2:15 PM
The sound of screeching tires caused Anya's head to snap up just in time to see a car come to an abrupt stop in front of the nail salon. Two brawny men in black suits stepped out, giants by the height of them and even though their eyes were hidden behind dark shades, she could tell they were surveying the area. Agent spies! She thought excitedly. Ever since being adopted, her life had been just as if she stepped into an episode of Spy Wars. She glanced over to her friend Becky who seemed completely unmoved by the commotion going on just outside. She was giving instructions to her nail attendant going on about wanting a French tip. Whatever that meant.
Anya nodded as her own manicurist suggested a color before quickly turning her attention back to the men. She had lost all interest in getting her nails done, this was definitely more intriguing. What were agents doing out here in the shopping promenade? She continued to observe curiously as one man stood at the hood of the car, hands clasped in front of him, while the other made his way to the car's back door and opened it. Out stepped a beautiful woman, like a princess, only this one wore black…and a lot of it. A large black round hat covered most of her face, but what peaked from below were long tussles of reddish hair that curled at the ends. Her dress was elegant, black…long at the sides but shorter at the mid revealing what would be long slender legs were they not covered in stockings…black again of course. The woman glanced up at the salon's signage and motioned for the two men to wait outside before making her way inside.
Now…where is—ah, there she is. Deep blue eyes behind a pair of thin circular eyeglasses, suddenly met hers and Anya felt a nervous shiver run through her body. Even though the mysterious woman was smiling, her eyes painted a different emotion. They were intense. Daunting, and as blue as the deepest parts of the ocean, depressing and cool. Anya glanced around her apprehensively. Surely this woman wasn't looking for her?
"Anya Forger?"
Poop on a stick. She is looking for me. Anya gulped and nodded slowly.
The woman flashed a half smile before bending down so that she was nearly eye-level. A soft hand gently fell atop Anya's knee as she thought carefully about her next choice of words. Break it to the girl easy, we don't need to cause a scene.
"Hi sweetie, my name is Sylvia, I'm a friend of your father's. I'm afraid I have some bad news." That's it. Ease into it without giving away too many details. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with us for the time being and I'll explain everything on the way okay sweetie?
"Excuse me, hi. I'm in charge of Miss Anya for the time being. Is there something I can help you with Mrs.?—"
Sylvia looked up behind slanted glasses to see Martha standing above her, cautious and suspicious. The red head, gave another pat to Anya's knee before getting up, standing to her full height she was a good head taller than the older woman.
"It's Miss, no husband unfortunately. Can we er—can I have a word with you? In private?"
The two women stepped to one side of the nail salon just out of earshot. Anya couldn't read lips but she could hear the thoughts going through Martha's mind and immediately felt a sickening feeling in her gut.
Anya's eyes began to water and her hands began to tremble. No. It can't be…
The manicurist stopped to look up at her. "Is everything okay mademoiselle?"
Anya didn't know how to respond. She just sat there in the chair, still to the bone. Warm tears falling down her cheeks. She didn't want to hear anything of what these two were thinking.
The poor girl…she already lost one mother and now to lose another in a car accident? Oh, Miss Anya will be so heartbroken.
Mission is over. The family has been targeted and Twilight's cover exposed. We'll have to scrap the project and start over. Damn it all, we were so close!
Another tear rolled down her cheek as the red headed woman slowly made her way back to her. Her eyes appeared to be gentler now Anya noticed, as the woman bent down to her level once more. "You heard some of that then?"
Anya thought to nod but couldn't move, she was numb all over. What did Martha mean by car accident? What happened to Mama? No, this couldn't be happening. Not today. She felt a bit of control over her body return and she flashed her biggest smile through teary eyes.
"Today's my birthday you know. Mama and Papa promised me a party with a really big cake!" She spread her arms as wide as she could, to show off the size of her promised sweets. "And lots of presents! They promised lots of gifts for Anya!" She was shouting. She didn't mean to be, but it was the only way to hide the cracking pain in her voice. "Everyone important is gonna be there! My bestest friends and my family!"
Sylvia's smile deepened but it was anything but happy. Anya continued as another tear ran down her face, completely ignoring all the eyes that were now on her. "And my best friend! She's over there. She got us the whole museum for today! We're gonna go see the dinorawrs! All of them!"
The poor girl. This mission was always going to come to an end but I wish it didn't have to end like this. We'll have to get going soon. It won't be safe here. Who knows if they'll be after her too. Anya raised her head weakly. "Where is Papa? When can I see him?"
