Chapter 4
Jesse stayed in Susannah's room until she had fallen asleep. He watched her chest gently rise and fall for several minutes, unable-or rather, unwilling- to look anywhere but her sleeping form.
Finally, he left her room and traveled down the long hallway to another door at the far end. Unlike Susannah's, Jesse could enter this room by simply materializing. But then, he suspected that was because the Agency didn't much care what Jesse did to the occupant of that room.
When he entered the room, Jesse found that particular occupant waiting for him-looking as smug and relaxed as he always had.
Jesse felt the familiar surge of anger that he felt around him. He didn't know what the Agency was planning, but if involved him* then it couldn't be anything good.
"Hello, Jesse," he said.
"Slater."
***
When I awoke the next morning, Jesse was gone. In his place, though, was Derek.
"Morning, sleepy head," Derek said in what I think was supposed to be a cheerful voice. Instead, it just came out sounding strained.
I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. "Morning," I mumbled sleepily. I looked around. "Where's Jesse?"
Derek's strained smile turned into something that was close to a frown but not quite. "He's taking care of something," he said after a moment.
"What?" I turned my gaze back to Derek who shifted uneasily.
"You'll find out soon enough," he assured me. "Come on, you should get to the cafeteria before breakfast is over."
I slid out of bed, moving over to the closet on the other side of the room. I never found out where the Agency got all the clothes that they supplied their agents with. Not that the clothes were all that great, of course. But still.
"Is the food any better than it used to be?" I asked. Then, I remembered something: Derek didn't eat, being dead. I turned red. Glancing back at him, I muttered, "Er, sorry. I-"
Derek held up a hand, giving me a small smile. "It's okay. Just hurry up and get dressed." Then he dematerialized, leaving me to my own thoughts.
***
"Why," Jesse said tersely, "are you here?"
Paul smiled at him. "I have my reasons," he said guardedly. "Why are you here?"
Jesse gritted his teeth. He hated Paul. He had never hated anyone more than he hated Paul-but then, Paul had tried to kill Susannah on numerous occasions. "I'm here to help. a friend," he said, not entirely sure if that would be the right thing to call Derek.
"Ah, yes." Paul leaned back in his chair. "Your 'friend.' Derek Ashley, isn't it?" He grinned at Jesse's look of annoyance. "You know, Jesse, it's hard to keep things from me."
Jesse smiled thinly. "Apparently so. However, you still haven't answered my question: Why are you here?"
"I have a proposition for you, de Silva." Jesse inwardly groaned, remembering the last proposition that Paul had offered someone. "I want to help you."
Jesse raised a skeptical brow. "Somehow I highly doubt that."
"It's true," Paul said with a shrug. "I can help you and your friend get out of here. And Suze, of course, too," he added.
Narrowing his eyes, Jesse asked, "And what would you want in return?" Jesse felt his insides twist into knots-could that happen to ghost?-because a part of him already knew the answer.
"I want Suze."
***
It took a long time before they finally agreed on a plan. It was risky-and perhaps a bit stupid on Jesse's part-but it was the only thing to go on at that point.
And it put Susannah's life in definite danger. Jesse knew that Paul's plans for her would not be anything good-not that they ever were. However, even as Jesse was making his reluctant plans with Paul, he was already formulating his own.
He just prayed that it would work.
***
A/N: Does Jesse seem slightly evil at the end to you? I don't know, he sort of does. But on the bright side, it all turns out for the best in the end!
How's that for a faster update? Is everyone happy with that fact? No? Why not!? Just kidding. Sort of.
Jesse stayed in Susannah's room until she had fallen asleep. He watched her chest gently rise and fall for several minutes, unable-or rather, unwilling- to look anywhere but her sleeping form.
Finally, he left her room and traveled down the long hallway to another door at the far end. Unlike Susannah's, Jesse could enter this room by simply materializing. But then, he suspected that was because the Agency didn't much care what Jesse did to the occupant of that room.
When he entered the room, Jesse found that particular occupant waiting for him-looking as smug and relaxed as he always had.
Jesse felt the familiar surge of anger that he felt around him. He didn't know what the Agency was planning, but if involved him* then it couldn't be anything good.
"Hello, Jesse," he said.
"Slater."
***
When I awoke the next morning, Jesse was gone. In his place, though, was Derek.
"Morning, sleepy head," Derek said in what I think was supposed to be a cheerful voice. Instead, it just came out sounding strained.
I sat up in bed, rubbing my eyes. "Morning," I mumbled sleepily. I looked around. "Where's Jesse?"
Derek's strained smile turned into something that was close to a frown but not quite. "He's taking care of something," he said after a moment.
"What?" I turned my gaze back to Derek who shifted uneasily.
"You'll find out soon enough," he assured me. "Come on, you should get to the cafeteria before breakfast is over."
I slid out of bed, moving over to the closet on the other side of the room. I never found out where the Agency got all the clothes that they supplied their agents with. Not that the clothes were all that great, of course. But still.
"Is the food any better than it used to be?" I asked. Then, I remembered something: Derek didn't eat, being dead. I turned red. Glancing back at him, I muttered, "Er, sorry. I-"
Derek held up a hand, giving me a small smile. "It's okay. Just hurry up and get dressed." Then he dematerialized, leaving me to my own thoughts.
***
"Why," Jesse said tersely, "are you here?"
Paul smiled at him. "I have my reasons," he said guardedly. "Why are you here?"
Jesse gritted his teeth. He hated Paul. He had never hated anyone more than he hated Paul-but then, Paul had tried to kill Susannah on numerous occasions. "I'm here to help. a friend," he said, not entirely sure if that would be the right thing to call Derek.
"Ah, yes." Paul leaned back in his chair. "Your 'friend.' Derek Ashley, isn't it?" He grinned at Jesse's look of annoyance. "You know, Jesse, it's hard to keep things from me."
Jesse smiled thinly. "Apparently so. However, you still haven't answered my question: Why are you here?"
"I have a proposition for you, de Silva." Jesse inwardly groaned, remembering the last proposition that Paul had offered someone. "I want to help you."
Jesse raised a skeptical brow. "Somehow I highly doubt that."
"It's true," Paul said with a shrug. "I can help you and your friend get out of here. And Suze, of course, too," he added.
Narrowing his eyes, Jesse asked, "And what would you want in return?" Jesse felt his insides twist into knots-could that happen to ghost?-because a part of him already knew the answer.
"I want Suze."
***
It took a long time before they finally agreed on a plan. It was risky-and perhaps a bit stupid on Jesse's part-but it was the only thing to go on at that point.
And it put Susannah's life in definite danger. Jesse knew that Paul's plans for her would not be anything good-not that they ever were. However, even as Jesse was making his reluctant plans with Paul, he was already formulating his own.
He just prayed that it would work.
***
A/N: Does Jesse seem slightly evil at the end to you? I don't know, he sort of does. But on the bright side, it all turns out for the best in the end!
How's that for a faster update? Is everyone happy with that fact? No? Why not!? Just kidding. Sort of.