Frozen Holidays 1& 2 Eudorus and Zelus (10 page)

The other god was in breeding trials. She
tried to give him time off and had managed for a little while. She
even told the assistant being used to get pregnant that Rheus, the
god who she was trying to breed with might have a serious and
contagious illness. Hilda, the assistant had gotten concerned, for
herself of course, and taken off a week. Now she was back, horny
and bitchy as ever. She needed to make this call soon. She wasn’t
going to last much longer and the guards had already teased her
saying she had a weak spot for Rheus and Themus, the gods who were
providing essence for the antiaging serums and the breeding
materials.

The gods weren’t treated well and she feared
they would be injured or destroyed before the deal was done and
they were rescued. She went to her room for lunch making sure the
door was closed and scanning for listening devices. She pulled out
a new phone, she had bought a bunch last time she went shopping.
She had it ready to dial in moments. She was getting good at this
which was a sad commentary on her life. She had always only wanted
to be a researcher and help people. When had her life gone so wrong
and was it too late to fix it?

She fixed a bottle of juice for Joy. She had
named her that because she brought her the only joy her life had.
With Joy busy and everything secure, she dialed the number and
pushed the extension she wanted.

“I don’t have much time. Are we in
agreement?”

“Yes,“ Zelus said. “Give me the needed
information.”

“We’re in Fresno, California. It’s a building
that’s three stories high but it has two lower stories. The
business is A New Dawning. It’s suppose to be a planned parenthood
health center on the first level with housing on the top and a
pharmacy and surgery center on the second level. We all know what
happens in the basement. I need you to hurry, Rheus and Themus
won’t last much longer. Raker is getting impatient and wants
results even if it costs us the subjects.”

“We’ll..”

“Someone’s coming. I have to..” the line went
dead. Zelus looked to Zeus and was thankful that he wouldn’t be
involved in what looked to be a dangerous mission. He sighed
quietly in relief and looked around at all the gods that were
gathered. All of them were higher ranking, stronger fighters, and
more experienced decision makers. He was a communications expert,
the last thing this mission needed. Origin had trained him as a
guard, but he had never embraced that so he had been kicked into
communications. He spoke more languages then most and his other
skills were all good but he was a genius when it came to computers.
His experience in the outer world wasn’t great because he was
younger than Zeus’s group and he didn’t go out often. He’d be glad
not to go out this time because he had a feeling if he did, his
life would become complicated. His shift was over and he started to
leave.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Hades
asked with a laugh.

“My shift is done and no one indicated that I
was needed to stay.”

“Consider it indicated, now.”

Zelus sat back down. “Will you tell me what
you need me to do?”

“You’re on the extraction team,” Hades
explained.

Zelus was stunned, he hadn’t seen this
coming. “May I ask why?”

“She seemed comfortable with you and we want
this to go smoothly. She’s concerned about the gods in her care, we
have to get this right the first time.”

Zelus wanted to argue, but he knew better.
Hades had made up his mind and it was done. “When do we leave?”

A slow smile came over Hades‘s face. “First
thing in the morning. Rest, pack, and eat early because anyone who
makes us late will regret it.”

Zelus got the message loud and clear. They
all knew he didn’t want to go but they didn’t care. He admitted he
had mixed feelings. He had seen the trouble Hades had went through
with his mate and it hadn’t been pretty. On the other hand, now
that they were firmly mated, they were two of the happiest people
he knew. He had often thought about how it would feel to be mated
and hold that one special female in your bed, your arms, and your
heart. He just didn’t know if he was ready for it yet especially if
his mate turned out to have a black soul.

He couldn’t relax and even food held little
appeal to him. He went to bed early but struggled to slow his mind
so he could sleep. He tossed and turned, falling asleep just hours
before his alarm woke him. Bleary eyed, he took a shower which
chased the last bit of sleepiness away and hurried to the cafeteria
to eat. Hermes’s mate, Cherish, slipped him a cinnamon roll. They
were his favorites and she always seemed to know when he needed
comfort food.

