Nick was tapping her insistently on the arm.
"Okay, here we go. That's Mikhail, he's the number two in the organisation."
Oracle looked to where a burly man was gesturing to Nick to come over. Nick stood and pulled her with him.
"Leave your floozy here" Mikhail said.
"No, erm, I mean, erm she's what you've been looking for."
Oracle gave him a flat look.
"Jesus Christ you're an idiot" she said then turned to Mikhail. "Nick said there was an opportunity for someone with my skills to make a lot of money."
"And what are your skills sweetheart?" Mikhail looked her up and down before settling on her chest. She resisted the urge to thump him.
"I'm a fighter. A damn good one."
"You don't look like a fighter" he said unimpressed.
"That's how I always get the advantage" Oracle replied. "Look, you're not going to take my word for it, but I'm happy to prove it. If Nick is telling the truth about the pay off."
Mikhail short out a hand to grab her throat but it was sloppy and easily blocked.
"Not even a flinch" Mikhail sounded thoughtful. "Maybe we do have work for you. Come on."
He took them both out of the main bar and into a side room. Oracle narrated this up to Thunderbird Five but couldn't keep the surprise from her inner voice when the room they were led to was empty. It was small with only a table and four chairs occupying it and a high window on the rear wall.
"Stay here, stay quiet" came the command and Mikhail was gone.
Oracle immediately tried the door; it was unlocked. She raised an eyebrow at Nick and gestured for him to be silent as he took a breath to say something.
She accessed her internal comm-line again. She hadn't really used it much before, not liking the idea that someone's voice was being pumped straight into her brain. To her surprise it wasn't all that unpleasant, more like having a conversation with someone over a standard comm, only this one was uniquely private.
[Do you still read me Thunderbird Five?]
[I do.] He sounded distracted. [Why can't I trace you?]
[I have no idea.] She genuinely didn't.
[If you get in trouble then I can't send you aid, where are you?]
That wasn't what she was expecting. Aid was for real people, not pretend ones like her.
[I don't require aid, Thunderbird Five.]
[Not at the moment, but you might. There are sixteen Mikhail's known to authorities for everything from auto-theft to first degree murder.]
[Well, they were never going to be friendly, were they? I knew what I was getting in to.]
[Did you?]
She was saved from having to reply as the door to the small room opened again. This time Mikhail had bought two men with him. One had a high-end data pad, the other was clearly the boss. He was dressed in what Oracle thought of as European Style – a lot of emphasis on grooming and fashion.
"Salvatore" Nick practically bowed. "I was not expecting you to be here, sir."
Salvatore ignored him completely, crossing instead to Oracle. He took her hand in both of his and patted it gently.
"I saw you, maybe three weeks ago." His accent was definitely foreign though his English flawless. "You were fighting one of my men." He studied her face for a moment. "You have no idea which one he was do you?"
"No" she replied honestly.
"Marcus was a talented fighter. You took him down in seven minutes and thirty-four seconds."
"Sorry?" she ventured and he smiled.
"Not at all." He turned back to Nick. "So, this is who you bring me? It's lucky for you that I saw her fight already. Otherwise, I would have Mikhail shoot you – no offence sweetling. Sit" he gestured to the small table. "I know you're not squeamish" he said to Oracle, "but I don't know about you. However, before we go any further the formalities. What is your real name, my dear?"
"Oracle" she replied but sent a quick message out to Thunderbird Five.
[We might have a problem after all]
[How so?]
"Your last name I assume?" Salvatore's smile didn't faulter but his eyes hardened. "What's your given name?"
"Why do you need it? "she stalled.
[Just tell him] Thunderbird Five implored her.
[I can't] she replied.
[Why not?]
"Trust is earned in my organisation. I won't have anyone that I can't verify. Your only recommendation comes from Nick here and, well, I require something a little more concrete." Salvatore was fixing her in a steel gaze and over her shoulder she heard Mikhail shift.
[I don't have another name] she confessed. [I don't have any memories before I was seven years old, I'm only mostly sure that my birthday is 27th October but I don't know which year.]
She only got silence from the Thunderbird. It was the most she had told anyone, ever, and there was nothing in return. No sympathy (thank Christ) no disbelief, no acceptance. Nothing. Maybe she'd made a mistake risking herself for International Rescue after all.
"Your name" Salvatory asked again.
[Jasmine] came the voice of Thunderbird Five.
"Jasmine?" She tried to hide the question at the end but she wasn't sure she was successful.
"Your name is Jasmine?" Nick asked incredulously. "Why did you never tell me?"
"Why would I? It's not like I use it."
"You should" Salvatore said. "It suits you. You have delicate features like the bloom but a core of steel." Salvatore's eyes moved over her shoulder to where the third member of his party had taken up residence. "Jasmine Oracle is an unusual name but my associate can't find you. Why would that be?"
