Disclaimer: Any canon content belongs to its respective owners such as BBC and its writers. All original content, however, does belong to me and its contributors.
A/N: Sorry for the chapter delay. However, we are now about to get into the meat and potatoes of this particular tale. So grab your macaroons to eat and hold onto your Fez's kiddies! This rides about to take an interesting turn! Please feel free to review! Would love the feedback!
The next day I was back at work, but this time with a plan in mind. Aaron and I both were going to look into this situation together. Even if it meant using our jobs as a disguise from our completely obvious intentions. That morning I got to my desk as usual and went through the motions as if nothing was wrong at all. Even though I kept looking over my own cubical as I stood there, watching everything around me. Any signs or clues that could get me closer to an answer.
Eventually I had to sit down at my desk so as to not seem suspicious. Instead of pulling up my work though, I pulled a warm cup of coffee to myself knowing it was going to be a long day and began pulling up what local shared network files I could that wouldn't seem too intrusive, hoping that maybe someone would be careless enough to let something strange slip. It was hard though doing both work and looking up info. What was even more frustrating was the fact I spent a full morning just trying to find answers and coming up short.
Most of what seemed out of place was stuff that was typical records, common knowledge. I couldn't access the higher levels, I tried. But the security frame on the computers was just too well done, probably by an advanced technician in another department. I almost thought I had been outed even when some of the buildings guards wandered into our section of offices. However, instead of grabbing me and taking me away. They grabbed someone else. Another female coworker I didn't know at all, who started getting into a heated discussion with the officers.
They tried to convince her that the heads just wanted to have a small talk with her, but in my own mind I knew better. As I peered over my cubical at the scene, I gave a slight gulp when one of the officers looked at my direction and smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile either. I sank back down into my cubical, my heart beating heavily as I sat there. The thought of what if they already knew what I was up to ran through my mind like a mine field. I had to keep my cool, there could be no slip ups, not now. Not for the sake of the people in the offices and most certainly Sansa herself.
When Aaron and I met at lunch we discussed what we did and did not find out. He apparently had been able to have a bit better leeway than me. That wasn't surprising considering the work he did. Like me he had found some odd inconsistencies in the paperwork, but he had also found some other strange things like emails and transactions of things that the company didn't need.
"It seems you might be right about something going on here." Aaron said as he picked at his sandwich. "At least some things that could be at minimum be considered fraud worthy. But that doesn't seem to still explain why everyone's acting so strangely."
"Yeah…" I began and saw Sansa look at me incredulously as if she was practically looking right through me to my soul and knew what I was up to. The moment she moved away from us and wasn't paying attention anymore I continued in a more hushed tone, "I don't know. I told you what I found, which like I said was pretty much a whole load of nothing. The only noteworthy thing was the fact that one of the coworkers in my department got taken away by the building guards. They were saying something about the heads wanting to have a small chat with her. My guess is she was taken to that one floor I told you about."
"I wouldn't doubt it." he stated. "I say we give the floor a sweep later, maybe after office hours when things are closing up."
"Yeah," I agreed with a nod. "Sounds like a good plan."
Our discussion was interrupted by one of our other coworkers coming in and going right up to Aaron. Apparently I wasn't supposed to hear what was being said, because it was very close to Aaron's ear. But the person said what they had to, looked at me for some reason with the same strange glare Sansa gave or at least I thought anyway, and then walked off out of the lounge.
"What was that all about?" I asked raising a brow.
"Oh nothing, Jimmy just wants me to come talk to him after lunch break. Says he has some exciting things to share with me about a project. Not a big deal really." Aaron shrugged.
Clearly he had been talking about James, the man who had hosted the party the one night. The party that clearly ruined people's lives. Yet there was James plugging along as if nothing happened, what a guy, give him a metal for perseverance. Meanwhile the rest of Cazrin Co. was going into complete chaos. But oh no, of course that wouldn't stop someone from continuing on with work as usual as if nothing's wrong, nope not at all.
"Right….I forgot, you work in his department." I said looking down at my cup of tea I decided to have.
"What?" he ask with confusion, clearly not understanding the implications.
"Nothing." I shook my head.
"Something, come on. Be honest." he prodded.
