Over and Out

Chapter Eighteen

"Lisa?" She nodded tersely, as Jungkook studied her face closely, a strange expression on his face. He gestured for her to take a seat – she did so, avoiding the curious looks from the others in the room. Jungkook seemed to go back into business mode, clasping his hands under his chin, and looking at her speculatively, before asking: "Tell me Lisa, what exactly do you know about Mr Jiyong Kwon?"

Frowning in confusion, Lisa was struck by a strange sense of deja-vu; it occurred to her that it had not been very long since the man in question has asked her the same about the man currently waiting for her answer. She took a second to consider, before giving an answer that carefully omitted just how close the two were.

"He's one of the longest serving members of the organisation. He's very high in the overall hierarchy of the place – he's from the group of people who were around when the foundations for it were being laid." Jungkook narrowed his eyes – they both knew that she was being as vague and impersonal as possible.

"He's an arrogant twat is what I've heard." Offered Jimin, leaning back in his chair to place his feet on the table. "Rich asshole with nothing better do than order around a bunch of kids for his own personal gain." Jungkook tipped his head in consideration, eyes still on Lisa, trying to gauge her reaction-she carefully kept her expression blank. Hearing those words about the man who had looked out for her for all those years hurt, but that man was very different to the one she had seen pulling the trigger the night before. Reconciling both sides would take some getting used to.

"He's very powerful, no doubt about that. He couldn't have gotten this far otherwise" Offered the man who Lisa has taken to be the second in command in this strange chain of authority. She was conscious she still didn't know his name, even after conceding her own.

"Sorry-" she interrupted, fixing her gaze on him. "What can I call you?" His eyes widened slightly, but he remained calm as he rolled his eyes.

"You can call me... V?" L nodded- she couldn't, she supposed, except the same level of transparency from all. Her focus switched to the other guy.

"Oh?" He pointed at himself in question. "You can call me the handsome one." He laughed at his joke, before noticing that she didn't – he straightened up. "Or Jin." Satisfied, Lisa nodded again, before turning back to V. Something he said had caught her attention.

"What you said about Jiyong... He has power among us, yes, but not independently. None of us did." She looked around, irritated by the amused looks she was getting. Something about the expression on Jungkook's face made her feel like an innocent little lamb – not something she was used to, or ever intended to. "Am I missing something here? Let me in on the joke when it's convenient." This part was snapped in the direction of the head of the table.

"Lisa, Lisa... Surely you picked up something over the years." He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Or maybe you did and all of your blind loyalty stopped you from saying anything about it."

"Look if you need my help or whatever the fuck it is you want with me, you need to let me see the whole picture." She couldn't help the frustration seeping into her voice.

"How long have you been at the organisation?"

"Seven, almost eight years." She ignored the way Jimin winced at that.

"And how long have you been living in the city?" Something changed on his face as he asked. It looked like realisation.

"The same." She shrugged, feeling, once again, out of her depth. It was too goddamn early, she decided, for whatever bomb she felt was about to be dropped on her. Something about the way everyone's face dropped into blank expressions told her that there was something severely missing from the narrative that she had been told. "One of them found me the night I arrived and since then..." she trailed off, unsure how much to give away. Jungkook nodded tersely, before settling back in his seat.