Chapter Eighty-Eight; Friends & Enemies
(Stephanie's POV)
"What the hell are you doing here?!" In her shock and sudden anger Stephanie found her fear had evaporated.
Fas smiled and shrugged apologetically.
"You got my note?" he asked a little pointlessly.
Stephanie arched an incredulous brow as she looked at him furiously.
Fas balked slightly, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
But Stephanie was already moving as she lunged for the car door, scrabbling at the handle.
"Let me out! Where the hell are we going?!" Stephanie demanded, livid.
"Hold on! Hold on! I have information you may be interested to hear," Fas said, a knowing gleam in his beady eyes only reflected by his thick-rimmed glasses.
Stephanie paused for a considerable moment, before she grudgingly leaned back into her seat as the car rolled on smoothly.
"What?" Stephanie growled.
Fas looked a little disappointed.
"Are you following me? How did you know I was here?" Stephanie demanded angrily.
At this a devious grin spread across Fas' face as he licked his lips hungrily, leaning forward confidentially.
Stephanie felt her stomach give a nervous flip, but she pushed it aside, concentrating on keeping her expression one devoid of all fear as Fas answered her.
"I followed a little blue-eyed lovebird."
Stephanie's expression immediately fell as her mouth dropped open in complete shock.
There was only one person Fas could be talking about Stephanie realised with a cold, sinking feeling.
Seneca.
Stephanie's thoughts were racing in a hundred different directions and Stephanie realised that she didn't have all the information to make sense of it.
She couldn't piece together the puzzle when she didn't have all the pieces.
But looking across at the man sat facing her, Stephanie suspected that he might just have the information she was looking for.
Stephanie with immense difficulty controlled her raging emotions and thoughts, and schooled her expression to one of forced neutrality.
Fas' expression alone though told her he knew exactly what effect his little bombshell had had on her.
"Yes, I have been following him for a while now," Fas continued on blithely.
Stephanie inhaled sharply. "Why?"
Suddenly Fas surprised her as his face became entirely sombre and he slipped the thick-framed glasses from his face.
He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly in front of him as he looked at Stephanie intensely.
"Ficen's orders," Fas told her seriously.
Stephanie nodded slowly; that made…sense?
Stephanie considered her next words carefully before she decided she would never get another opportunity. "Does Ficen hold something over you?"
Fas chuckled darkly, there was no mirth in his laughter, his watery blue eyes hardening.
Stephanie had her answer: Of course Ficen held something over him.
So Stephanie held one answer – Ficen had blackmailed Fas into…
More questions assaulted Stephanie then and she took deep breaths as she ordered them.
"What were the pictures for?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Then what have you brought me here for? Why would you tell me you were following…following Seneca?"
Fas smiled at her for a few moments more until Stephanie began to fear that perhaps she had made a mistake, but then Fas shrugged.
"I hadn't planned to tell you anything until…I – overheard your little conversation with Mr Crane," Fas told her with a wry smile; his tone implying quite clearly that he hadn't accidentally overheard anything. Fas had been deliberately spying on them. The question was, why? At who's orders – Ficen?
And what exactly did Ficen now hold over Fas?
Why was Fas suddenly so willing to speak out?
What…Stephanie closed her eyes for a brief moment, halting the never-ending train of questions that had begun to tear its relentless track through her skull again.
When Stephanie opened her eyes, Fas was smirking at her knowingly.
"One question at a time?" he teased, his eyes holding a hidden gleam.
Stephanie glared darkly at him but acquiesced.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Fas' countenance darkened. "Ficen lied to me."
"Lied to you – how?"
"She had convinced me that Mr Crane and she were in a relationship with one another and that Mr Crane was desperately in love with her," Fas paused with a dry smirk as Stephanie waited eagerly for him to continue.
"I believed Ficen to start with. As you know I report gossip – hidden relationships that sort of thing. Well, I had reported a few stories last year on Ficen and Mr Crane – and Ficen's story seemed to fit…"
Stephanie suddenly cut across him impatiently. "I don't understand what this has to do with anything," she told him crossly.
Fas smiled at her patronisingly. "I believed Seneca was in love with Ficen like she had said, as a result Ficen assured me that she could convince Seneca to…help me."
Stephanie stared at Fas dumbfounded.
"Help you with what?" Stephanie asked.
To Stephanie's utter shock and confusion a haunted look passed over Fas' face that made him instantly look older, more tired and exhausted.
Fas sighed deeply before answering, "Seneca is Head Gamemaker – It's his games, his arena."
"You wanted arena secrets? But…I thought you were a – sleaze reporter – affairs, cheats; that sort of thing?" Stephanie queried confused.
Fas chuckled again, that same bitter, hollow sound, his eyes suddenly laden with a heavy sadness.
"They weren't to publish," he confessed quietly.
Stephanie's thoughts whirred away trying to make sense but Fas went on to speak again, interrupting her.
"The pictures of you with Dess were to be published," Fas told her.
Stephanie couldn't contain the shudder of disgust that went through her body or the fear that suddenly overcame her for a moment at the mention of Dess' name.
"Ficen wanted pictures of you and Dess to publish in my sleaze magazine – to showcase that Dess was this 'Capitol lover' of yours," Fas continued.
Stephanie arched a quizzical brow, opening her mouth to speak, but Fas cut across her yet again.
"The way Ficen pitched it to me was this; Mr Crane had an unfortunate incident with you and Ficen was worried in this man-hunt Flickerman started up for your 'Capitol Lover', that Mr Crane's name might come up. She said she was acting with Mr Crane's best interests at heart and with his consent," Fas said with a twisted smirk.
"But now…" Stephanie began slowly.