The woman chuckled nervously and flashed a strained smile, "Your Papa? Oh. We're going to take you to see him right away. Come now, we don't want to keep him waiting do we?" I'm sorry sweetie, but you won't be seeing Twilight ever again. It's straight to Saint Anne's Orphanage for you I'm afraid.
Everything suddenly seemed to be moving in slow motion. The woman's words, the people around her, even Becky who was at this moment trying to make her way over to her. Everything had turned into a slow blur and nothing was making any sense. Her tears were flowing even hotter now as she thought about earlier in the morning, how she was in such a rush to meet Becky downstairs that she didn't even hug her Mama goodbye and Papa had snuck off to work before she even had the chance to wake up.
And now…she would never have the chance to say goodbye to either of them.
Anya felt the warm embrace of her friend's arms around her but she didn't feel any comfort from them. Unknowing to Becky this wasn't just a sympathetic hug…no, this was goodbye. She would never be seeing her friend ever again. The mission was over which meant her time at Eden Academy was over. No more Becky, no more Damian and his goons. No more studying or Housemaster. No more Mama, no more Papa…no more…family.
Anya finally met Becky's embrace with one even tighter. She wasn't going to burden her friend with a goodbye. Maybe one day when this was long past, she'd be able to see her again. Pulling back, she held Becky's hands in her own and stared at her longingly. "Thank you. You're the bestest friend a girl could ever wish for. I'll cherish this forever."
"What?" Becky waved a hand and chided her, "There's no reason to thank me silly. Just let me know if you need anything okay? I'll stop by soon to check up on you." Anya gave a slight nod even though she knew there would be no visit. Unable to resist, she flung her body towards Becky and hugged as hard as she could. There would be at least one person she got to say a proper goodbye to.
Anya felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see those depressing blue eyes staring down at her again hiding behind a forced smile. "Come now. It's time to go." With another squeeze of a hug, she slowly backed away from Becky, and followed the woman back to the car.
Happy Birthday to me…
3:02PM
Loid couldn't believe his untimely luck. While this job was used as his cover, it didn't mean that he never had to do any actual work. WISE did a decent job of shuffling most of his workload to other very real psychiatrists in the hospital, but for all intent and purposes, Loid did have to actually see some patients to keep up appearances every now and then. Unfortunately for him today, he seemed to be working overtime.
His last patient of the day, Rodney, was a troubled man who kept claiming to hear voices telling him to do things he didn't want to. He told a tale of being abducted while on a smoke break from work, tossed into a van and from there he doesn't remember. Just that he hears voices commanding him, and it's as if he no longer has any control over his own body. Loid had listened to the man for about an hour, writing every detail down when suddenly, the man was overcome with a violent outburst! Screaming obscenities and a string of phrases that didn't make sense, tossing nearby books from the shelves, yelling, jumping on the chairs. What triggered the tantrum to begin with Loid had no idea. One minute the man was seemingly normal and mild mannered, and the next, he was a risk to everyone around him. Hospital security came barreling in, at the sound of Loid yelling for someone to hurry and get a sedative to get the man under control. Of course though, that little outburst had led to another hour of standard paperwork Loid was legally required to fill out when dealing with a patient of a violent nature.
Reaching for the phone on his desk he tried again to get in touch with Franky. No answer. Where is that goof? He had been trying to get in touch with him and Yor, to let them know how behind he was. He had even tried calling the event space at the museum, but the woman on duty said nobody had shown up yet.
Odd. The celebration was supposed to have already started…where is everyone? He capped the cover of his pen and placed the stack of papers in a large manila envelope. There. Finally finished. All he needed to do was drop this down at the administration office and he would be on his way to the museum. Grabbing his bag he stood up from the chair, the sound of the front door creaked open, but he didn't bother looking up, "No more patients, I'm overdue for my—" When he did finally glance up he was surprised to see Sylvia standing at the head of the room. While wearing black was nothing new, today the color seemed to bring a depressing air around her. Quietly she shut the door behind her.
"Handler? What are you—is everything alright? Does this have anything to do with why I can't get in contact with anyone? Yor, Anya? Has something happened?"
She shushed him with her hands and motioned for him to sit down. He didn't. She flashed him an exhausted look, "Please. Sit Twilight."
