when I walked in on Ramsey and Reed, they both handled it well. Hell, the look Ramsey gave me almo
st left me as a puddle on the floor.

  Plus, Reed seemed genuine. It wasn’t everyday that I met someone as rugged as him who fit the epitome of what you’d think a bad boy soldier would look like, but still blushes and supposedly spends time in a lab. I wondered what kind of lab he was involved with. With GRAVITAS, I’m sure they were equipped with just about everything you could imagine.

  I wandered into our common space and took a closer look at our kitchen, making a mental inventory of what appliances and cookware we had. I opened the fridge to see how much space I’d have, making a note of things I wanted to pick up.

  “You can help yourself to anything in the fridge, or if you need me to make some more space for you I can do that too,” Reed announced as he came out of his room.

  “Thanks, I think I might try and squeeze a stop into the grocery store I saw earlier before dinner.”

  “That’s a good idea. They don’t have everything like in the civilian world, but they have a decent selection. If you want we can head there together and on the way back swing by and grab the pizza.”

  “Do I get to exploit you for manual labor and make you carry my groceries like a damsel in distress?”

  “Only if you say please and thank you and remember your manners like a real lady. I mean, if you can’t exploit the strapping lad that is your roommate, who can you exploit?” I couldn’t help but laugh at his ridiculous behavior.

  “My darling Reed,” I said, mimicking Ramsey’s term of endearment earlier, “would you do me the pleasure of escorting me to the local grocer please? I do believe that I may need your help carrying all those heavy bags.” I drawled out the words in a southern accent that I’d used on a previous assignment. It was a dialect from southern Georgia and I saw his eyes grow bright as he took in one of my skills. He offered me an arm and I couldn’t help but notice how well defined he was when I looped my hand through, complimenting his show of chivalry.

  The door banged loudly against the wall as Reed and I clambered through the door, weighed down with groceries and fresh hot pizzas. We quickly put the groceries up, both of us working in sync and desperately stealing glances at the steam leaking out of the tempting cardboard boxes.

  “Catch,” Reed said as I turned and caught a bottle of water flying at my head. Twisting the lid off, I took a deep drink, the cool water a welcome relief.

  “Table or couch?” I looked longingly at the plush leather sofa, wanting to sink in and veg out for the rest of the night.

  “Go on,” Reed lightly pushed me in the direction of the couch, “I’ll grab the pizzas and beer.”

  Plopping the two pizzas on the coffee table, Reed took a seat next to me, handing me a beer and letting out a loud dramatic sigh.

  I reached in to grab a piece of my bacon, mushroom, and onion goodness, ignoring the slight burn of the scalding hot cheese as I bit into it.

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding, this really is good,” I complimented.

  “Now you see why I was so excited? Napoli’s has been closed for the last few weeks, and they make one of the best pies I’ve ever had, and that’s saying a lot.” Reed patted his stomach as he inhaled his slice, somehow managing not to get sauce in his trimmed beard.

  “You don’t look like someone who eats pizza all the time. I mean you’re a wall of fucking muscle.”

  “Meh, it's all about balance. Plus, with as active as I am, and how blessed my genetics are, pizza is at the top of my list.”

  “So what’s your story, mountain man? What do you do when you’re not blowing cute British men in your apartment?” I asked, trying to see how he would respond to my poking.

  “I let them blow me,” Reed winked, before letting out a full-bodied laugh that echoed around the room.

  I wondered if they used some kind of algorithm when matching roommates. Maybe GRAVITAS pulled my old tests from Quantico. With their reach, I definitely wouldn’t put it past them. Regardless, I was thankful for my good fortune with getting Reed. The conversation flowed easily between us and his body language was open and friendly. No ulterior motives or reservations like half the guys at my former office.

  After I dabbed the corners of my eyes from our laughing fit, I gave him a pointed look, letting him know I was still waiting for a real answer.

  “Let’s see, I’m the youngest of three, who, as the only boy, followed in my father’s footsteps and joined the Marines. Spent a long while there before I met Ramsey on a deployment. We’ve pretty much stayed close ever since. He got the offer to join GRAVITAS first, then a few months after that I got recruited, so it ended up working out well.”

  “What about your specialty? Combat?” I asked. From his build and the way his eyes seem to sweep a room I could tell he was very analytical.

  “Yep, primarily close quarters. But my degree is in Chemistry so I work with that too,” he shrugged, taking a pull of his drink. “What can I say? I still like to blow stuff up.”

