For the first time in years, Alex and Hera were on the same page. Staring at each other as though they just realised who the other was, the pair of teenagers averted their eyes quickly for fear of giving too much away. Alex clenched his fist beneath the table, things were getting out of control too quickly; he had to think of a way to get out of here. Hera's earrings jingled and shimmered in the candlelight as she turned her head towards her boss, awaiting an explanation. The pair knew they could not work together. There was too much lost in the space between them.
Daniel leant back in his chair as though surveying a chess board; waiting to take his next move. He glanced at Rider who sat as though to attention, straight backed, lips pursed, not wanting to give anything away. His steel eyes narrowed on the billionaire with a hard, determined look. Goodchild almost laughed; Alex was so different to Hera. She glared at Daniel with barely suppressed infuriation; Hera was not the kind of person to sit back and let things play out. She always needed to be in control or, at least, in the loop. She was itching to say something, dying to put a knife to Daniel's throat and torture the information out of him. But Daniel could also see, from the way she bit her lip and clasped her hands in her lap, as though trying to stop herself from saying anything or lashing out, that she was trying to maintain her cool in front of Rider.
"In a month's time there is to be a meeting in London," as Goodchild began, Alex was already weighing up his options. London. Home. It was a chance to escape. But Goodchild had a hold on Sabina's future, as far as Alex knew, so he had to be cautious, bide his time. "Beneath one of the city's oldest hotels, linked to an underground bunker system, a meeting of at least fifty influential and devious masterminds is to take place." Goodchild took a sip of his cognac with great relish and watched as Hera placed her hand delicately on top of her wine glass so the sommelier, who had taken a step forward, could not poor her drink. The waiter took a step back into the corner of the room as Daniel shot Hera a quick look of sympathy; she often drank red wine at the dinner table. It was rich in colour and taste, as was she. It saddened Daniel to think he had upset her so much. "The meeting is an," he searched for the right word, "auction of sorts."
"An auction for what?" For the briefest of moments, Hera glanced up at Alex as he spoke. The blonde was determined not to look at her however, and kept his eyes steadily fixed on Goodchild.
"Novavirus." As Daniel spoke, Alex couldn't help himself, he stole a look up at Hera in shock. He recognised that word, the pair of them had dealt with the virus before. Three years ago. In Venice.
Hera swallowed hard as her gaze misted over. Slowly, she removed her hand from her wine glass, an indication that she was ready for a drink. The sommelier took a step forwards and poured Hera's wine. "Nova is dead." Hera said coldly. "We saw to that."
"You saw that it never made it to production." Daniel corrected her. "There is interest rekindling in its efficacy as a bio-weapon. Naturally, I want it." Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel watched Hera take a sip of her wine; her sweet lips parted softly as the delicious liquid ran along them. "But, I don't want to have to pay for it. Call me-"
"Cheap?" Alex suggested. Daniel responded with a small smirk.
"I suppose. I want you both to attend the meeting and represent me. You" he gestured to Alex, "will go in as my employee. Hera will be your guest." Hera and Alex shared the briefest of glances; a couple would be less suspicious than male and female co-workers travelling together. And it was easy to guess the types that would attend the event; in the middle of the busiest city in the world, a swanky hotel and an auction, it would be the rich and political elite attending. An entirely different class of criminal. The men would show up with models half their age draped on their arms. A young couple would be less suspicious; there half on business, half on each other. There was no point fighting it. "The two of you will discover where the virus is being kept and how to get to it. Then you will steal it." His last words were met with an agonising silence.
Alex looked from Hera to Goodchild and back again. The girl was staring into her wine, her big blue eyes unreadable for the time being. Goodchild sat confidently at the head of the table, aware that he was fully in control of the both of them. Hera was still indebted to him and Alex was at his mercy as long as Goodchild knew more about Sabina's whereabouts. Alex's eyes darted from Hera to the door. She had betrayed him for a second time. How could he even be in the same room with her, let alone go on a mission with her? He had to find a way back to London, he had to rescue Sabina, that was his mission now. He stood from the table abruptly. He was disgusted to find Hera didn't even flinch.