Sylvia went on to describe the events that had occurred within the last couple of hours. Starting with Yor's abduction by the SSS, and her personally overseeing that Anya was safe, and handed off to agents who were at this very moment driving her to Saint Anne's orphanage. As she continued, he was glad he took her up on her offer to sit. He wasn't sure if his legs were strong enough to hold himself up.
"She won't go hungry there, or cold. It's a reputable orphanage Twilight. She will be in good hands I promise you. I figured that would be something you would have requested upon the conclusion of the mission." Loid felt a piercing pain shoot through his heart. Of course he always knew this arrangement wouldn't be permanent, but something about sending the girl back as if she were nothing but a rented doll seemed even more cruel than he originally thought back when the mission began.
"And Yor? What would the SSS want with her?"
"From what we were able to tap from the security footage before they were wiped clean…they think Yor is Twilight."
Loid laughed in disbelief. "Me?" He shook his head repeatedly, "Why would they think she's me unless…"
"Precisely. Your cover is blown. Someone knew exactly where you were going to be and tipped off the SSS. Which is why we're scratching the entire operation. Agents have already been dispatched to the apartment to clear everything away. Franky has been told to stay low and go into hiding. Martha, the older woman supervising the children this afternoon has already made calls to the guests, including Desmond about the unfortunate turn of events which means, I'm afraid, that Operation Strix is over." Sylvia huffed and took a deep breath before walking forward, tossing a file on his desk.
"What is this?" Loid hesitantly picked up the folder. Opening it he shook his head, "No. Handler this is—"
"Yes, these are your release papers from the mission. Your next assignment will be to lay low until this all settles. You will be going undercover with Fiona as tourists visiting the Westalis countryside. You are to get as far as—"
"Handler, with all due respect, we can't leave Yor in the hands of the SSS…"
Sylvia shrugged unconcerned by his statement, "Why not? She is a civilian. She has nothing to hide. Besides, her brother Yuri will be quick to exonerate her release once they've fully interrogated her. Obviously, they will be hunting Loid Forger next, which is why you need to get the hell out of dodge."
"I'm not leaving her Sylvia."
The woman's eyes narrowed, all sympathy had left her eyes and in them burned an icy rage. "Once more, you are to address me as Handler, agent. Or must I remind you how much was riding on this mission? Millions of citizens might very well become casualties because of your failure. Somewhere along the way you slipped, I don't know when, I don't know where, but somehow, you let your enemies know your secret identity and it not only cost us the mission but could very well mean losing Desmond all together." He felt her rage easily even though she barely raised her voice. Her tone was calm, but it was anything but. He watched her make her way forward until she was at the edge of his desk, placing both palms on the flat wooden surface she leaned over, her stare never leaving his own.
"You will do as I say or so help me, I will shoot you right where you stand. You can either leave here walking of your own accord or you can go undercover as a patient in some faraway hospital. Your choice. You are too much of a liability were you to be captured by the enemy now. Do not let whatever emotions you think you have for this girl cloud your judgement. Once they realize they have the wrong person in custody they will release her. Do you understand me Twilight?"
Loid didn't answer but instead only nodded, a grim expression of defeat on his face. He had known Sylvia for well past a decade and while she kept a calm demeanor most of the time, she became ruthless whenever the moment called for it. Her nickname wasn't "Fullmetal" for nothing and he was wise enough not to call her bluff. She would shoot him, no doubt about that.
He sighed inwardly. She was right about Yor of course. She would be released because she had nothing to hide. She would tell them that he was supposed to be at the bakery and then the hunt for Loid Forger would begin. Although, try as they might, they would find nothing except dead ends. Yor would return to an empty house, only to have the truth hit her square in the face that she had been lied to by him for months. That Loid Forger did not exist. Anya Forger did not exist. He almost wished that he could walk into the SSS building himself and explain everything before he left forever.
Two more sharp pains shook through his entire body, and he felt sick, nauseous even. This was not how he expected this to end. None of this even made sense. Who would know his true identity? How would they know? He had been so careful to make sure he was never tailed or followed. He constantly made sure that the phone lines were never tapped. Even when Yuri had come over on occasion, he would always sweep the house to make sure there were no bugs or listening devices left. So how? What was he missing? The sound of his name being called snapped him out of his thoughts and he found himself just inches away from Sylvia's intense stare.
"You're to meet Fiona at 0800 hours tomorrow. I suggest you get a move on, the drive is a long one out of the country."