"My suspicions were first peaked back at The Chandelier Rooms to be honest – while you were out cold, I overheard Ficen and Dess talking about how they didn't want him to notice you slipping away from the festivities."
Stephanie gave him a suspicious glance waiting for him to elaborate.
"If Ficen really had Mr Crane's consent as she had said to get these pictures of you with Dess, why was she so desperate to make sure Mr Crane hadn't noticed your absence at that disastrous party?" Fas said meaningfully.
Stephanie nodded. His words made sense she conceded.
"So I have been following Mr Crane ever since. As I suspected something more was happening than the story Ficen had spun me, of her and Mr Crane being hopelessly in love," Fas spoke, even adding an eye roll as he recounted Ficen's words that he now knew to be irrefutably false.
Fas looked at Stephanie for a moment studying her expression.
Stephanie while pieces of the puzzle were beginning to slot into place, many pieces were still missing for Stephanie to form the whole picture.
Fas deduced this from her still confused expression with one look.
He leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him as he pinned Stephanie down with his keen look, surprisingly focused despite his lack of glasses.
"Ficen told me that Mr Crane was in love with her and could get him to help me if I helped her. In short if I took a few pictures of you with Dess and published them in my magazine, hence dispelling any suspicion towards Mr Crane over this 'Capitol Lover' spiel, she would get the arena secrets I needed from Mr Crane." Fas paused as comprehension sunk in for Stephanie.
Finally Fas sighed defeated as he leaned back in his chair once more.
"Now I know that Ficen was lying. She can't help me. Mr Crane doesn't give a damn about Ficen." Fas paused as he looked up towards Stephanie and Stephanie gulped audibly as she realised what Fas was going to say next.
"Mr Crane loves you," Fas remarked quietly.
A sudden feeling of dreaded understanding filtered through to Stephanie.
"I won't help you," Stephanie told Fas quietly but firmly.
Fas chuckled bitterly. "I wouldn't expect you to," Fas told her honestly. A haunted look came over his eyes again, his next words so laden with genuine sadness that it caused Stephanie to do a double-take.
"Don't think so harshly of me dear, even I have ones I would do all in my power to keep safe," Fas told her.
Stephanie felt her heart twinge in sympathy for a moment as she considered the genuinely pained expression on Fas' face.
Wasn't that what had brought her outside to the car in the first place?
Go down to the car – now. It is a matter of life & death, especially concerning one you love dearly.
She knew only too well what Fas spoke of, as her thoughts returned to the note that found her in the car she was in currently.
"What did you mean that it was a matter of life and death concerning one I loved dearly?" Stephanie asked seriously.
Fas' expression was grim as he nodded slipping the thick-framed glasses back on.
"The Capitol is like a pack of animals. They are powerful, they work together to destroy their enemies but…within they are corrupt, vicious – they tear each other apart from the inside out."
"What do you mean?" Stephanie breathed, feeling the cold shiver of fear race up her spine.
"You fear the Capitol…"
Stephanie cut across Fas with an incredulous scoff before adding in a bitter tone, "Of course I do."
Fas gave her a small understanding smile. "Yes but there are…many different factions of the Capitol to fear," Fas confided with a bitter twist of his lips, before he leaned back to survey what effect his latest information had on Stephanie.
Stephanie paled for a moment as she swallowed nervously, her trembling golden gaze flitting over to him.
"Whether you planned to or not you have made many bitter enemies Stephanie Trindlesworth, and as a result all who are close to you – all your loved ones are endangered as a result," Fas warned her, his voice low and hushed as he gazed at Stephanie intently.
Stephanie felt her heart beat rapidly, her pulse skittering under her taunt skin.
"Are you one of my enemies?" Stephanie asked fearfully, her eyes wide.
Fas smiled sadly as he looked to her for a moment before he answered. "No Stephanie. I am not your enemy."
Stephanie breathed an audible sigh of relief.
"But I cannot be your friend either," Fas told her sadly.
Stephanie looked to him curiously, silently questioning.
"We have conflicting interests," Fas explained vaguely, but he said no more despite Stephanie's furrowed brow.
"However you can rest assured I will not publish the pictures of you and Dess," Fas reassured her. "That much I feel I owe you after I sat back and let…" Fas' voice trailed off as he gave Stephanie a genuinely sympathetic and apologetic look, and Stephanie shuddered at the memory of what had occurred in The Chandelier Rooms.
Stephanie breathed to steady her hammering pulse before she asked, "And my enemies?"
"You know Ficen hates you?" Fas told her with a slight smirk.
Stephanie found herself returning the smirk as she nodded in confirmation.
"Rest assured though Ficen acts alone and as such her means are limited," Fas told her.
Stephanie managed a slight smile as Fas inhaled deeply before he spoke again, his words sending a shiver down Stephanie's spine.
"But believe me Stephanie, Ficen is the least of your worries."
The car slowed to a stop and looking out Stephanie realised that they were back at Sterlin's apartment block.
She glanced at Fas curiously. "And what of Sterlin; friend or enemy?"
"Neither," Fas answered immediately. "He will do just about anything for money – ultimately he can't be trusted, for he can easily be bought over for a higher price."
Stephanie nodded as the car door clicked open automatically.
"I truly wish you luck Stephanie Trindlesworth," Fas told her sincerely as he reached out to grasp her hand for a brief moment.
Stephanie gave him a fleeting, small smile as she slipped her hand from his. Despite the graveness of Fas' words, a lightness had lifted her heart.
Someone she had thought had been an enemy had become a friend. Well, maybe not a friend by Fas' own admission.
Conflicting interests?
Stephanie shook her head to dislodge the thought as she stepped out from the car onto the pavement.
The car door shut with a quiet thud after her before it silently pulled away.
Stephanie looked up towards the apartment for a moment before she hurried through the door towards the stairs.