Operation: One percent

Chapter 67

Margaret

I tracked Maryam down. It was quite easy with Juht's help.

It's funny how the key person that Ace needed was right under our noses.

The problem was getting to her.

She was now stationed as a guard for the vice president, and the level of security that man had on him was insane.

Finding out that they will be in SierraTech today gave me plenty of time to prepare.

It looked like it was going to rain, but just as I did when I was working here, I prepared myself, and simply entered the building.

"Hello, I am here for an appointment with Mr. Montague. "

A pretty blonde girl was my replacement. I wonder what hell she had to go through on the interview.

"I am sorry, but...you don't have an appointment today. "

"Yes. I do, I never got back the documents that I had previously delivered, and I never got the resignation letter verified. "

I showed her the proof, thankfully Ace's signature could have been erased.

"Oh, I see. Give me a second. "

She called him immediately.

"Hello, Mr. Montague. There is someone here saying they have an appointment. "

A second of quietness, then she proceeded.

"Your name miss? "

"Margaret. "

"Last name? "

"He will know. "

I suppose he heard me, because she closed down the dial, and asked me to follow her.

She opened up the doors of his office, and I went inside.

The way she ogles him did not escape me, and  I could just take a deep sigh at that.

"Good afternoon Ace. "

The coldness in his face quickly swept away when he saw me, eyes softened. 

"Can I help you Margaret? "

"Yes, I need you to sign this. "

I moved in to give him a paper as a diversion.

The split moment he looked at the paper I took out the daggers and moved them so they could be an inch away from his eye, and only because he grabbed my wrist he got to keep it. Or perhaps it was the part of me that didn't really want to hurt him restrained my speed. Probably both.

"Back in the business are we? "

"Depends if you will do what I say or not. "

"Usually when people need something done for them they say please. "

"That would be the case if I were asking you to help me. I am not. And I know that you will be smart enough not to call any bodyguards into the room. I know about that button under your desk. "

"What do you want Margaret? "

"I am aware of the meeting with the vice president, and I know also that Maryam happens to be his guard. What I need is 10 minutes with her. "

He smiled at me, as if in relief.

"I am happy to hear that you have not given up, but you didn't need to bring your toys. You could hurt yourself with them. "

Suddenly, the room went black, and the electricity got shut down.

Metal window shades got into full lockdown as well as the doors, with emergency light coming back up.

How did he trigger the alarm?

But when I could finally see, he wasn't in front of me. Strong arms grabbed me from behind and pressed the cold metal at the temple of my eye.

"I don't need bodyguards to restrain you, Margaret. And tell me...who else did you bring with you? "

I scoffed.

"Why did you press the alarm button Ace if you are saying that you don't need bodyguards? "

"I didn't. "

"As if I could trust you. "

"If I pressed the button, this room would not be locked. Instead, there would be at least 10 people on you. "

Hard to beat that logic.

"Then....what happened? "

"I don't know but there must be an intruder in this building. "

"Obviously. " Pointing to myself, I gestured.

"I don't mean you. You are an intruder but, the way the system reacted seems to detect someone else or....no. Nevermind."

"Or? "

His warm breath tickled my ear from his sigh.

"If you promise that you will behave, I will let you go. "

"What does my promise mean to you, Ace?  What does anything I say mean to you? "

He went silent at that.

"I really wanted to be mature about this and trust me, every fiber inside of me wishes to get over this so I can kiss you the way I wanted and talk it out with you, instead of me coming at you with daggers. But you have let me down Ace, in a way that no one has let me down before, and honestly, I don't see the point in talking anymore. So I will not promise you anything, because when I promise something, I really intend to keep it. I can't possibly expect you to understand. "

He eased up the pressure, but still remained his hands on me. 

"I ...I have missed you, Margaret." 

I squeezed my eyes shut, his admission catching me off guard.

"I know that you are disappointed in me, and you have every right to be. I have let you down, I know. But for what is worth, my feelings towards you never went away."

I pressed a hand on his as he nuzzled my neck. A confounding feeling twisted my core. 

"I missed you too Ace, but our feelings for each other aren't all that strong it seems. If they were, we would draw the best out of each other, not the worst."

He moved away from me, only to take something like a small radio.

"Yes, I am okay. Status? "

I didn't hear the radio but he did.

"If I don't respond to them, they will come barging in here. "

"There is nothing critical sir. Probably haywire somewhere in the building. I have sent the technician to investigate. "

"Very well. How long will it take ?"

"It will take 10 minutes sir. "

"Alright. "