"Thank you," Adriana said to Bruce after several minutes of riding in his car in silence.
"For what?" Bruce asked and reached for her hand while keeping his eyes on the road.
"I guess, for defending me," Adriana said.
"So you know," Bruce nodded. "What he was saying. Of course."
She had read his mind. She knew every word he and Damien had exchanged in the restroom.
"You weren't going to mention it to me," Adriana assumed.
"No," Bruce said. "If it were up to me you would never know that it happened."
"Thanks for that too, I guess," she replied. "Let's talk about something else."
"Sure," Bruce agreed. "Anything."
"The Joker and his men," Adriana started and heard Bruce chuckle. "What were they doing at the church?"
"I'm sure you could pull that information from my thoughts," Bruce smiled.
"I'd rather talk," Adriana responded with a small smile. She knew even more about what happened there than he did but she needed a distraction to take her mind off of Damien and his stupidity.
"Well," Bruce took a deep breath. "He was paying another team of his men. My best guess is that it was for an assassination. Large scale operation. Though that may have changed after what happened at the church. There was a picture of senator Askel Wagner."
"So what will you do?" Adriana asked. In the chaos she couldn't gather too many thoughts on the plan they had for Wagner, but she knew for a fact they would be paying him a visit at a luncheon the following day. At least that was the original plan. She hoped it hadn't changed.
"Have to keep an eye on him and the situation," Bruce said. "The senator's home and offices are being monitored.
"Good," Adriana said. She planned to do the same.
"I'll be heading to Geneva tonight for some business, so unfortunately I won't be able to oversee the situation as closely as I'd like," he explained. "I'll be away for 48 hours max, but a lot can happen in that time."
"Maybe Shade can take care of it if anything happens," Adriana said.
"You like her a lot," Bruce laughed. "You should get one of those tee-shirts that people are wearing."
"She's cool," Adriana said. "I like her outfit."
"Many people think that. She is 'cool'," Bruce smiled. "I can't say that I think she's the best example for anyone to look up to. We don't even know if she's entirely benevolent."
"Come on," Adriana laughed. "Look at what she's done. I think she's definitely a good guy."
"I'm not too sure yet," Bruce said. "We'll see. She could just be building rapport. We don't know who she's working for or why she has appeared all of a sudden. Doing so much."
"You're saying she's helping too many people?" Adriana questioned.
"Perhaps but," Bruce said. "I just don't understand where she's come from. If the Joker was still behind bars I would be investigating her more closely. I'm suspicious of her."
"I think it's because you've been the sole vigilante in this town for a long time," she said. "And now there's someone else."
"She could end up being a problem," he said. "An interference."
"I think you like her," Adriana teased. "She saved you."
"Hard to like someone you don't know," Bruce insisted.
"Hope you have a good time in Geneva," Adriana told him.
"I hope you have a good time here," Bruce said. "I'll be sending Gustav for your massage tomorrow."
"I appreciate it," Adriana said.
"Of course," Bruce kissed her hand while watching the road.
.
.
.
"I'm so sorry, we don't have your name here, Miss Davis," the host at the entry way of the luncheon said.
Adriana decided to keep an eye on the Senator herself at this function since she knew that at least one of the Joker's men could be here. The Joker wanted the senator dead.
She had no idea what they were planning, in the mayhem at the church she wasn't able to get much more from their thoughts than a date and a time. And it all could have been called off. Adriana was not sure. She had gone to the luncheon with an alias. She had arrived at the luncheon disguised, in a red, blunt bob wig and non-prescription glasses over her green contact lenses.
"Oh...wow, I was sure I RSVP'd," Adriana said in a voice much higher and sweeter than she sounded naturally, while switching her purse over to her other arm. "I really thought I did."
"Let her in," an older man, who she realized was the host's boss, said.
"Oh, thank you so much," Adriana said. "You're so kind."
"No problem," he said and gave her a wink.
Adriana passed through the door way, trying to hide her relief at not having to find another way into the event. What she hadn't anticipated was attention, which she realized she was gathering as she went into the dining area. She guessed that the attendee population was about 90% male, and she was wishing she had worn a suit or something less girly and appealing as the short white dress she had on. But it had gotten her in.
Slowly she circled the room, observing thoughts and giving small polite smiles to anyone she made eye contact with. The aroma of coffee caught her attention as she passed the table where Senator Wagner was sitting. He was chatting with two other men across from him, oblivious to the fact that he was a target.
Suddenly, she caught the thoughts of a server who breezed by her very quickly. He was the one, she realized, feeling a rock in the pit of her stomach. It happened too quickly. She had barely just arrived and it had already been done. She realized that he was there to poison the senator and in the same moment the senator grabbed his chest and then slumped over in his chair. She was too late. The two men he was speaking to reacted as anyone would.
"Call an ambulance! He's having a heart attack!" one of the men yelled.
"Askel! Askel! Can you hear me?" the other said as they lowered him to the floor and began performing CPR.
Adriana stood nearby and realized something. The senator was not going to die. His thoughts and mental activity reminded her of people who were passed out drunk or on heavy sleeping medications. He still had a pulse, though it was incredibly weak. Whatever he had been given was an extremely strong sedative. Not a poison. She looked around the room for the server that had given the senator his drink but he was long gone.
"Excuse us!" Adriana heard voices as paramedics, who had arrived extremely quickly pushed through the crowd around the senator.
They had arrived too quickly.
Their thoughts struck Adriana immediately. They wanted to get the senator out of there as quickly as possible before the real paramedics arrived.
.
.
.
"Shade?!" the taxi driver screeched. "Really?! It's you!"
"Sir," Adriana said lowering her voice dramatically to disguise it. "I need you to follow that ambulance-"
She pointed to the ambulance that was now almost a block away.
"On it!" the taxi driver said.
"Stay a few cars behind," Adriana said.
"Anything for you Shade!" he said.
"Thank you, Adbal," Adriana read his name from the identification card he had up.
"Of course!" he said, with a great deal of excitement. "My daughter loves you! She is not going to believe this! My wife will not either!"