Awakening Book One of the Trust Series - By J. E. Swift Page 0,81

member was strong, his name was Stephan and he had been part of the Cine Tofa for the past ten years. Stephan had been trying to infiltrate one of the Trust’s minor sites, a level four facility in Georgia. Garrett’s role was to go in and figure out exactly how much information had been reported back to the Cine Tofa.

Garrett had gotten to the facility only to find the other two Inquisitors, Brandon and Lana frustrated beyond belief. They nodded at him entering the room. Garrett was surprised to learn initially after taking this line of work that he was significantly stronger than most Inquisitors were. It was just what the Council had wanted, someone strong enough to step in when the other Inquisitor could not do their job sufficiently. Garrett was damage control. Unfortunately, he had been needed more often than not.

Brandon had led Garrett to a room where Stephan lay in a room by himself. The room was uninviting, with only two chairs and a table, the walls painted black. Garrett stared at him for a moment; Stephan looked vaguely familiar to him, his sneer stirring some memory long forgotten. It didn’t matter; Garrett wanted to complete this mission swiftly and efficiently, so he could head back up to Maine.

“Let’s get this completed now, shall we?”

The dark haired fellow snickered. “I can’t believe they sent another one of you. You will not be able to penetrate my mind, you know.”

Garrett laughed coldly. “Well, we will just see about that. I am a bit stronger than the other two. Corporate sent for the big guns you see. You should feel flattered. I understand that you have been spending some time in our facilities. Why don’t you save me and you the trouble and tell me what information you stole?”

Stephan smirked. “Not gonna happen, but thanks for asking.” He cocked his head to the side and his smiled widened as if remembering a fantastic joke. “Well, now that is interesting.”

Garrett was quickly getting bored. He had a job to do and it annoyed him when he had to listen to inane chatter. It happened more often than not. A lot of people in the Cine Tofa were too full of themselves. With an irritated tone he asked, “What do you find so interesting?”

Stephan threw his head back in laughter. “I know you.”

Garrett rolled his eyes. “Sure you do.”

The man laughed harder. “Oh, this is rich. What would your daddy say if he knew that you were here, as a lapdog for the Trust?”

Garrett clenched his fists. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Sure you don’t. Of course you don’t. You’re pathetic. You would have been prince to an Empire, and here you are, as an Inquisitor, of all things, for a group whose ideals don’t even fully line up with your own. How many people here know the truth? I cannot picture many, because I am sure the members of the Trust would not be so open to knowing that Nathaniel Livingston’s son was walking among them, pretending to be one of them.”

Garrett seethed at the mention of his father’s name. “I think it would be in your best interest if you shut up right this instance.”

But he had not. “Garrett Livingston in the living flesh. After you left the Cine Tofa all those years ago, your actual existence became a thing of legend amongst the Cine Tofa. If I had not been one of your father’s devoted and met you myself when you were eighteen, I would have questioned your existence as well.”

Garrett’s mind reeled, his jaw clenched. He had worked so hard these previous eight years to erase the past. He knew somehow that the past would always catch up to him and he was on borrowed time within this organization. He should have been surprised it had not happened before. But it would not catch up to him today.

Garrett walked over to the man. He towered over him, his figure imposing when he wished it to be. “I gave you ample warning.”

Garrett placed his hands on the man’s head and closed his eyes, concentrating. Stephan had a complicated block, but nothing that he could not penetrate. He felt the member of his former organization fight against him, trying to push his attack back. The fact was, he could not establish his defenses quick enough to repel what Garrett threw at him.

Garrett probed his mind for what he was looking for. Images of Stephan befriending on the