"It's just…that man, that came in to deliver the message. He looked at me. The same way Sansa has been. Hell the way a lot of the staff have been here all day. It's like….I swear…it's like they know we're onto them and their just biding their time."
"Yeah, I've been noticing the stares too…." Aaron rubbed his jawline in thought. "Don't worry about it though. Trust me I'm on my guard. If anything happens, I'll make sure to let you know or send up a bat signal or something."
"I thought you were supposed to be Batman, not his sidekick Robin?" I tried to fruitlessly tease.
"Eh heh, smartass." he stated and gave me a light nudge.
"What?" I giggled a little.
"Come on admit it you like all this sneaking about." He smirked. "Besides, got to keep up the image right? Can't let them know we're onto them right? If James is one of them, he'll definitely know we're onto them and then I won't be able to buy you time. Plus if there is a chance I'm on the inside maybe whatever's going on I can at least maybe slip in, on the inside and find out what's going on and hopefully slip right back out."
"My hero, but yeah your right. We do need intel on things. Also maybe, just a little. It's terrifying, but I got to admit, just a little adrenaline rushing." I mused.
"Seriously though, I promise, I'll watch my back. Besides, if I do get into trouble somehow, I know I can count on you to keep fighting the good fight."
"Awe shucks now look what you've gone and done, made me blush." I nudged him. "Jerk."
"Sassy flower." he stated, a bit of flirting in his voice. "You better eat your lunch though, or I will. I'm still hungry and I've almost got this sandwich gone."
"Sorry." I stated looking down at my food. "Guess I've just been too stressed to eat."
"Well stop." he tried to reassure. "There's no point stressing out over things right at this second."
"True." I nodded and began to try and eat my own food, the thoughts lingered in my mind though as I took each bite. I was not looking forward to him going to see James.
I had to know. That was all there was too it. I had to know if Aaron was going to be alright. So naturally when he went to go meet up with James I had followed. I managed to tail Aaron all the way to James' office where he had shut the door and began talking to the other man. They were in the office for what seemed like hours before coming out. I tried to listen in, but the walls had been too thick and so the only thing I was able to hear was momentary reverberating sounds of talk and the occasional chuckle between the two men.
Almost an hour in they finally got up and started for the door. If it wasn't for the fact that I could hear there muffled movements I wouldn't have moved away from the office wall at all and would have certainly gotten caught. No one had seem to pay any attention to me at all luckily as I had been crouched down for most that time under the half closed blinds to James' office. Instead I was able to move quickly away from the wall and down the hall far enough away behind a bush in a planter to not be seen by either, at least that was what I hoped anyway. However, I got the strangest suspicion at least one of them might have, Aaron most likely, but he said or suggested nothing body wise to assume he had. If he did, he was hoping I'd follow him and James to where they were going. In this case it was to the elevator and up. That was not good.
Especially depending on how far up they were looking to go. My gut was telling me it was going to be to that one floor I had visited before. I had to wait, I couldn't just get into the same elevator as him without arousing suspicions. Either way I would follow up just in case, but if things were okay I'd leave and get back to my station and not say a word about it. If however, he was going up to the one floor like I thought he was, I was definitely not going to let Aaron be hurt.
I watched the numbers go up and eventually they did reach that floor. My heart sank and my face went pale. The second I could follow, I did. I grabbed the next elevator going up. It was time for mission rescue Aaron. Licking my lips nervously I watched as the numbers rose in red on the wall. Five….seven….ten….all the way to the floor they stopped at. It wasn't until the elevator dinged and opened that I realized I had been scrunching at the edge of my shirt with my hands, leaving my clothing looking a bit frumpy from wrinkles caused by the contorting of the fabric.
Stiffly I stepped out of the lift and began to walk down the hall. Again I was as alone as I had been before the first time I was up there. This was crazy. All of it. Aaron was nowhere to be found. Then I heard some talking, heated it sounded like at this point, and then a shout of "No!" before it caused my feet to do the one thing I didn't think it possibly could…run. I ran. Ran all the way down the hall to where I had gone the first time. There had been something in there! Just like there was something this time.
The moment I got to the doors I completely yanked them open with a force I didn't think I was actually capable of. Frantically my eyes surfed the room looking for the source of the shouting. My eyes looked on a corner of the room where I noticed both James and Aaron standing. Aaron's arm was grabbed by James. He seemed like he had been in the middle of something with Aaron when I had barged in.
