to capture a killer

traitor

TWENTY

The office was desolate and Lisa was bored out of her mind. The rest of her department had gone to Italy, and, much to her annoyance, she had not been allowed to go. As much as she had argued that she would not step a toe out of line, Jisoo had insisted she would not be taking the risk when they were so close to closing a case they had been working on for so long.

Though she wouldn't admit it, Lisa could understand. If she was in charge, and someone else had been displaying the types of behaviour she had been with a highly dangerous witness, they would have been axed from their career, effective immediately.

She was eternally grateful that Jisoo had a soft spot for her. It was also easy to blame Jennie for her own behaviour when she was away from her, though she knew deep down that she had only herself to blame. 

When she was away from Jennie, it was easier for her to make the promise that she would stay away from her, and convince herself that she hated her, if not for being an assassin, then at least for killing Bambam. 

But it wasn't long before she would start to think less about the person Jennie was when she wasn't with Lisa and more about the person she was when she was with her. Her smell, her touch, the sound of her voice. Being with Jennie was like being enveloped by a weighted blanket, it enveloped her with warmness and cut her off from everything and everyone else, consequently fatiguing her mind from all sense of morals and duties. 

It had been a few days since they had laid with each other and Lisa was eating away at herself not knowing if and when she would see her again. 

Would the next time they saw each other be once Jennie had been told she was going to prison and there had never been any plans for her to be free?

Lisa didn't know if she would be able to face that betrayal. But it might be worse not seeing her at all.

Tormented by the consequences of her own actions, Lisa doesn't hear when the door opens and someone comes in. 

"Lisa, my office now," Jisoo says whilst not stopping, leaving the door open for Lisa to follow after her. Lisa wastes no time in doing so, almost tripping in her rush to take her seat at Jisoo's desk. 

"Good news?" Lisa asks after Jisoo doesn't fill the silence as they sit opposite each other. 

Jisoo finally breaks into a smile. It's full and toothy and it had been a while since Lisa has seen it. And then Lisa realises just how stressed Jisoo must have been, and how she can't have made it any easier on her.

"Great news," Jisoo says, appeasing some of Lisa's guilt; it didn't matter what she had done, it had all worked out. "We transferred the case to our partner department in China. I sent a few of our guys to help out and keep me in touch. The handler led us right to them. We got them," Jisoo says, still grinning from ear to ear, and Lisa can't help but smile right back.

"Yes!" Lisa raises her hand for Jisoo to high five. "We did it."

"Well, I wouldn't say 'we', Lisa. You weren't much help." And just like that, Jisoo's smile is gone and her lips make a thin tight line, her face the poster for disappointment.

"I know, I know," Lisa quickly says. "I messed up. I can only apologise and assure you it won't happen again."

Jisoo narrows her eyes and hums sceptically. "Well, I guess it can't now, anyway. The paperwork to put Ruby Jane away forever should be ready in a couple of days." Lisa's stomach drops but Jisoo keeps talking. "We'll keep her in the hotel until then and tell her we're working on the paperwork for her freedom."

"Do we---" Lisa voice cracks and she clears her throat before laughing nervously. "I mean, is there any way we can work something else out for her."

Jisoo sighs deeply and shakes her head, looking at Lisa in pity. "I'm afraid not, Lisa. She's just killed too many people."