"And the apartment?"
Sylvia straightened, arms folded firmly across her bosom and nodded. "Agents should be just about done clearing things up. Everything you'll need will be provided upon arrival with Fiona. I'm not sure when we'll be able to take a crack at Desmond again and until we figure out how your cover was blown, I suggest you stay out of the spotlight." She turned her head quickly but not fast enough to keep Loid from seeing the single tear that fell down her cheek.
He more than most knew what this war between the two countries cost Sylvia. The tear that fell from her face was not that of sadness, but of frustration. To come so close to taking in the man who may very well be plotting a disastrous war against Westalis…to have had the chance to end that, and possibly gain the much-needed closure she desperately wanted. Loid balled his fist. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Her voice was soft, pensive. "Perhaps this mission was simply too much responsibility to place on anyone's shoulders, even yours. Now go, a car is parked out front, and I expect to hear from you by the morning."
Loid gathered up his things and made his way toward the front of the room, standing in the doorway he turned to glance back at the woman behind him. Sylvia was by the window, staring off distantly, lost in her own thoughts. So much of what Loid had become was due largely because of her. She was his commanding officer back when he joined the agency, she had trained him early on and even in the early battles of war she always had his back. She was an intimidating woman to be sure, but she wasn't always. Before all that, she was a devoted mother, and a loving wife.
Loid closed the door quietly behind him, knowing full well how much the failure of this mission was hurting her. I'm sorry Sylvia to disappoint you once again, but I…have unfinished business here.
With that final thought in mind, Loid made haste and headed straight to the garage, running past what was clearly one of WISE's cars and instead ran towards a section of the garage that was caught in the blindspots of any security cameras. Loid always scoped out his locations, even if it was one of WISE's, just in case a situation such as this ever arose. Sylvia might have taught him the basics, but he didn't become the infamous Twilight just on her lessons alone.
He finally came to a stop at a parked vehicle, clear from any cameras and smashed in the window with his elbow. He looked around to make sure that nobody heard him and he reached in, careful to avoid any of the broken glass, opening the door from the inside. Taking his suit jacket off he folded it and placed it onto the seat so that he wouldn't sit on any of the shards from the window. Leaning just under the steering wheel he found the two cables he was searching for and cut them in half with his pocket knife. Gently tapping the ends together, until he heard the sound of the engine come alive.
"Nothing to it." Without another minute longer Loid pressed firmly on the gas pedal. WISE might be done with Ostania for the time being, but he had no intention of leaving just yet.
Yor gave her wrist another flick, the sound of the handcuff clinking against the circular hook it was connected to at the top of the table. Leaning forward she yelled at the door, "Hey! Anybody! This is a mistake!"
Damn it! What the hell was going on? Yor pounded a fist with her free hand hard against the desk. They had no right to keep her locked up like this without any information as to why! All she knew was that they had called her Twilight. A name she never in her life has ever heard of! So, if the SSS had simply made a wrongful arrest due to mistaken identity, then she was probably still in the clear of being found out as an assassin.
She placed her head on the steel desk, welcoming the coolness of it against her warm cheek. She was angry, frustrated. And she desperately wanted out of this cage. An image of Anya crying and disappointed as she walked into an empty room void of decorations, no cake, and worse, no mother, made Yor's heart sink to her feet. She couldn't bear to think about it, the rage continued to build, and she shot to her feet then, ignoring the searing pain as the cuffs tore into her skin.
"Hey! If nobody let's me out of here, I'm going to smash my way out of here! A little girl is depending on me AND I NEED TO BE THERE!" Yor screamed the last part with all the rage she had inside of her. Gripping the steel desk she began to shake at it. The legs of it were tightly secured to the ground but she continued at it forcefully, and she felt the legs beneath it starting to give way, almost…nearly there…
Suddenly the door was thrust open and a man she very well recognized came barging in, tears forming in his eyes as their gazes locked. "Yor!"
"Yu—Yuri?!" Yor stared up at her younger brother almost as if she had never seen him before. The man in front of her had the same gentle face as her brother, the same uneven bangs, and the same red eyes that matched her own and yet…he was wearing… "You work for the State Security? But…when? How?"
Rushing around the desk to Yor, Yuri ignored all of her questions and fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist and burrowed his face against the lower part of her stomach apologizing profusely.
