Although Mason was known to make dramatic statements such as this, Raina was just a little bit alarmed at the quiet finality of his words when he muttered, “even if I die trying”. She couldn’t help but feel that he meant it, and it disturbed her.
After the meeting was over and everyone dismissed themselves. Just as Mason was getting ready to leave Raina tapped him on the shoulder and asked, “Can we talk a minute?”
Mason nodded, “Sure—what’s up?”
Sitting down next to him at the now empty conference table, Raina admitted, “It’s just that… you seem kind of distant lately. I’ve been really worried about you. Is everything alright?”
Mason lied, “Yeah—everything’s fine.”
He then came up with the excuse, “I’m just a little bit overworked and under-sleeped lately.”
Raina smiled, “Under-sleeped? Is that even a word?”
Mason laughed, “It is when I make it one.”
Mason then repeated, “I’m fine though. Really—don’t worry about it.
Raina didn’t believe him however, as she insisted, “No Mason, everything is not fine. I know that something is wrong. I know you well enough now to see through the mask you wear, and I know that something is really troubling you—so what is it?”
Mason hesitated before responding, “Raina…”
She then looked at the sadness in his eyes and wondered if any of it could have anything to do with her as she quietly inquired, “Is it me? Or is it us? Is something wrong with us Mason?”
Mason was insistent on this point however, as he denied, “No—it’s nothing to do with us. I’ve just still got some things to work out with…”
Although thoughts of her consumed just about every waking moment of his life, he couldn’t quite bring himself to finish the sentence enough to say Bree—still got some things to work out with Bree.
Whether the spirit world was real or not, Mason was most certainly haunted by the ghost of a memory that he just could not shake.
Raina knew it too, as she supplied what he couldn’t bring himself to admit, “Bree Mason. You still have some things to work out with Bree, don’t you?”
Raina then put her hand on Mason’s, outstretched on the desk, and gently informed him, “Look, I know that you have a lot to deal with and that this is something that is never going to be easy for you. I know that this will stick with you for quite a long time as you work your way through it.”
She then gave his hand a squeeze as she told him, “I know its not going to be easy as you make your journey. But I just want you to know that I am there to help you through it.” With these gentle words Mason’s mask fully crumbled and as he looked at Raina in complete vulnerability. With tears welling up in his eyes, he asked, “Really?”
The great big giant of a man who towered over everyone with his strength and confidence had suddenly become a lost little boy that needed to be cared for. Raina looking full-on into Mason’s fragile state couldn’t help but be moved.
She wrapped her arms around him, in an almost protective fashion as she assured him, “Really. I’m right here Mason. And I’m not going anywhere. You can count on that.”
The spell, of his temporary attempt to create distance between the two of them had been broken. She sidled her chair over to his, he put his arms around her, and before he knew it, his lips met hers and they were in the middle of a long, passionate kiss.
17
At the Festival
Despite all of their preparations the day prior, before anyone knew it May 19th was upon them and the Little Italy festival had arrived. And the small section of Manhattan in which the festivities took place was even more crowded than usual. With thousands of people filling the street in what seemed like a New York version of Mardi Gras the team was under some pretty serious pressure to find the virus before it could be unleashed upon the crowd.
As Mason stared out at a young couple nearby, with a mother pushing a baby in a stroller, he could only imagine the carnage that would occur if the terrorist’s plot succeeded. He again vowed to himself to not allow that to happen. Benton and Raina were standing next to him as he waved at the throng of people filling the streets and declared, “I think you both understand the gravity of the situation—all of these people you see here today could be dead by tomorrow if we don’t do something.”
This prompted Raina to ask him, “So—any luck on finding the source of the device.”
Mason then patched Kyle in with the comm link and asked very much the same thing, “So have you found anything out Kyle? Any heat signatures?”
Kyle in a tone and manner of speaking that the group sometimes called his “condescending professor voice”, informed the group, “Well, it’s not heat-signatures that we need Mason, it’s wavelengths.”
Mason asked, “Wave—what?”
Kyle informed him, “Yeah—the device should emit subtle wavelengths just before it is put into gear to disperse the poison into the water or air.”
Mason wasn’t a scientist or chemist, and still didn’t quite get it, but being in the military long enough he knew that it didn’t matter. Kyle knew what he was looking for, and he needed to find it. So, without seeking any further explanation he told him as much, “Okay sure, just let me know what you come up with.”
Kyle shot back, “Will do. Over and out.”
Mason chuckled slightly at Kyle’s nerdy insistence at using archaic radio lingo but obliged him nonetheless, “Right Kyle—over and out.”
Raina not sure what lay in store next, then asked, “So what do we do now—just wait?”
Mason knowing that there was always something else to do in the world of preparation, shook his head, “No—for now let’s just get a better feel of the place.” Benton agreed,
“Right let’s
