"Based on what our spies inside told us, they're looking for a woman," Calum said, his voice low and urgent.
Trae, slumped in the chair opposite him, appeared to be sound asleep. His head lolled against the back of the chair, his mouth slightly open, and his chest rose and fell with the rhythm of a man lost in slumber. But then, a faint, barely audible snoring sound escaped his lips, punctuated by a rhythmic "mmph-mmph" that sounded suspiciously like "I'm listening." Calum knew him very well. He hated to think that Trae had the audacity to pretend he wasn't paying attention. He'd seen this act before, so many times, and Trae really loved to annoy him this much that he tended to do it over and over again. Sleeping in the middle of a very serious conversation was Trae's specialty. He was a master of deception, a chameleon blending into the background, but Calum wasn't buying it. He was sick of his gimmicks but he didn't have a choice.
He slammed his hand on the gray metallic table, the sharp sound echoing in the silent room. Trae's head snapped up, his eyes wide with feigned surprise. It was as if he had seen a ghost.
"What the heck, bud! You scared the hell outta me! Stop farting!" he exclaimed, his voice a mixture of mock outrage and feigned innocence. He then dramatically clutched his chest, his eyes wide with mock horror. "I thought I'd had a heart attack! You know I'm a delicate flower, Calum!"
Calum rolled his eyes, his irritation growing. "I fucking look like a fool talking to myself right here. And I did not fart!
And also if you're a flower, you're a fuckin cactus."
Trae, left his mouth open with awe trying to take the roast that Calum spit in his mouth, he was insanely salvaged in that situation. "I'm listening to you! And you better not lie, it's a fart that I just heard, I swear to god. You don't have to deny it, buddy, I do it too except that mine is louder and smells better." He gestured towards the table and he's proud saying that.
"Cactus, huh?
Is that even a flower?"
Trae still have the guts to ask.
Calum scoffed. "Are you serious?"
Trae, with a mischievous glint in his eye, countered, "Let me add this, even if, let's say I'm sleeping, I'm also listening to you, bud. Are you underestimating my multi-tasking talent?"
Calum sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "Fine, let's just get this over with. We need to find out about this woman they are looking for, it might help our plans."
Trae opened his eyes widely to avoid them from closing, he was thinking that if he let them close they couldn't be opened again. The effort of doing that was just fascinating. Calum, though, knew he was still planning on sleeping on him. He was doing his best not to do it to avoid Calum getting annoyed more than what he was feeling right now. Truly, he respected him but Trae's eyes snapped closed in front of Calum's face.
He can't do it anymore, it's harder than killing someone.
"Unbelievable!"
Calum shouted in a very high pitch.
Trae's eyes opened widely like a weed user.
"What's impossible?"
He nonchalantly asked.
"Trae, we don't have any time for your nonsense. We need to find out more about the woman that they are looking for."
Calum strongly stated.
"Who is that woman?"
Calum cupped his hands in his reddening face with annoyance.
"I'll explain it again, and you better be listening, or else I'm done with this shit."
"Go on."
Trae confidently said. Looking straight in Calum's face.
"Which part did you miss?"
Calum asked.
"I don't know, maybe the whole part, buddy."
Calum clasped his fists closed after he heard what Trae said.
"What the hell?
I've been talking almost 2 hours now.
Why the hell didn't you have a proper sleep last night?"
Trae just stared at him like he was sleeping with his eyes opened. It's like a new talent unlocked.
"Hey, Trae!"
Calum shouted angrily.
"I am listening!"
"I think this conversation isn't going well. I gotta get out of here and do the job myself, it will be faster."
He stood up and as he started to walk away he heard Trae's head slam on the table with a loud snore after he managed to say, "Good luck, bud..."
Calum just continued pacing out of Trae's safe house. He couldn't control his silent laugh. He was surprisingly impressed he could say. Normally in that kind of condition that Trae's in right now he can't manage to just open his eyes or worse he's vomiting all around the place, but he did not. So, he was impressed. Calum would like to acknowledge his courage to stay awake and tried hard to listen even though his soul was out in another dimension, maybe talking to Dormammu to bargain. He can still smell the vodka or whatever drink that made him that totally nuts.
"That idiot, he might have had a very good time last night in that club."
He said to himself as he entered his car and started the engine. He needed to get more information about the plan of their enemy. Eagle was very hard to catch, indeed. They had never heard him doing negotiations or anything that he used to do before, it just stopped 2 months ago. They thought that he was just protecting himself hiding from the FBI's but he was not like that. Eagle doesn't really treat FBI's as a big threat, they are just small fries for him. Calum knew that very well. There must be something they are planning silently that they can't detect any of it even though they've got men inside Eagle's nest they can't seem to gather exact or clear information. It's impossible for the Eagle to stop hunting suddenly in his habitat when there was no threat or circumstances. Calum better get it right and need to be step ahead Eagle's plans or else they will be defeated, and he won't allow a slightest chance for that to happen again. Crow let them slide for their first attempt, their failed mission but they can't afford to failed him again this time or he will become their enemy also.
Calum while driving got a lot of thoughts in his head. The woman, Trae, Crow, Eagle, and most of all Mariana.
It's crazy that he's always excited going back to his hideout or safe house, he can't deny the fact that Mariana made him a total jerk also. So, he can't judge Trae, because his actually worse. It's just that he's the best in pretending his not.
***