"Go fuck yourselves." Alex declined the mission and left the room.
As the butler opened the door to let Alex escape, Hera looked up at Daniel with round, hurt-filled eyes. "Why the hell didn't you tell me, Daniel?"
"Tell you what?"
"You know perfectly well what. We're supposed to be a team-"
"I am your boss." Hera stood form the table as he reminded her.
"Sure, when I've abducted my ex-partner and you need us to do your dirty work, you can maintain a professional relationship. But when your super model beau leaves you before you can get down to it, all of a sudden you consider me a booty call." Hera pushed her seat back and walked out of the room.
"Ouch!" She heard Daniel's reaction to her comment as she entered the hall. She began walking swiftly to her room, the drape of her sari swaying gracefully behind her. Daniel ran after her and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. In the middle of the hall, Hera turned back to him, fuming. "What's going on, Hera?" He asked softly.
"I don't want to work with him."
"Hera, this isn't about what you want-"
"I won't work with him." She spoke bluntly, staring at a spot just above Daniel's right shoulder. Her gaze trailed to the floor. "I refuse the mission." Daniel's eyes widened in shock. Both had apparently forgotten Alex, who, having only left the dining room half a minute before them, had flattened himself against the stairs so as not to be seen through the banister, in order to eavesdrop on their conversation. Daniel stood straight and pointed to a room to their right of the pair.
"Into my study." He said sternly. For a second, it looked like Hera was going to disobey, but something inside of her made her hold her tongue. She walked across the hall and Daniel waved in annoyance at the staff in the hall so they left in a hurry, leaving the hall empty. He following closely after Hera.
Alex peered through the banister to see the pair make their way into a room on the floor below. He glanced around the hall quickly to find no one else lurking in shadows. Slowly, fearful that the floorboards of this old mansion might give his position away, he made his way down the stairs and towards the study.
Hera walked into Daniel's study to stand in front of his oak desk. There, she folded her arms and awaited her scolding. She knew she shouldn't argue, she knew she was yet to fulfil the terms of her contract with Daniel, but she had never realised that it would come to this. The white chiffon that hugged her frame glowed gold in the dim lighting of the room.
"Let's not say things we'll regret," Daniel said softly as he entered the study after her. He walked up to Hera and put his hands on either side of her face. Her blue eyes glittered up at him. "What's the matter, baby?" She pushed his hands away and pouted.
"He's out of shape." She protested. "Alex hasn't had a mission for three years now. He'll slow me down. I can do it on my own."
"You can train him up here. We have a month."
"That's not enough time." Hera raised her voice, fed up of having to explain herself. "If I have to have a partner then it needs to be someone who can cope with another mission. I'll take Natal-"
"Hera!" Like the crack of a whip, Daniel's utterance of her name was enough to silence Hera. She knew she had no right to argue, she had no right to fight for what she wanted. But what did she really want? It was becoming harder to hide. "Rider is going to be your partner and that is an order!" Daniel hissed at her and turned away, running his hands in his hair. He was completely exasperated with this girl; how many times had he changed missions or his own plans, just to cater to her whims? And now she was refusing a mission-
"Please." Daniel's thoughts stopped all at once. With that single word from Hera, all he thought of her came under question. He had never heard such pleading, such desperation in her voice. He turned to her slowly, a hand against his mouth in disbelief.
"What?"
"Please, Daniel." Her eyes were filling up with tears. "Please do not make Alex a part of this." Daniel lowered his hand from his mouth and appraised her as though seeing her for the first time.
"What's going on?"
"It will break him." Hera closed her eyes. It was too late. She had run out of options. She had no choice but to say it. "And seeing him hurt will break me. The mission will be jeopardised." A long minute of silence passed between the two. In Daniel's office, a place of dark wood bookshelves and lounge chairs, the billionaire found himself unsteady on his feet. He almost fell backwards to sit in his armchair and rubbed his eyes. So this was it. He had found it. The one thing criminals would have paid millions for; Hera St Claire's weakness.
