| "Future is the Past" | ||
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New York City, Lower Manhattan Safehouse 1 Jordan stared at Joshua while he was talking. She knew she should be listening, but wasn't. After hearing this Timothy fellow and herself would be copying some data instead of playing with explosives she stopped listening. In fact, all she could think about what why Joshua appeared in her store a few days back, it was certainly not to buy books, that was a given. She'd give the man a slap on the back if he even read a book�that'll be the day. The silence of the room stopped her pondering. Saf was staring at Joshua, who was staring right back at her. What the hell did I miss? She sorted back through the conversation she hadn't been listening too, recalling mention of the Red Cardinal. She knew something big had gone on awhile back, but never did actually find out what. Nevertheless, Joshua moved on, handing them each a panel, or palm as he called them, full of information imperative to the mission, as always. She rose out of her chair and flashed Simon a smile. He blushed�oh he was too cute. She left her two teammates behind, with Joshua and followed Baz out the door. She wondered about Timothy. It was just like being back in Section again, wondering if you could trust other people with your life. She watched him for a moment or two, while seemingly absorbed in the screen of her palm. He seemed stable enough, and working with Kihn he would have to be. She dismissed her worries about him and tried to shed the feeling of being back in Section�it was all a little too similar�whatever. She followed the others, getting changed into her black mission pants and top. What's not to love about black, after all, it absorbs everything around it, until nothing is there, just an invisible shadow of black. After changing she joined the rest of them. The conversation was light, but she wasn't really listening. Where was her hair elastic? She searched her pockets wanted to get her hair out of her face, it was making her nose itch. Perhaps she should cut her hair again, get it cut short like it was before. "Paige," she asked, "do you have a spare hair elastic?" Shaking her head, Paige replied, "Nope, sorry Jordy, the only one I got is in my hair." "Okay, thanks anyways�perhaps there is one in my bag." Looking around the room, she realized that her bag was in the other room, by the door where she had dropped in upon coming in. "Maybe in my bag," she said aloud to no one in particular and walked to the other room. She almost laughed at herself, they were going out on a mission that was requiring some serious firepower, Red Cell nonetheless, and all she was worried about at the moment was a stupid hair elastic. On the floor was her bag and she crouched down, rummaging in it. Of course the thin yellow hair elastic had to be at the bottom of the stupid bag. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail, taming the few wayward strands behind her ears and stood up, dropping her bag on to the floor once again. She turned around and jumped in surprise. "Joshua, you scared me." He was standing about 2 feet away from her, half smiling. "Sorry," he replied. "I came to see how you were doing, you seemed a little on edge during the briefing." She looked at him, wondering what the hell he was getting at. "No, I'm fine, but thank you for asking, however, I am curious to know what exactly you were doing in my store the other day?" she replied. Joshua stared at her for a moment, making her a little uncomfortable, "I was looking to see if you could help me with a little something." "And what might that be?" she replied uneasily, wanting to know and yet not wanting to hear the answer. "You and Timothy are in charge of data copying," he said casually. "Yeah," she replied, immediately suspicious. "Well, I need you to make me a copy of this data as well." Jordan stared at him, "No, I don't think so. You have no right asking me this, I am not your operative anymore," she stated, angry with him. Joshua did not appear to take her answer well, for his face turned a shade of red and he clenched his jaw. Just for a moment though, because then that smile returned, sending a chill up her spine. "Have a right you say," he replied in a low tone, "I don't think so, I have every right, don't forget where you come from." He stepped closer to her, causing her to step back, but with one step she was at the wall, with nowhere to go. "Did you forget that all of you, Paige, Safara, Eric, and yourself are here because of me?" he questioned her, his voice a low rumble. She did know, thinking back to her last day in Section, he was there, he had made the decision, chosen her out of the others, letting her live. She would've liked to forget that Section was her past, but apparently he wasn't going to let her. Joshua paused, staring at her. "Be a damn shame if you had to go back wouldn't it?" She stared at him, almost not believing what she was hearing. Go back? No, he wouldn't. But something told her he would, she'd loss everything, her store, her house, her life, or what semblance of it she had and it wouldn't only be her, Paige and Saf too�she couldn't take that chance. She nodded slowly and Joshua took a step back. He pulled some disks out of his pocket and held them out to her. She took them and tucked them deeply into her vest pocket. She knew what she had to do. She took a step towards the door, but Joshua stopped her. She looked up at him, wondering what else he wanted. He leaned in, whispering in her ear, "Not a word of this to anyone. If I find out that you even thought about telling someone, you'll be back in Section faster than you can say I'm sorry." His tone was laced with warning and she took it to heart. She nodded again, and walked away, wanting to get away from him. She couldn't believe she was doing this, she was sure walking in the wrong direction, succumbing to threats would only make it that much easier for him to ask again, to ask something else. She realized, with growing trepidation, that her lifeline to Section hadn't been severed upon her coming to the SIA. In fact, her future now depended on how she followed and played that particular card. Return |
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