Day 17 — Haunted by Demons

Today was a nice day, considering the situation. Sydney and I talked quietly about irrelevant things. I told her odd stories and situations that I had encountered over the last few years and she told me about her school. We steered clear of topics that involved pain and death so needless to say, she spoke more than I did. But she asked me questions about her mother and I told her. I told her how she up and disappeared six months ago and how I have not heard from her since.

I don't know why Irina Derevko went into hiding when her organization was at the height of its power, but then there are many things about Sydney's mother that I do not understand. I said as much to her as well.

"Irina Derevko is, I don't know, a woman who operates on so many levels. I don't know how she keeps it all straight."

"Funny, I would have thought the same about you."

I laugh quietly. "I suppose. Perhaps that's why we got along as well as we did. But for all the single mindedness that she displayed when pursuing a goal, she was also a woman haunted by many demons. She kept them to herself, but they would still make their presence known every once in a while."

Somewhat like me, I think, but she is kind enough not to say it.

"She actually found me out you know."

"What?"

"Before she left. She called me into her office and pulled out a thin red file folder. Inside wasn't much information, but enough for her to know exactly who I was and who I was working for."

"What happened?"

"Not much actually. She questioned me mercilessly about my real life and my intentions and so on. I decided to take the honest approach in the hopes that I could convince her that my loyalties could be bought, making me a double agent for her. She said she wasn't interested in that. Instead she told me that she wanted me to continue as her employee, such as I was and to infiltrate Arvin Sloane's organization to help her destroy to Alliance."

"When she let me go that night, I thought she had just placated me so that she could kill me at her convenience. I contacted my handlers and requested an extraction. They denied it and told me to go ahead with the plan, to see where it led. The next day Irina was gone. It made no sense to me then and still doesn't. But I did what they wanted me to do. Now here I am."

Silence settles for a moment, as I look around the darkness.

Here I am.

"Here I am as well," she replies softly.

Indeed.

Here we are.