"So the truth finally comes out." Daniel said, his voice cracking. "You're still care for him. Are you in love with him?" Daniel looked her straight in the eye but as a tear fell from her eyelashes, Hera gave nothing more away. She stood, looking delicate and hopeless, before him. "Jesus. I thought when you said we shouldn't kill him the you were using your head, I didn't realise it was to spare him." The dark haired man cursed himself; how could he have left himself fall so deeply under her spell? "Hera, why-"
"Because he's better than me." She interrupted. "He is everything I cannot be. He doesn't deserve this." Her bottom lip trembled and she wiped her eyes hurriedly as though she had no time for tears. "I won't see him get hurt."
"Hera, baby," Daniel said smoothly and stood up, his swagger returned as he realised he finally had total control over her. "You know you have to keep your emotions separate from your work. It's worked so well for you and I."
"What do you want Daniel?" The man raised an eyebrow; a bargain? That would always catch his attention and Hera decided to play on that addiction of his. "I will give you whatever you ask in return for Alex's safety." She did not avert her gaze from his but stared determinedly at her boss.
"Jesus. He's really got a hold on you, kid?"
"What do you want, Daniel?" Hera asked again as he sauntered up to her. Daniel place a hand on her waist and the other against her face. He leant in and placed a soft kiss on Hera's bottom lip. She had no reaction.
"You know what I want." Daniel whispered, staring eagerly at her lips, wanting them to pout for him.
"Sex?" Daniel rolled his eyes as she said this, his hand dropped from her face. "Love?" Daniel grimaced, "you know I adore you-"
"Spare me the friend-zoning bullshit, Hera." Daniel snapped and sat on the arm of the armchair. "I want access to your father's work." There was a moment of silence. It was the hardest place for Hera to be; caught between her remorse over her father's death and her unchecked feelings for her ex-partner. Hera let out a slow breath.
"Give me 48 hours to think it over."
"Is that an order?" She looked up at Daniel with a bored expression. "Ok, fine."
"Goodnight, Daniel." Hera walked past him. At the door, he called out to her.
"Hera?" She stopped in her tracks, her handle on the doorknob, waiting to hear what he had to say. "If sex is still on the table; it doesn't have to be on the table-"
"Goodnight, Daniel."
2:05 AM
Alex was sat at the edge of his bed in Goodchild's mansion. It had been hours since the conversation he overheard in the study. Hera had tried to protect him. But she brought him here in the first place! Endangered Sabina and Tom! Hera was nothing but a selfish, manipulative liar…wasn't she? Alex tugged at his hair and almost cried out in frustration. Why did she have to look so angelic? It tortured him no end; she was a murderer, regardless of how sweet her face was when she was scared. Regardless of how she would bite her lip in apprehension and push her hair behind her ear.
"Argh," Alex grunted and flung himself back to lie on his bed. She was a traitor.
But she was considering trading Alex's safety for her father's work. Slowly, the frustration ebbed away. Alex's face became serene as he remembered all too well what had happened in Venice. It was the beginning of the end of his relationship with Hera. It had destroyed everything about her. The guilt, the anger, the lies had completely ruined the girl he had fallen for. And she had vowed to make everything right with the world. That's why she was with Goodchild, Alex could almost piece together her life in the years after he had left MI6. She played out like a book; she lost her father and Alex and turned to someone who told her he could make it better. She was not here out of wanting to commit treason or being a morally corrupt human being. She was here for revenge. Alex knew that feeling. He knew how revenge can consume you. It can change who you are.
She still cared about him.
That simple thought made something inside of Alex flutter as though he were nervous and terrified. As though it was the first time he had met her, back when he was fifteen. Hera had a habit of making him feel that way. Completely out of his depth. That's how he felt here. In all honesty, he knew his mind had been made up for him. It wasn't like this situation was completely alien to him. Alex had been blackmailed and manipulated into work by bigger organisations that Goodchild's. And every time it had happened Alex believed it was the last time. Well, maybe this was the last time. Maybe he and Hera were destined for one last mission together. Maybe he could finally get some damn closure and move on from her.
Alex sat up again and looked around his room in misery. What should he do?
Well, what should he do? Let me know what you think in a review!