Hired for secrets

You got your answer

Sofie held her throbbing arm. You have a week. She could feel the cold liquid Mr. Lee injected. It was spreading underneath her skin, infiltrating her body. What did he give her? A poison? A disease? A chemical? Whatever it was she needed to know. And the only way to find out was hinging on Phil to give up his secrets.

"I don't need a week." Phil struggled against the two bodyguards who had him headlocked on the ground. "You can have what you want. Right now. Just tell me how to save her."

"I'm glad to hear that, Philón."

Lee gave a casual nod to the bodyguards to release their captive. The goons stepped back but not without giving Phil one last shove. It put a spiteful grin on Lee's face. When Phil struggled to his feet, Lee walked over to Sofie. He brushed the back of his hand along her cheekbones, wanting to provoke another outburst from Phil. "It would have been a shame to let this one die."

A low growl came from Phil's throat as he positioned himself between Lee and Sofie.

"What information do you want?"

Lee squinted his eyes, thinking about all the juicy secrets that were at his fingertips.

"Tell me about... Siri Tommer."

"She founded several HighTech companies," Phil replied without missing a beat, "She took a healthy profit from them and now invests into other tech businesses."

"Don't play dumb. That's public information. I want to know what she tells you after you've banged her."

Phil rubbed his twitching fingertips. The disrespectful statement was offending him and he itched to punch Lee again. But instead he settled for, "Why would she be a client of mine?"

Lee laughed and turned for the door.

"Sure, we can play it that way, if you prefer. But remember... it's only a week before your little bird loses its chirp."

The cruelty of his casual thread eerily hung in the air, when Sofie placed a hand on Phil's arm to get his attention.

"Don't worry, I'll make this right," he reassured her before calling after Lee. "Wait! You're right. She's a client and I have more on her."

"No, Phil," Sofie whispered. "There is no need."

"What do you mean?"

Phil's eyes darted between Sofie and Lee.

"He's bluffing," she spat, looking straight at Lee, who stared back at her in disbelief.

"How can you be sure?"

"It starts in a week?" she quipped. "That's utter nonsense. Most poisons or chemicals act straight away. Sure, pathogens can take a week. But they can't be carried around like that. They need to be refrigerated or kept in an incubator. No. It's a harmless saline solution, that's all he injected." Taunting Lee directly, she added, "and it starts with a headache? C'mon. You picked the most common symptom. I probably get one during your arbitrary one week deadline from -- I don't know -- stressing over an injection. And if I do, chances are I'll put pressure on Phil to give you what you wanted. That's your master plan, isn't it?"

Lee's expression changed. It was too subtle for Sofie to read but Phil picked up on it easily.

"Yes, she's right! You were bluffing."

"Suite yourself," Lee grumbled.

"Hang on." A worried expression crept into Phil's face. "The injection might have been harmless, but there's something else... Something you're not telling us." He studied Lee a little longer before turning to Sofie, "but I don't know what it is and I don't want to gamble with your life, Sofie."