"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He continued to rub his face into her body, and Yor's cheeks blushed with embarrassment. She ran a reassuring hand through his hair and after a few moments she helped Yuri to his feet. Despite his uniform, she was glad to see his familiar face.
Suddenly his gaze fell to the side of her face, and his eye began to twitch involuntarily. He brought his hand up to gently cup Yor's cheek. His thumb softly tracing the bruise that was beginning to form and his eyes flashed from worry to anger to…violent. Yor didn't even recognize her own brother in that moment. The sweet boy she had always taken care of, in that moment held the same cold gaze she would often see in the eyes of the most brutal killers.
Her brother's voice was low. "Who did this?"
Yor shook her head, "I—I'm not sure. I never caught his name."
"What did he look like?" His fingers along her cheek were gentle, but his voice was hoarse, and she could feel the anger he was trying to keep at bay. Yor looked down. Something in her brother's own eyes jarred her. She wasn't used to seeing him like this. "Yor…" Her brother insisted. "What did the man look like?"
She looked up to meet his eyes then, "He had a horrible scar on his face…and—"
Without another word Yuri turned on his heel and exited the room so quickly he didn't bother shutting the door behind him. Yor listened to the sound of her brother's footsteps march down the hall, and then a thunderous crash of a door being kicked in, smashing against a wall.
"WHAT THE DEVIL?" She heard a man yell and then nothing but the sound of fists beating flesh so fiercely that she could hear every hit as if the fight were taking place right next to her. Yor listened in shock as she heard the man desperately beg for Yuri to stop, his pleas becoming more muffled with every punch her brother pounded into him with only the harsh thuds of her brother's fist connecting with flesh and bone to be heard.
Soon, all she could hear were the soft gargles of what she imagined to be a bloodied man unable to speak. Torture and pain were never her style, she tried to make her kills as quick and to the point, wishing to grant her victim's mercy before death. Her brother apparently, did not share the same ideals. He had no intention of letting this man get off easy.
Yor continued to listen as her brother gave orders to some men, whoever he had just savagely assaulted was still alive, and he was ordering agents to take him to the Med-Bay to get cleaned up. When her brother walked back into the room the second time, the anger and seething rage was gone, replaced with the same smiling gentle face she was so used to seeing. Her sweet baby brother. The same boy who begged for books when they were children so that when he grew up he would become so successful he would be her protector. The same boy she rocked to sleep whenever he had nightmares, the same sweet boy that smiled at every dinner she prepared, even though she knew she had made an awful meal. Her little brother…was now a ruthless SSS agent.
Something caught the corner of her eyes and she looked down to see a small silver key Yuri was holding. Clicking the key into the tiny hole of the handcuffs, it released with a click, the metal cuffs clanging onto the desk.
"I apologize for my Lieutenant. I'm probably going to be reprimanded and possibly even demoted for beating a superior officer, but he had no right to abduct or assault you. What was he thinking? Putting hands on my…on my…!" Yuri punched a balled fist into the palm of his hand, his breathing was heavy and Yor could feel the hate radiating from him. With her now freed hands, she gently placed both hands over her brother's and immediately he calmed at her touch.
"Yuri…I'm okay. See? Now please, can you tell me what this is all about? Why am I here? And who is Twilight?"
Her brother cupped her face again with his hand before walking over to the other side of the table, pulling the empty seat back. Opening his suit jacket he pulled out a file and gently placed it on the table before sitting down. His hands folded neatly in front of him. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to tell you."
Yor flashed him a weak smile, her brows wrinkled as she stared on confused. "Yuri, what are you talking about? Tell me what?"
Yuri took a deep breath before opening the file. Slowly he laid out photos. Yor recognized some of the men in the pictures. High ranking officials, government men…shaking hands with men of various faces. There were reports, notes, an endless pile of papers... There must have been at least a decade worth of intel in this file. Yuri leaned his chin against his clasped hands allowing Yor to look through the file. "Have you ever heard of a Westalis agent that goes by the name of Twilight?"
Yor shook her head, and looked up at her brother. "You know I don't. I have no idea what any of this means, Yuri you have to believe me!"
A sliver of doubt flashed across his face for a second Yor noticed, before her brother continued. "We were tipped off by a very reliable source that Twilight would be at your exact location at about the same time as you were there. My Lieutenant created a trap but I had no idea you would be the one there! As soon as I heard that you were captured, I left my post to come back to headquarters immediately!"