He would try not to worry because so far all
the mates had been a perfect match for the gods they were with. He
would try to have faith in fate even if both were foreign concepts
to a god. He went to the meeting area and he was one of the first
to arrive. Hades and Doc always rolled in at the last minute with
smiles on their faces. He wondered how much longer Hades would let
his pregnant mate go on missions. She was already swelled slightly
with the child, but only someone who knew her would notice. It
wasn’t like poor Cherish who waddled along like a duck. Of course
he’d never tell her that and not just because Hermes would beat
him, but mainly because she would deny him his treats. He loved
those treats as all the gods did.

It wasn’t long before everyone was gathered.
Hades and Doc took a head count before they led the way to the
loading zone. Once they were all onboard and had stripped off their
winter gear, the atmosphere was light. Several of the other gods
were excited about going to California instead of New York or one
of the colder states they usually headed to. Zelus didn’t know why,
it wasn’t like there would be time to swim, surf, or enjoy females.
This trip would be nothing but hard work and a hurried trip
home.

Zelus settled in to try to nap while other
gods played games, talked, or napped like he did. He was woke up
for lunch and he stayed up a while to talk to some of the other
gods. Besides Hades and Doc, none of the other members of the group
were higher level gods. There were two humans from Olympic security
which was a company the gods hired for extra help. They always got
their most experienced agents. The trip was long and unpleasant,
but they arrived before they were too restless, bored, or
feisty.

Zelus, named for a winged guard of Zeus from
Greek Mythology, hated to fly. It was beyond ironic and he did his
best to hide it, but it was hard on him. SUVs waited for them at a
small private airfield near Fresno. The hotel would be as close to
the targeted location as possible. He was relieved when they
arrived and glad that he had a room to himself. Hades and Doc had a
small suite, the rest of them had King rooms. He tossed his bags on
the floor and jumped onto the big bed. The room was nice and most
importantly, it was clean.

Now that he was settled in, he headed
straight to Hades’s suite where they would meet and divide into
teams. Emma would be calling too and he would be expected to talk
to her. They would have to meet to make plans. If anyone went
undercover, it would be the Olympus security agents. Origin
required a blood test of anyone that went through their doors and
god blood stood out. He was restless and uneasy, but that could be
because of the flight. He was also worried and uncertain, but that
was probably because he rarely went on missions.

Everyone was there waiting but they couldn’t
have been there long. “Glad you finally joined us,” Hades said
sarcastically.

“Happy to be here,” Zelus shot back just as
sarcastically.

“We need to set up shifts for surveillance
starting immediately.” Hades sent two gods there right away.

He set up three shifts daily with Doc, him,
and Zelus excluded from the roster. They would be waiting for a
call, filling in if someone had a problem or needed to follow
someone leaving the facility, and meeting with Emma as soon as he
could arrange it. The two gods starting out first left as soon as
Hades explained what he wanted done on each shift. They each had
cell phones and they were to make contact at any unusual or
unexpected behavior. It sounded like a typical op except they had
someone on the inside. They would use different types of
surveillance device to get what pictures they could, but they would
rely on Emma for the floor plan and any and all the information
they needed to get their guys back.

If she was lying or misleading them, this op
would end in disaster. Zelus didn’t get the feeling she was lying,
only that she was desperate for a way out. She had developed love
for a small child and it had caused her to find her moral compass.
Love was a great and magical thing. Once it had started changing
her, there was no way back.

Zelus sat with Hades and Doc. The two
constantly touched and cuddled which made him feel like he was
intruding on their privacy even though they had ordered him to
stay. They waited in the call from Emma that would allow them to
plan the next step in their raid of the facility. For now they
gathered intelligence, but they could not discover much without
access inside.

