Heartless People

TWENTY

A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.
—Criss Jami

LUCY

As I walked towards the front desk, I held my head high and tried to deny the fact that my heart was beating erratically. So much so that I could feel it pulsing within my eardrums. But I couldn't break now. I was going to have to hold in the panic that was threatening to surface. Pulling out the forged badge, I held it over the scanner, and released a small sigh of relief when I wasn't tackled by some
three-hundred-pound security officer.

"Thumb," the guard demanded, without even bothering to look at me, which was a shame really, since I'd put in a lot of effort into getting ready for
this.

"Its fine, Lucy," Vero said in my ear.

I pressed my thumb onto the green pad, feeling better because of vero's reassurance.

"Thank you. Have a good day," the guard muttered as I walked through the rest of the security measures they had set.

"They're going to do a body search. Do not make eye contact, just walk through as if this is a normal routine," Vero told me.

I didn't answer, instead, I tried to follow her instructions as I placed my bag onto the conveyor belt. It reminded me of the security checks at an airport—an x-ray machine, a metal detector, and a line of stoic faces waiting for their turn.

Once on the other side of the metal detector, I took my purse and walked towards the elevator bank. I entered without a word and held my bag tightly as
the other occupants moved aside and allowed the janitor to enter. I slid my bag off of my shoulder and opened it without drawing attention to myself. From my peripheral, I watched as the janitor slipped a gun in and quietly took his exit on the next floor.

"Fedel will meet you on the top floor," Vero's voice called through the indiscernible earpiece.

Again, I didn't reply. Instead, I examined the number pad in front of me; there were sixteen floors accessible by the elevator and I was only on the fourth.

"At the tenth," she spoke again.

"Lucy, get off the elevator on the next floor. Im looking at the security feed and there are guards everywhere. We're going to have to abort this."

I looked around me and saw that there was only one man left, a man who kept looking at me strangely. He caught my gaze and held it.

"What level?"

"Do not answer," vero told me.

"What level?" he asked with a little more force, as he reached behind him.

Shit.

"Lucy, get out when the doors open."

"This is federal property. Its off limits to civilians. You are not allowed beyond the ninth floor," the man stated.

"Lucy!" Vero screamed.

I pulled out my earbud and faced him. "Im sorry, were you speaking to me?"

"Who are you?"

"Excuse me," I snapped. "Its not your business as to who I am, Agent Morgan. Nor do I answer to you, are we clear?"

He froze as he stared at me with an expression akin to shock. "I—I—"

"This is your floor," I told him as the doors opened.

He looked confused as he walked out.

"Agent Morgan," I called out, "if you wish to advance in this career, you'd do well to remember your station and those of higher rank."