"So it's all a mix-up then. I'm clear to go then? Yuri, it's Anya's birthday. Please, I have to go she must be so worried! Let's leave together, she'll be so happy to see us both—" Yor began to stand up and to her surprise, her brother's stern voice commanded her to sit back down. She stared at him incredulously, eyes wide. He rarely, if ever spoke to her in a raised tone.
"We're not done. Sit."
Yor slowly backed down into the chair. Her brother's face was solemn, his lips grim as if he were pondering heavily what words to say next. "What do you really know about your husband. Tell me honestly. How did you two meet, and don't lie to me. I had a feeling since the beginning. You are hiding something from me sister. Now is the time to come clean if I'm to clear you of these charges. If you know anything about his double life, if you were coerced into keeping his secrets…"
"Charges? Coerced? Yuri, don't be ridiculous. You know me!"
"What I believe and what the SSS believe are two separate things. Help me, help you. Please Yor. Tell me the truth."
She shifted uneasily in the chair, her hands nervously playing with each other. What was she supposed to say? That she married Loid to protect her secret identity of being an assassin? That the very foundation of their marriage was actually a farce? An act? She took a deep breath before answering. "We decided to marry for personal security, not love. I needed protection from the SSS who were suspicious of single women my age as spies against the country. Loid needed a mother to help his daughter get into the prestigious Eden Academy. That's the truth."
Once more Yuri's face transformed before her eyes, and his tough exterior was gone, leaving only her sweet little brother's gaze of concern. "Yor," he reached his hands over the desk and placed a hand over hers, "You never needed to turn to anyone for protection. I joined the SSS for that reason, to protect you. As well as all other innocent citizens in Ostania. Just as you have always looked out for me. You didn't have to marry for security."
"Oh Yuri. When did you grow up? You're not so little anymore hmm?"
Yuri melted at his sister's words and genuinely smiled. It took him a second to regain his composure before slipping on his grim interrogation face once more. "So it is your testimony that you and Loid Forger were married under false pretenses."
Yor felt as if she were being held under a microscope. It was hard to believe that her own brother was working with the SSS and was now currently questioning her as if she were a criminal. "I suppose but that's not how it is now—"
"And what do you know of his daughter? This child named…Anya?"
She cocked her head curiously and raised a brow. "Yuri, why are speaking of her in that way? You've met Anya, she's a sweet child."
"Article 36-51-A. Evidence. This is a signed copy of one Loid Forger adopting a child named Anya from an orphanage about three months ago. Right before meeting you."
Yor scoffed at the remark and grabbed the sheet of paper from her brother's hands. She scanned it quickly. Okay, true, it said Loid Forger, signed by Loid Forger…and Anya's name was listed as the adoptee but… "I don't know what to say but this must be some type of forgery. Anya is his daughter. I've seen how they are with each other. We…we've become…a family." Yor felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Nothing was making sense. The time spent together with Anya, going out on errands, training her for dodgeball in the park. Rescuing her from kidnappers…lounge times on the couch watching Spy Wars while Loid made dinner in the kitchen. All of that…it was real. It couldn't have been an act…could it?
Yor watched her brother slowly close the file before lifting his head to meet her gaze. She could feel her own heartbeat thumping heavily against her chest. Anything her brother was about to say she was sure she didn't want to hear it. There had to be some sort of explanation, some type of reasoning behind all of this. Perhaps a mix up? A different Loid and Anya Forger? Of course! Maybe this was a simple case of mistaken identity! Surely that had to have been it!
"This file has ten years of evidence against a man who goes by the name of Twilight. The SSS have been hunting this fugitive for a decade and I have no doubt in my mind that your husband, Loid Forger, is that man."
Yor gushed a laugh and shook her head still refusing to believe any of it.
"Who was supposed to pick up the cake today for Anya's birthday?"
Silence…
"Don't you see? He was going to let you take the fall! He was going to leave you in the hands of the SSS, to pay for his crimes! You were nothing but a mark! He doesn't care about you! He singled you out to get his way into Eden Academy, and from there, to gain access to Donovan Desmond, an important political figure! Anya is an actor he picked up, nothing, none of it was real!"
"I…I really am sorry." Loid's last words on the phone began to replay over and over in her mind like a cruel joke. Yor felt the room begin to spin. Her brother's face began to blur with the wall, the walls to the ground, the ground to the ceiling. None of it was real? No, everything she felt was real but… "Oh, God."
Yuri's face shot up with concern, "What is it? Did you remember something?"
