Smokescreen

13

"Can you read his handwriting?" Erica was frantic. Zoe shook her head, thumbing through the pages of journals as she searched for the bit of information she needed. After searching the room and clearing up the damage, the two trained girls had come to the conclusion that it was simply a farce to get away. They quickly found hidden cameras in the closet, bathroom and by the doorframe. Some were different brands than the other, and it didn't quite make sense to Erica that he'd have a camera in certain places. Clearly, Ben had run because he believed that someone was after him, and in his escape, had been thrown into the thing he was trying to avoid.

"I found his list for Cain!" Zoe said, pulling out a sheet of looseleaf that had been tucked into a folder hidden in the slats of his dorm bed. She scoured over the items, making sounds as she digested each piece of information. Erica joined her, looking over Zoe's shoulder. When they reached the end of the list, Zoe let out a soft sigh.

"I can think of a few people that match that, and I'd bet Chip that Ben had narrowed it down to at least 3." Erica gave her friend a look, grabbing the folder and shuffling the pages into a straight pile.

"How is it that they found Ben before we did?" Zoe commented. Erica grunted, pulling at a false piece of wood on the foot of his bed.

"Cain probably has resources. Chip told me about this drug lord named Corvus who was based in D.C. Cain probably trained under them."

"That makes sense. But who is Cain? Who jumps out on this list for you?"

"They all do, Zoe," The piece of wood let go. "We just have to narrow it down. Hopefully Ben knew something before he left."

Zoe shuddered. "Can we please not speak in past tense?"

Erica's lips quirked up as she rifled through papers, placing them on the floor in sorted piles until the entire hidden cabinet had been cleared out. She then knocked on the back wall of the alcove, softly exclaiming in joy when it came back as hollow. The thin piece of wood was removed carefully to reveal a nondescript grey lockbox. With a grin, Erica reached her arm inside to remove it.

The lock was tricky to pick, each layer being a new surprise. In total, there were 7 layers of security over that little box, just to get inside. Erica huffed in surprise as it popped open to reveal various identities and a singular flash drive.

"Ah ha!" Erica cried in jubilation, holding the piece of metal aloft. She snatched the laptop out of Zoe's hands, eagerly opening it and plugging it into the port on the side. The screen lit up her face, her ice blue eyes greedily watching for the pop-up to appear, and when it did, she hastily clicked it, devouring the information that was shown.

"No..." Zoe drew out. "That can't be! She's been dead for years!"

"Clearly not," Erica muttered bitterly, her face sour but determined. "Otherwise she wouldn't have been on this list."

At that moment, Chip burst into the room, holding Erica's laptop in his hands. He had visibly run a long way, because his face was red and he was trying to catch his breath to speak.

"Broadcast." He croaked, extending the computer to the girls. Zoe grabbed it with a shaking hand, bringing it to sit down on the floor with them. It showed Ben in a worse state than before, his right eye swollen shut with crust, bruise and blood, and his left eye with a vertical cut through his eyelid and ridge down to his cheekbone. His chest was exposed and bleeding, several serrated and vicious cuts adding to the horror of the barely healed scars on his back. His hair looked brown again, but it was only because of the blood weighing it down.

"Welcome, welcome." Said an eerie voice, a person emerging from the shadows and placing a knife on Ben's neck. Erica shivered at the sight of the blade, unconsciously touching the scars on her stomach. This did not escape Zoe, who glanced over at her in concern.

"Hope you liked the show." Cain continued, cutting Ben's chin and making him hiss out in pain, though his body was still and tense. Erica's eyes widened as she shoved the computer at Zoe.

"Track it!" Zoe quickly began typing, her eyes unblinking as her mind worked a mile a minute. Was Cain who Zoe thought they were? Did it really make sense? She frowned as she reviewed the code that she built around the bricks she had laid last broadcast.

"Is this your kink or something?" Ben asked, with a singular eyebrow raised. Erica swore as Cain slashed at his arm. "Seriously, I'm concerned. You didn't seem so into pain the last time we met."

"It doesn't matter!" They snapped, pushing his face towards the camera. "Say it."

Ben gave a deadpan stare to the camera. "They want the CIA's supply of seized assets and all records on the drug lord known by the alias Corvus."

Who else was on the broadcast? Clearly it wasn't just Erica, Zoe and Chip. No, no, Erica needed to focus on the endgame. Were they looking for a complete information wipe of Corvus from the databases? That would be impossible. No matter how disorganized the CIA might have been, there were always paper copies. Erica's attention darted back to the screen as Ben gave a grunt when the knife was jerked closer to his neck. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes and pinching his lips together.

"Agent Erica Hale is to deliver it at 1700 sharp at the club where she was undercover." A hiss of pain was accompanied by the hint of blood seeping below the shadow of Cain's gloved hand. "She is to come alone. Any hint of any other people and I will be dead within seconds."

Erica's head swam as she looked at Zoe. "They're going to kill me."