"Who are you?" he asked as if he had never met me before.
"I'm Alex, party, remember?" I stated almost sourly as I stared at him and Aaron both.
"Alex!" he exclaimed as if he just now remembered a small sick smile crossed his face. "Oh right! Yeah, they quiet one Aaron spoke of. What are you doing up here, this is a private meeting."
"Yea, I can see that." I stated unconvinced.
"It's not what you think." James stated.
"Oh? And how is it?" I asked.
"We were just about to actually leave." James stated trying to throw me off. That part probably wasn't far from the truth actually. "I was showing him plans for something we're planning on putting together for our department."
"Uh huh." I nodded playing along. There was nothing out though. No models, no T.V.'s, no boards or anything else. So that meant they were really going to leave, leave. To where I didn't know. Also how, I didn't know, but I was certain it wasn't going to be out the window or any other earthly conventional method. "Looks like to me your lying. And do you know what I hate most?"
"What?" James scoffed.
"Liars." I stated sourly and crossed my arms. Aaron looked at me, horror clearly in his eyes. He had been trying to say something but clearly words had been failing him, but somehow he managed to get something out eventually.
"Alex, just don't." he stated weakly, trying to sound as unperturbed as possible. "Just go, I got this. It'll be okay. I promise. Just leave."
"Aaron here is right, this was and is as I said a private discussion and you are clearly breaking company rules. If you don't get back to work I could make sure you are fired." James stated strongly.
"Aaron?" I protested.
"Go…." Aaron stated coldly, his eyes growing hard at me and then turning away.
"But we…our deal…" I still tried to stall.
"I said no Alex!" he actually shouted at me and it took me aback a bit as he did. Clearly something was very wrong.
"You heard himlittle girl." James stated with more a sneer now, a smile crossed his face, one that wasn't appeasing. "It's time to go!"
With that I was….pulled….pushed…..yanked….hell I couldn't have told at that point which, backwards out of the conference room. However, as my eyes went wide from the horror of being tugged by nothing out the doors, I saw something that would make any sane person second guess. I saw James' face go from a human sneer of a smile, to that of a very long craggily, very sharply toothed jagged looking grin of hunger on what seemed like a mirror skinned like face, its eyes dark as black holes before it shifted back to human just as the doors fully closed.
I landed on my butt of course just outside the doors, my heart beat frantic. Quickly I jumped up though for Aaron's sake and tried to re yank the doors open. They wouldn't budge at all. Tears starting to roll down my face as I banged against the door and shouted Aaron's name. I then heard a sound and saw a light under the door frame. It made me back away from the door just in case. A few moments later I tried the doors again just after the light vanished. This time the doors were able to open, but there was no sign of Aaron or James or even any sign they had ever been there.
A lump in my throat sank and got stuck somewhere in my chest. He was gone! They both were. What was worse, was my initial suspicions, the ones I didn't want to believe to be true were. Aliens were real. They really did exist….and they just took the one thing in my life that I felt was just starting to go right! John had been right all along. I did believe! I just didn't want to admit that I did. It was so hard to swallow that fact now.
I felt so stupid in some cases. Yet there wasn't time to sit on that fact. Aaron was gone and there was no way for me to get him back. I had to do something though, I had to try. I'd call the police that was it! I'd go back downstairs and I'd call 911. As soon as my feet allowed me to, I bolted out the conference doors, down the hall, and to the elevator. Frantically I pushed the button until the elevator came up. Just in case I ducted out of the way of the doors in case someone had been informed I had followed. When no one exited, I entered the lift and pushed the button for the first floor.
The moment I got down there though I noted that I was already in trouble. Coming towards me was Jaiden, hot and heavy in walk. I pressed the close button repeatedly. Finally the door closed though, just before Jaiden could reach me. I could hear him curse as the lift rose back up. I had to find a secondary way out of the building via one of the stairwells.