Yor shook her head, her face turning a deep crimson. "No, it's just…if none of it was real then…" she trailed off, thinking back to that blissful night they made love. If all of this was a charade then…everything they shared, everything intimate….
"No, I can't believe it! I won't! There must be an explanation for this! Please, we'll go to the party together, we'll—"
Yuri shook his head and instead of barking at her, he offered sympathy. "I'm sorry Yor. We've already sent agents to the museum and to the house. No sign of Loid or Anya. Everything has been cleaned out of the apartment, there's nothing there. They're gone."
Yor leaned back into the chair stunned speechless. How could she have missed something as big as this? As an assassin she was trained to spot liars like this on the spot. Trained to single out suspicious behavior and have keen abilities in observational skills. Perhaps someone was framing Loid then, maybe the real Twilight, was trying to pin everything on Loid, that had to be it! After all, there were no pictures of this Twilight person. As for Loid's disappearance, he probably simply went into hiding with Anya for fear of their lives.
Revitalized with new fervor, Yor was ready to share her new theory with Yuri but before she could get a word out, four agents came bursting into the room, two of them lining up on either side, followed by an older man with shades and a lit cigar. He smiled as he walked into the room, bending graciously as he bowed in Yor's direction.
"Ah, you must be Yor. Yuri has spoken so highly of his big sister. In fact, you're all he ever talks about. Yor-this, Yor-that. You know he has pictures of you all down his locker. He uh, loves you very much."
Yor answered back with a soft smile. "We're all we had for a very long time. We're quite fond of each other, sir."
The older man took a deep huff of his cigar and let out a deep laugh, "I can see that by my Lieutenant's new face thanks to Agent Briar here." He continued to smile as he placed a heavy arm around Yuri's shoulders. He was bigger than her brother and the contrast between how much smaller Yuri was really stood out against the man's husky build. "But despite his er…dedicated love for you, he is a mighty fine soldier that produces speedy results! Now, if you'll excuse us, I need a word with your brother here. It'll only be a minute."
Yor watched as the two men exited and she could no longer hear their footsteps walking in the hall. The agents had also followed. She was alone, free to escape. Apparently, she was no longer considered a threat by the SSS if they would allow for her to be left unsupervised. This was her chance to flee, to find Loid and—
She was already on her feet ready to sneak out when something sticking out of the file caught her eye. It was a small rectangular shaped drive and on it simply read, "The Garden: Mission details." Yor dropped the drive as if it burned her. The small item dropping to her feet.
She didn't need to see what was on the drive to know what it meant. That's it then. Everything Yuri said was true. Loid singled me out to gain information about the Garden. But how? How did he know? She had been so diligent in keeping her secret identity hidden for so long. Of course, she always worried of the day she was discovered, but never in a million years would she have thought it would be to a spy of an enemy state and that they would stoop so low as to play with her emotions to gain access to whatever secrets she knew.
And what was Loid's endgame then? When was he going to pounce on her for the information he sought? Why toil with her heart, play with her mind…was everything just a sick game to him then? See how far he could make it with an enemy before tearing her apart? Was he at this very moment laughing about it with his fellow agents about how easy she was to manipulate? She shook her head as if shaking him out of her thoughts, tears forming in her eyes.
She heard the shuffle of footsteps as the men made their way back and instinctively she kicked the drive and watched as it slid perfectly across the tiled floor, finding its new home between a tiny crevice between the filing cabinet and the wall. The two men walked back inside, surprised to see her seemingly about to leave. Yuri was quick to notice Yor's watery eyes.
"You're crying. Is everything okay?" Yuri stepped an inch towards her but she put up a hand.
"I just need fresh air. This…" She waved at the file on the table, "it's a lot to take in all at once."
"Indeed, it is Mrs. Forg—Ahem…Miss Briar." She couldn't help but hear the condescending tone in the older man's tone and she resisted the urge to send him flying with a swift kick to his stomach. He still hadn't offered any introduction, but by the looks of it, he seemed to be Yuri's Commanding Officer, and out of respect for her brother, she would behave.
"So. I'm free to go then?" The man nodded his head and took another drag of his cigar as she made her way towards the door. She was already halfway down the hallway when Yuri ran after her, yelling from the doorway, "If Loid tries to make contact with you, alert us right away."
Yor stopped to nod, her lips tightly pursed. Sure. Right after I kill the Bastard myself.