  “Sounds like you like action,” I grinned.

  “That’s one way of putting it,” he smiled before turning on the couch to fully face me. “Now what about you? Don’t think this is a one-way street.”

  “Alright, that’s fair. Bookworm parents who believed my younger sister, Alicia, and I would benefit from exploring things on our own. Which led me to basically overanalyzing everything and studying all the time. Double majored and wound up in the FBI for a few years. Profiling, interrogation, non-verbal communication. Those are my wheelhouse.”

  He gave me a look like he could see right through me.

  “That must be hard. Seeing things that people don’t want you to see.”

  “You have no idea how many people can’t even be honest with themselves nowadays,” I said somberly, remembering how many friendships and relationships that had ultimately ended for one reason or another.

  Reed expertly navigated the discussion to other topics, both of us enjoying the conversation. As the night grew to a close, we found ourselves on the couch facing each other with my feet in his lap. I wasn’t usually that unguarded or open with people I first meet, but my intuition told me that I would be remiss if I didn’t let Reed in. I’ve had to learn the hard way to trust my intuition. I went to bed feeling a sense of peace about this new chapter in my life.

  The high trill of my alarm sounded, and I woke fully alert, no doubt slightly anxious about what the day would bring. I was scheduled for an orientation at 0700 that morning followed by my first full day of training. It was kind of bizarre to be in full-on training again. I’m not proud enough to pretend I wouldn’t benefit from it, there are always ways to improve.

  I donned the black utility pants that had way more pockets and zippers than I was used to, and slipped on the coordinating polo. It figures they’d fit me like a glove, I imagined that place knew more about me than my own sister. I pulled my straight brown hair into a low ponytail and gazed into the mirror, deciding how I wanted to play my first day. Did I do a full face and put on a deceptively sweet vibe, or did I go au natural with an icy veneer and see who still tried to talk to me?

  Why did I play games with everyone I met? Oh yeah, I remember, because it’s fucking fun.

  Like with Katya, I preferred surrounding myself with people who could see through the bullshit and fake fronts, who were intelligent enough to look deeper. Deciding on a happy medium, and to play it close to the chest while accessing the layout of this place, I swiped on some mascara, my mouth opening automatically while I concentrated. Adding a touch of tinted chapstick, I looked in the mirror satisfied before grabbing the bag that I packed the night before.

  I made my way toward the quad, to the main building I had been received in. Reading the correlating numbers along the placards, I found the room I was supposed to be in nearly filled. About thirty people total were sitting in chairs behind rows of long desks. Snagging one of the last empty chairs in the back row, I placed my bag on top of the desk for quick access.

  “We meet again,” I heard from the person next
to me, my peripheral vision catching that his eyes had narrowed slightly, putting a dip between his eyebrows.

  I looked more closely at the person sitting to my right and let out a small laugh. He turned toward me raising one eyebrow, and gave me a sardonic look. It was none other than the jogger who stopped and told me about the bar. His hair was neatly combed to the side that morning, and I found myself wondering just how old he was. The silver at his temples was just starting to come in, so he couldn’t be older than late 30s.

  “Well, I wager with a facility as exclusive as this, you’re bound to get to know everyone here. Plus, it seems like you have a habit of being where I am.” I tilted my head to the side, remembering our conversation from the day before. “Which, why are you here? You certainly aren’t new here. Have you been posing as a recruit trying to assess the stock before announcing yourself?” I let out a low whistle. “You’re officially on my list.”

  “And what list would that be, my dear profiler?” Oh yeah, he had me pegged. It must have been the reading I gave him on the field. Internally cursing myself, I made a personal vow to not give away my skills so freely again.

  “One, The Trash Panda List. And two, I’m not your dear, darling.”

  “So you won’t be my dear, but I can be your darling?” I nodded my head, enjoying the banter. “Well, at least you find me cute and dangerous.” His smile brightened, making his cheekbones more defined.

  “Yep, just like a trash panda. You think they’re all cuddly like some cartoon raccoon, until they gouge your eyes out. I’m definitely not signing up for that.” He leaned closer to me, turning his head until his lips were at the shell of my ear.

  “I hate to break it to you dear, but you are mine, all of you are.” With that he scraped his chair back and walked up to the podium at the front of the room.

  “Good morning recruits, I’m Assistant Director Ridley and I will be leading your orientation today.” I noticed the guy sitting next to the vacant chair that the Assistant Director just vacated went pale. Lord only knows what information he had given up before I got there.