Getting off on the next floor I ran down its more open floored hall, there were people on this floor, but none seemed to be paying much attention to me at this point. It wasn't until I ran by them that some seemed to look up and maybe a few followed. I wasn't looking back to find out though. There was no time. I dashed my way to the stairwell at the other end of the floor, wretched the door open, and let it slam behind me as I swiftly and safely as possible scurried down the stairs themselves. Luckily when I got to the first floor again and reached its door I wasn't greeted by anyone. Slipping out, I entered into the main lobby with a strong, but hopefully still casual walk.
I had to get my things. It wasn't like they'd expect me to go right back to my desk, not after that. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I went to my desk and began to grab my stuff. I ended up dropping surprisingly the one thing that reminded me of the earlier encounter with John I had almost forgot, the key! Having kept it on me, it had become a solemn reminder to myself. It made me remember the words John said to me.
Seriously, what do you believe? Ask yourself that one question. If you must you can ask what you believe in….when you're ready….You'll know where to find me.
Actually I didn't know where to find him. It wasn't like he had given me a roadmap to where he was staying. Or where he would even be at this time of day. Yea, really brilliant. I didn't have time to second guess the sign I was given though. All I could do was leave. My exit of course was very much prompted by the fact Sansa had come over to my cubical and had spooked me by grabbing ahold of my arm.
Already on guard, I pulled away hard, knowing good and well that Sansa was not herself at all. She gave me at first a curious look, her eyes blank, and then her eyes grew hard at me and I knew then I had to dodge out of the way and get the hell out of there. Slipping swiftly by her, her hand grazing my shoulder as I ducted out of the way, I hauled butt back to the lobby, Sansa trailing me calmly. It was almost unnerving how calm she seemed coming after me. Yet now she wasn't the only one though, there were others like the guards, and Jaiden was back. It was like some bad nightmare as I clutched the key hard into my hand out of hope of comfort from its cool surface. My stuff was pressed against my chest as I made my way for the front doors. If they were as good as James, they could easily lock me in. I was not going to go down without a fight.
All I could hope for now was to escape, and find John. Hopefully he'd keep his end of the bargain and be there when I actually needed him. He said he would be if I believed. Well by the gods that be, I sure as hell believed in something now! I believed I was going to die! That or be at least turned into one of, well whatever those monstrosities were.
As I reached the doors I tried to choose one that didn't revolve around. The first one was unable to open, then the second. I wouldn't get out of there I knew if I tried going to the other doors on the other side of the revolving one. I was going to have to try and force my way through the revolve doors and pray I had the strength to move them if they started to stop. Grabbing ahold of the bar I pushed with all my might on the door as it still revolved at first. I found it progressively harder to push though as I got closer to the exit point of this carousel ride. Squinting my eyes shut I prayed in my head as I pressed as hard as I could against the door, hoping against all odds I'd get free of the glass cage I could find myself stuck in.
Eventually as if by some miracle, I finally felt fresh air against my skin. Freedom, cool to the touch, never felt so great as it did now. I felt horrid I had to leave Aaron with…well….with whatever those things were, but I had no choice. My eyes shot open and I only glanced back once regrettably so since what I thought I saw was that same silvery skinned thing that was upstairs, even as only a slight glimpse, but multiplied. It didn't take me long to get my brain to register what my body should be doing next, and I went back to doing the only thing that I could do, running. Running for my dear forsaken life, and praying to whatever omnipresence out there that they'd take mercy on me. Tears once again began to streak down my face, blurring my vision as I moved along down the street.
My pack was finally slung over my shoulder hastily. I gripped the key tightly in my hand, its cool metallic surface no longer cold to the touch, but warm and strangely enough pulsating. At first I thought it was just my veins pulsing too hard, as I stopped momentarily to gauge my bearings, but when I opened up my hand to look at the thing, it was actually lightly pulsing, not just in vibration, but slightly with a small essence of light. It weirded me out and clasped my hand close once more. There wasn't time to reason why the key was doing that. John would explain things, I was sure of it. If I could find him. So where was he? My mind raced trying to think of all the places he could be. One being the coffee shop of course, but where else? I had mentioned the wharf and the market place, but why would he be down there? Then again did anything really make sense with that strange man? Either way, that strange man was the key…yes I know irony….to my problem. I hadn't called the police, I mean I could still, but my mind already knew the answer to that and was probably why I hadn't yet. What would they do aside from think me as crazy? No, John was the answer, and by hell bent or heaven sent I was going to find that man!