[Stall] came a slightly distracted comment.
"Find me in what?"
"That's not for you to worry about."
She could see Salvatore getting impatient. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see Mikhail loosen a weapon concealed at his back. The other man was furiously working on his tablet.
"I'm sorry" she tried, "I don't understand the problem."
"Got her!" the voice behind was very relieved. "Jasmine Oracle, born 27th October 2042. Been in the foster system her entire life, six expulsions on record, all for fighting." She resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at that. "Juvenile record has been sealed. No arrests as an adult. Dropped off the grid in 2055."
Salvatore regarded her for a long moment then he nodded to himself.
"Nick here has told you what we're planning to do." It wasn't a question and he waved down Nick's protestations. "I knew he would if he thought it would help him" he turned to Nick. "Go find the other things I asked you for." Mikhail picked Nick up by his collar but instead of removing him Mikhail pinned him to the wall.
"You were given very clear instructions" Mikhail growled. "You disobeyed but you're going to get off lightly because the boss was expecting it." Nick grunted as Mikhail drove a fist into his side. "It won't happen again" and with that the door was wrenched open and Nick thrown out.
"So, you know more than I'm happy with." Again, he stared and again she didn't flinch. "Like I said; a core of steel. I might have a place for you Jasmine. You will take this" he handed her an old comm "and I will call. You will go where I say. If you breathe a word of our meeting to anyone Mikhail will kill you." He got up to leave and Oracle realised he'd said nothing to support Nick's claim.
"Why a Thunderbird?" she asked and heard a sharp intake of breath down her internal comm, the first noise she'd heard from Thunderbird Five other than the request for more time. Salvatore sat back down.
"What do you know of International Rescue?"
"Bugger all" the response was out before she'd thought about it. "I mean, not a lot."
"They have machines so far in advance of the current markets its laughable. Imagine the change technology like that could make on the world. People like your potential employer could literally change the face of the planet with a ship like Thunderbird Two."
"It's just a ship" she replied. "How can one thing make such a difference?"
"It's not the thing but the sum of its parts. Thunderbird Two contains many smaller units currently being put to use for firefighting or excavation" there was a gleam in his eyes now. "And that's only what we know about. Her pilot will know a lot more. He will tell us how the mighty Thunderbird works and we will break it apart and sell it to the highest bidder."
"What's in it for me?" This time it took all her skill to keep her voice moderately interested, inside a great weight had settled in her stomach.
"If you pass the audition, I guarantee you six figures and a permanent place in my organisation."
"If I don't?" Salvatore smiled, reached across the table and squeezed her arm.
"I think you will." A silent command and Mikhail escorted him and the third man from the room. Oracle stayed where she was. There was a lot to process.
[You get all that Thunderbird Five?]
[I did. What did he give you?]
[A comm unit] she turned the device over in her hand. It was similar to a watch though the readout displayed onto her forearm rather than the upright holograms the newer units favoured.
[What's the number for it?]
[Hang on] she found it and read it out. Then she realised she was still sitting in the small room and began to make her way outside. She knew why he wanted it. The small unit would be easy for him to track. She thought about what he'd done for her; creating a past in what she assumed was the national database. That was meant to be impossible. Also interesting was the fact that he hadn't questioned why she didn't have an official record already. This coupled with what Salvatore had told her about Thunderbird Two and Oracle was getting the impression that International Rescue were a lot more than they let on. For the second time in an evening, she was wondering if she was doing the right thing.
[Thank you] The comment made her jump. [You might have just saved our pilot's life. I recorded your conversation and will pass it over to the GDF. You've done enough.]
[You can't!] She was outside the pub now and had to brace herself on the wall as realisation hit her. How could she have been so stupid to think the GDF wouldn't be involved? [They can't know about me; you need to remove the parts from before Salvatore was introduced to me.]
[Why?]
Goddamn if he didn't sound worried along with the confusion.
[It doesn't matter. Just promise me Thunderbird Five, I don't think it's too much to ask, considering.]
There was silence on the line again. Oracle did her best to slow her heartbeat.
[Alright] She let out an explosive breath. [Can I use this line to contact you again if I need to?]
[Sure] anything to get him out of her head now. Just because he called, it didn't mean she would have to answer.
[Stay safe, Oracle] and he cut the line.
She ran. She ran as fast as she could back to the park and the small bridge over the man-made river. When she was there, she sat down heavily on a bench and tried to stop the memories of the GDF storming the building, lining up everyone inside and executing them. She tried to stop the screams she heard as the soldiers announced they were unable to contain the targets and barricaded the doors before setting the building alight. The running water reminded her of the present. The cold showed her that the flames were gone. She cursed herself for being so short sighted and suddenly realised the true meaning of the phrase 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.'