Sarah/Anya
Bruno revs the engine, producing a loud noise catching the attention of every single person around us. He’s meticulous about the smallest of details. Sometimes I find myself thinking how he knows about some rare and random stuff. He’s such a fucking encyclopedia, especially when it comes to being someone else. His alter egos are extremely well crafted and played even better. Trust me, I’ve known two so far.
Miles’, Bruno’s arrogant alter ego takes control and if I didn't know him like I do, I would think he is just that kind of guy.
Maybe that’s the very reason it was so hard for me to realize the torturer was never him.
This place is like a stronghold, we are surrounded by massive mansions, I can hardly look at them directly, I must keep my role at all times, but they look like ancient Greek temples with white columns and exaggerated ornaments.
The car moves along a paved street. Long and thick golden colored ropes, both restrict and lead the way while perfectly added torches barely and mysteriously illuminate the place completing the scene.
We finally reach the end of the pathway and see a man signaling Bruno to stop the car.
Bruno gets out, walks around the front of the car, while buttoning up his suit over his stomach and approaches to my side of the car. The door opens upwards automatically.
I don't move, I just wait.
Once the door finishes opening, Bruno unbuckles my seat belt and I stretch out my hand, but he reaches for the diamond strap instead and pulls hard to get me out of the car.
First mistake.
How stupid!
We previously established that mistakes had to be punished immediately just in case someone is watching, and he was very clear, there’s always someone watching. Bruno's face is deadpan; I understand this mistake wasn't that serious, and the sharp pull was enough this time.
I fix my eyes on the ground but I’m focusing all my other senses attention to my entire surroundings. Something I learned in military training school.
The white, gold and blue colors soak up the atmosphere, I can see sophisticated men and women getting out of fancy cars, some with company, some alone, but they are all in a great mood. You can feel the excitement in the air.
There is an immense marble staircase in front of me. My first challenge, but thank God, Bruno calms down his accelerated walk, to give me time to get used to these shoes.
I would sell my soul to the devil to have my All Stars back.
Twenty steps later, a red carpet welcomes us.
Laughter can be heard coming from inside the mansion paired with the constant mumbling from interesting conversations and the occasional clinking sound from glassware being used to toast. Everything seems very… normal.
“Welcome, Mr. Cox.” I hear a man address Brun—Miles, standing at the entrance.
“Kaled, nice to see you again.”
Kaled, according to the quick but thorough intelligence briefing Bruno gave me about POI or persons of interest, is Razzag's eldest son. Rumors had it he is the heir to the empire, but Bruno explained that in this kind of business, children rarely get to inherit anything. For one simple reason, they get murdered before they can claim anything. The very few powerful groups are bloodthirsty and vengeful.
“Likewise, I see I finally get to meet her.”
My eyes are still fixed to the floor.
“Oh yes, this is Anya.” Bruno’s tone sounds uninterested, bored and absent.
Kaled bends down and amicably smiles at me, I’m still not looking at him.
“Hi, Anya, I’m Kaled,” he greets me.
I don't answer, I can't, not until Bruno commands me to.
“Anya, you can answer him.” His tone is encouraging but firm.
My eyes go up and meet his just for a second, then I go back to my original target, the floor.
