Chapter One
"Would you explain to me why are canceling your subscription?"
She sat in her chair she had bought herself, her shoes off, and one hand on the phone and another scribbling on a scrap piece of paper. To an untrained eye she looked perfectly calm and relaxed, but the anxiety in the room was palpable. She listened close at the women's response, and quickly responded to the women's complaints like she had been trained too. But her eyes focused on the swirls she drew on the paper, and how it went from large too small in a flick of a pen.
"The medication doesn't 't call this number again." A small sigh escaped her lips, as she hung the phone off and check off her 50th call of the day. Ida then drastically ran her hand through her thick curly brown hair before flicking her eyes towards the clock for the third time in the hour. 5:30.
Quickly, she stuffed her papers, and laptop into her messenger bag then strolled out of her tiny cubical into many sea of cubicles. It was well the end of the day, and everyone had already left. There was nobody around besides maybe the janitor, a friendly old man named Jonas, to see her leave the building. She exchanged a smile at the man, before slipping to the back alley way of the large building. She unlocked her bicycle, and threw her legs over the bike before taking off down the street. Washington D.C. was particular crazy tonight, the president was having his correspondence meeting. She only knew this because her sister was a political reporter at the Washington Report and she would be covering the ordeal.
A chill swept through the air, and Ida shivered into her jacket before turning down the road to a long strip of unique looking house she parked her bike in front of was extravagant and held an authentic German look to it. Ida and her sister had inherited from their German great aunt who had passed away without any children to give it too. Inside she turned on the lights to be greeted by her young golden retriever, Duke.
"Hi, Buddy! How are you?" She asked him, raking her hands in his soft fur. He jumped up and down, and sprinted towards the kitchen where she poured him a quick bowl of dog food. As he began to settle, Ida stripped off her tight skirt and blouse and changed into some sweats to get settled into the couch to watch Netflix.
She had managed to watch six episodes of The Office before her sister came barreling through the back door. Her jacket had been thrown over her shoulder, and she was laughing into a man's silhouette. Ida cringed into the couch, typical. Her sister almost always brought a guy home after a party, or whenever there was an open bar. Melissa let out a large shriek of laughter, and the pair ascended upstairs to most likely her room. Well looks like I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight she thought to herself, before turning off the television and covering the couch with three blankets and bundled into the warm wool nest.
She had been awaken by the smell of coffee, Ida's eye's popped open at the smell and she sat up on the couch with her hair looking like Medusa. She patted it down, and put her glasses on to see who was creating the coffee because it sure was not her sister. Once her vision cleared, she caught sight of the man from last night. He was tall, and held dark features on his face. He was intimidating and frighting like if you turned your back to him he would put a dagger in it.
"Um hello." Ida said as she walked into the kitchen, he did not look up from what he was reading off a tablet, and proceeded to drink his coffee in silence. Black, he was drinking black coffee. He had to be serious in order to do that.
Ida poured herself a mug of coffee, before escaping the kitchen from the painfully awkward experience she was having with the man. He was different from the usual Harvard grads that Melissa brought home, because he held an experienced vibe and ready to kill.
Ida hurried up the stairs to find her sister exiting the shower, and wrapping her towel around her body.
"Who the hell is that?" Ida harsh fully whispered to her sister.
"Brock."
"Brock? He looks like an ex con! How do you meet him at the Correspondence Meeting?"
"He isn't an ex con. He works for a government organization, top secret. He is giving me information on it for a new article I am writing." Melissa confessed as she applied, a good amount of concealer to her face. Ida was shocked. Her sister was known for her schemes but not to this extreme.
"No way, you are going to get arrested. It's top secret!" Ida stressed, the last thing she needed was her sister in jail in an unknown location. How would she pay the rent?
"Oh come on, he's not bringing me that deep in. He's just giving me some more dirt that helps the stuff I already got." Melissa told her, as she followed her sister into her bedroom that was a complete mess.
"I don't think they will take a liking to a reporter snooping around. You aren't very discreet after all." Ida told her bluntly, her sister had never been careful or sneak as a child, so whenever she had been caught by their mother she'd blame it on Ida. Her sister shut the door behind them, and pushed Ida away from the door.
"Hey-"
"Exactly, this is why you're going to help me with this."
"No way. No way. I am not getting arrested again, remember how I was caught stealing the makeup when Jamie Dunn planted it on me. No. No. not again, jail is horrible." Ida protested, pacing back and forth biting her pinky nail. Her sister smiled, and Ida knew she was about to be convinced.
"I need your skills. You're a good finding information, Ida. Plus you know your way around medical equipment and have you ever lived outside your box? Come on. I'll never ask you again for anything ever." Melissa told her as she pulled on a sleek looking black dress, and pulled her hair up into a tight bun. Then she tucked as small camera down her bra. Melissa is going to be caught with that tactic, fuck. Ida thought, face palming herself mentally.
What could go wrong? Millions of things, but Ida knew if she did not go with her sister then who knows what 'Brock' would do, and Ida did not trust him for a second.
"Fine. I'll help you. As long as you swear this is the last time ever."
"I swear."
