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June 9 2008 Bella's Apartment 0300 hours Bella woke from her disturbing dream in a cold sweat. She sat up slowly rubbing the back of her neck. "Damn it." She hated it when she had that dream, she had lived it once why must her mind keep revisiting. Sighing she got up, her apartment was warm so she didn't worry about putting anything on, she preferred to sleep naked and did so when the weather permitted. After padding out into the kitchen she put some milk in the microwave and went searching for her nutmeg. Her blinds were open but she was far enough up from street level to be pretty much safe from viewers and if anyone copped a look, lucky them. As the microwave whirred in the background she went over to the TV. and clicked it on, flicking through the channel for something interesting, only to click it off again as soon as her microwave beeped. "Never anything on at this time anyway." She had taken to speaking to herself some years ago, she wasn't one who needed company and in fact since she had been recruited into section she had preferred not to have company, people were bad news, never really know where their allegiances are, no matter how well you think you know them. She sprinkled nutmeg in her milk and went back to her bedroom to drink it. The bedroom walls and carpet were blue, a strong pale blue, the pictures on the wall weren't so much pictures as blocks of different shades of blue in interesting patterns surrounded by black frames. However pretty much everything else in her room was white. White bed, white bedspread, white wardrobe and drawers. The drink was too hot; she put it down and head for the shower in the adjoining bathroom, she figured if she warmed herself inside and out she might have a chance at a bit more sleep before the night was out. 1030 hours The sun had risen as she watched it, her warming theory hadn't worked, she had guessed she should have expected it not to, it never did. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a red turtle neck now, hair tied back on a pony tail, sipping her coffee. The whole place smelt of coffee, nothing more pleasant in the mornings than freshly ground and percolated coffee. She took a deep breath and stood up. Putting her coffee on the coffee table she stretched up towards the ceiling, hands interlocked. As she reached for the ceiling her mobile phone rang from the coffee table. She collapsed in her middle, surprised. "Of course, run a perfectly good stretch." She muttered as she reached for her phone from next to her mug. "Lucille the shipment will get here, stop panicking will you?" Lucille was her trainee, and she was a highly strung creature at the best of times. The shipment of fabrics needed to make their latest fashions hadn't arrived yet, they were due like three weeks ago and all departments were getting jittery. Bella knew that the shipment had been ordered in advance for this very reason, a batch never arrived on time when people needed it to�she used to be the one holding it up because she was filling a shipment full of weapons, or hiding a stow away. "Isabella?" The voice on the other end was deep, male, not Lucille. "Who is this?" "Gray. We have a Briefing. at 1600 in Safe house 1. We need you to come in." "oh," she breathed a sigh of relief, Lucille in hysterics was not fun, "ok, I'll be there." She hung up the phone before anything else was said and no sooner had she done so did she remember something. "Shit.!" She moved over to her landline and dialled Lucille's number, swearing silently that she had to. "Lucille, hi it's Bella�Yeah I'm well and yourself?.. I promise you it will get here in time... Look I know you're stressed but I have to go out of town for awhile� I don't know� Lu�L�Lucille! Be quite! Look I will be out of touch for awhile, I don't know how long for, and I need you to sit down shut up take a few deep breaths and get a grip on yourself�Good. The fashion house will run itself mostly; you just need to be there to keep it on track� The shipment will get here on time! Didn't I tell you to shut up? Lucille, I wouldn't have hired you unless I felt that somewhere deep (*sigh*) deep down you were capable of dealing with this ok� Good. Now if anything does go awry�no I don't think it will� Shut up! If anything does go wrong call my secretary and she will be able to help you ok� Good. Ok. I have to go�Lucille�Lucille�GOODBYE!!!" She hung up the phone abruptly still calm but wanting to remain that way. She had another call to make. But her secretary had a decent head on her and would remain calm. After her call she continued on with her regular daily activities, sewing, some design work, watering her plants. As the afternoon wore on she became sleepy with the warmth coming in her window, and knowing that is was probably a mission she was being called in for and that she hadn't slept well she decided to park it on the sofa and grab a few z's. Setting her phone alarm for 1400 and took a nap. 1400 hours Bella's alarm went off and she awoke, slowly reaching for her phone to stop it from making horrible sounds. Taking a breath she stood and went to her room, gathering a few spare cloths and getting changed into some going out attire. White trousers, thin black belt, White suit jacket, double breasted, black buttons, Over an extremely low cut black skin tight top. Didn't hide much but then she wasn't trying. Wasn't obscene, that was all that really mattered, oh that and she felt good. She tied her hair back roughly and put on some small loop earrings. After applying makeup she headed for the door grabbing her keys off her key rack. She had managed to get a place that was within walking distance of everything except the safe house. This was one of her few chances to use her little green zippy car. 1430 hours She pulled into the garage and got out, pulling he bag out after her. She hadn't been here long when she was here before but the layout she had been given by their guide had been simple enough. In the elevator she went up to level 10 and headed for the small gym, she always remembered where the gym was, she like working out. After and hours worth of working out she showered, got into her snazzy white clothes again and headed for a lounge, sketch book in hand. Here she would wait until 1550 when she would head off to the briefing. 1550 Hours Bella put down her sketch book, the design she was working on had a few flaws and she hated to leave it until it was done but she could finish it while she sat waiting for the briefing to start. She went to the lift and pushed the button that would take her to the 9th floor and the briefing room. She sat down and buried her head in her sketch book almost immediately, those problems were bugging her. There were other people in the room, she didn't really know them, familiar faces, nothing more, one was completely unknown to her. She was sure they would be introduced later. Sighing she closed the book, no good dwelling on it just now. She noticed some movement at the door, one woman walked in, a woman she recognised from section. She seemed to hesitate at the door but she came in, eyes on the stranger. Then there was Paige, a very familiar face from Section, they had worked together a few times, got on ok. Paige kind of froze eyes transfixed on the stranger. Bella looked away, whatever was going on there was none of her business�beside, she was sure it wouldn't be too long before she's find out somehow. Return |
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