“Careful, you might just leave them alive,” I tease but Bella’s body tells me immediately to back off. Her shoulders are tense, her left foot in front of her right as if ready for a fight, she doesn’t make any recognition of hearing me as she grabs the last knife from the vest and throws it straight into the heart.
When her vest is empty, I take off mine and hand it to her. “You need it more than me.”
Bella doesn’t argue as she takes out the knives and throws those, too. When she’s unarmed and I’m not the tiniest bit afraid for my own safety, we both walk out, picking up the knives and placing them back into the vests.
I’m not sure how long we spend in this room, but at some point I turn to see the Major and Overseer are behind us, arms crossed over their chests as if studying everything we do. The Madam is behind them, and with two guys double her size in front of her. She’s not that scary anymore. I almost want to laugh at the thought but I hold it down.
“PX-3, did you engage the target last night?” the Overseer asks. I keep my back straight and my face stoic.
“Physically? No, sir.”
“Did you talk to him?” They listened to the earpiece transcripts. Fuck. I’ve been with Bella all night and morning, and there is no way she would sell me out.
“No, sir.”
“The chair, three days.”
He begins to walk away, and I feel the blood rushing through me. Every single nerve on my body is already on edge just from the thought. My palms sweat at the idea of going back there, so I find a way to get myself out of it.
“I’m building a connection, sir. My target trusts me. I’m trying to understand what he knows so that I can bring you the details. He’s already a threat, but what if he’s told others the information he knows? What if there are more? Can you honestly tell me you don’t want all the details possible?”
His eyes widen as he sees the truth in my words, and in an instant I know I’ve won. But I’ve also just put a huge target on my back if I don’t give them the information I know, or if they find out I already know more than I should. I will be killed.
“And he has told you something, I assume?” the Overseer asks, staring down at me knowingly. I can’t exactly say no. They need something, so I decide on a half-truth.
“His name, sir.”
He nods, taking a step towards me. “What did he tell you his name was, PX-3? And why didn’t you mention this in your mission debrief?” Well shit, he’s got me there. I keep a straight face, not showing how my entire body is on edge.
“I had blocked it out when he said it. My mission is my target; I don’t care or need to know names. It didn’t seem significant because I had already forced myself to forget it, sir. I understand this was the incorrect action to take, but I didn’t see the point in repeating something not worth repeating.”
The Overseer pauses for a long moment, trying to read every detail of my face, but I don’t give him anything, I keep stoic while he searches for any sign of a flaw. “Get dressed, formal mission attire. You and Bella have a mission tonight.”
“Yes, sir.”
I wait until they exit the room before turning to Bella, who’s already looking at me. “You need to talk to him,” she says, taking off the knife vest and putting the final knife away.
I nod. “I need to talk to him.”
Chapter 13:
“I don’t know how you managed to convince them to let you go back, but you need to be careful Darlia. They’re watching you,” Wolvrin warns, stepping into the SUV behind me and Bella, our dresses taking up most of the space.
We’re back in our usual formal mission attire without our earpieces, which tells me either no one will remember what we wore three nights ago, or no one from the other event will be there besides Cayden. And I’m not entirely sure which option is better.
“I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m just doing my mission—”
“Darlia, I’m being serious here,” Wolvrin cuts me off, his voice more stern, more concerned than I’ve ever heard it before. “You know it’s not safe. Don’t do anything that’s not worth risking your life for, because that’s what’s on the line here.”
I can’t even manage a retort, taken aback by his seriousness, so I nod, turning to look out the window and focus on the sky outside. It’s night time again.
The stars light up the sky in the most beautiful way. I wish I could see it all the time, even if it was just through a window. But just like every other time, I never have a moment to appreciate them enough as the car stops and we get out. Bella gets out first while I follow behind her.
In front of us was the last thing I expected. We’re back at the museum. Could there be another auction? Like yesterday, we walk up the steps together, walking inside and pausing to see…it’s empty. The skeleton that was in the centre of the entranceway is no longer there, the history on the walls is gone with it. Every single detail telling me about the world before, gone. Replaced with a single sign hanging on the wall.
Seized by the new order as an illegal item, retribution will follow.
How could they see history as illegal? It was a pile of bones, it wasn’t hurting anyone. How could they do this? Why would they do this?