Zelus watched as Hades and Doc exchanged
heated looks. What would it be like to have that in his life
instead of the sexual contact he now only managed rarely? He didn’t
miss the intimacy they had except when it was displayed in front of
him. Why wouldn’t that damn phone just ring? It was an hour later
when it finally did.

“Hello,” Zelus said hoping it was her.

“Zelus,” she asked in a breathy whisper that
rolled over him like a summer breeze.

“Emma?” he asked in return just waiting for
her to speak more.

“Just call me Em. Are you near?”

“Yes, we’re very close,” he replied but he
thought they weren’t close enough. He was dying to see her, to be
close enough to touch her. He was shocked at the things he wanted
to do to her and all he knew was she had a sexy voice. He was
almost desperate to see her and touch her.

“We need to meet, today if possible. Raker is
no longer concerned about the welfare of his subjects. He wants
quick results even if it kills them.”

“When can you get away?”

“Tonight. The problem is they’ll probably
follow me. They’ll see anyone I talk to and take pictures. They may
try to get close enough to listen. We need a plan and it needs to
be a good one.”

“Can you get an appointment at a spa for two?
They shouldn’t find it too easy to follow you in there.”

“What if they find out I met a man
there?”

“Aren’t you allowed out with men?” he asked
with an amused tone.

“It’s frowned on. They worry that personal
relationship’s can be used against us.”

“If they find out, tell them you hired a
gigolo. That way there’s not a relationship, just business.”

“I’m not sure they’ll believe that.”

“Look, Em, we plan to move as soon as we can.
By the time they look into it, it will be too late for them. Make
the appointment and call me back. Make sure I have time to get
there. I’m about thirty minutes south of you. Can you do this? Can
we count on you?” He heard her draw in a deep breath and he worried
for a moment that she wasn’t strong enough to do this.

“Yes, I can handle it. Meet me at Calming
Waters in two hours. A friend of mine owns it and she’ll get us
in.”

“Okay, just remember we have your back.
Everything will be just fine.”

“I hope you’re right. A lot is riding on
this.”

She hung up without a goodbye and he hoped
she hadn’t been caught. He was glad he would finally get out of
this suite where he felt trapped. He’d find out where Calming
Waters was and he’d get all the surveillance for the meeting worked
out. Em might have men watching her, but Zelus would have gods
watching them while they did it. If her spies discovered anything,
he’d know and they’d be dealt with.

He found he was so excited to meet her that
he couldn’t lay still to take a short nap. His head was spinning
with information and he felt butterflies in his stomach. It was a
new feeling and he didn’t like it. It was finally time to go, a
little early so he would be sure he’d find it and be there before
her. Two gods followed him in another SUV. They would find her
watchers and keep an eye on them. He pulled in the parking lot to
the Calming Waters. The place was upscale but since it was evening,
only a few cars were in the lot. It would make it easy to find
those who followed her, but it would also make his gods stand out
too.

He exited the vehicle after he examined the
surrounding area looking for anything out of place. She wasn’t here
yet, he was sure of it. He moved slowly as if he had all the time
in the world. He made his way in the entrance off the parking lot.
It was the main one and he was immediately met by an employee with
a tray. He took a flute of champagne, there were other choices but
this drink he knew. Another employee came over with a tray of hors
d’ oeuvres and he took two. They were small but tasty. He thought
he would take more if they came near him with the tray again.

A hostess of some kind approached him
cautiously. “Sir, it’s a pleasure to serve you. Do you have an
appointment or are you looking to make one?”

“I’m meeting a lady to has an appointment.
Her name is Em,” he said seeing no need to say more since he
assumed Em was well known here.

The hostess fussed even more than before. She
motioned to the two tray carrying ladies and she asked one to get a
plate. He was given a second drink, which the hostess carried and a
plate full of assorted food. She escorted him into a private room
where he would await Em. It was a nice room with a whirlpool tub
and message tables. He thought this would be the room they would
end up staying in. It turned out, he was right.