When the World Ends

18; Angel

After two hours on the road, which were mostly spent in silence, Alfred pulls the limo off the freeway, into the next sector. 

     "Now, you know that since we came in such a large vessel, we're going to have to park quite a bit away from the main strip." Alfred said, glancing over at me. 

I meet his gaze, smiling at him lightly. "That's fine with me."

     "That fine-grained coat you're wearing probably won't cut it against the wind. I'll rummage around  the trunk and see if Daye left a coat behind. If not, you may wear mine."

     "Oh, no! No, that's fine, really!" I say nervously, waving my hands in front of my self, as if trying to wave away his suggestion. "I don't think the walk will be too brutal - I'll manage. I promise."

After a moment of silence, Alfred lowers his tone and say, "Miss Angel -  with all due respect the clothes you made are lovely but they are not suitable, and they will not keep you warm. Please, allow me to do this one kindness for you."

I sit there, slack jawed, considering my options. I had held my hand up against the window earlier and had to rip it away at how frigid the glass was. I suppose it wouldn't be worth it to get frostbite while trying to purchase new clothes. Looking down, I hold up the edges of my sweater. Daye had us fashion these clothes for ourselves before he released us from our servitude. I will admit, I was skeptical about the whole idea and waited too long to pick my fabrics. The only ones left by the time I got around to planning were some raggedy cotton curtains from our servants dorms, that were rubbed thin in some areas. 

     "I - I suppose it wouldn't hurt to borrow Daye's coat. Just this once." I admit, crossing my arms over my chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a wide smile crossing Alfred's face. 

Finding an open space large enough for the limo took more time than expected. Being someone who was forced to always only rely on myself had built quite the sense of independence. Pushing the limo door open, I pause, making eye contact with Alfred who is just coming around the front of the car, his arm already extended to reach for the door handle. 

Stopping in his tracks, he sheepishly says, "I would have gotten that for you, Miss Angel."

     "I'm sorry. I'm just so used to doing it on my own. I'll try to remember on the way back!"

Alfred nods once, dropping his arm to his side. Tugging at his coat, he proceeds past me and opens the trunk, waiting for the hydraulic arm to lift it open. Scooting aside some large plastic cases, he bends forward and reaches into the trunk, as far as the length of his arm would allow him. When he is upright again, he is holding a bunched up thick wool coat. Turning to face me, he takes the coat by the shoulders and gives it one good 'thwack', shaking it out and then shoving it towards me. Instead of rejecting his offer again, which is my inclination, I smile faintly and take the coat, quickly pulling it on. It's so warm! Then, Alfred closes the trunk and turns to walk away. Following closely behind, I fight off shivering as I use my numb fingers to close the buttons on the coat. Shoving my hands deep in the pocket, I curl the left one around what feels to be a ball of fabric. Pulling my hand out, I am surprised to see a long stip of black fabric drop down from my hand. Tattered in some places, it seems to be a scarf. Even better! I gently wrap it around my neck, rushing to catch up with Alfred right as he turns the corner of the building in front of us. 

It took us quite some time to wind our way back to the main strip. Town here was so different from back home! Large, bright electronic boards cover the face of almost every building. Flashing images captivate the attention of many, who are simply standing on the sidewalk, arms wrapped around themselves for warmth as they stare at the screens. Some of them don't even notice when Alfred and I walk past them. 

Turning to me, Alfred asks, "Have you any idea what exactly you're looking for?"

I shake my head, glancing left and right. "Not at all, but since it's so cold, let's just start here-" I shove the door of the first business to my left open, stepping inside. 

     "Well, this seems to be an office of sorts." Alfred remarks, carefully surveying the room. Being so used to protecting Daye probably has him in work mode, even when he doesn't need to be. However, watching him silently taking inventory of every detail in the room is intriguing. To our immediate left is an elevator, and to the right of that, a staircase that winds behind the main wall in front of us, where a receptionist's desk is sitting. An average looking woman with auburn hair, pulled neatly into a low bun, appears in the doorway that leads into a room behind the front counter. 

Appearing just as surprised as we are that we're in the lobby of this building, she clears her throat and sits in the chair behind the desk. "Welcome in. How can I help you?"

     "I'm sorry-" I say, stepping towards the lady. "We walked quite a distance from where we parked. It is so frigid outside, we just stepped inside to escape the weather for a minute. We don't mean to bother you."

She glances up at us. For a moment, she doesn't say anything. She breaks the silence with, "Alright. My name is Monica. You can sit over there," she points to a bench to her left, our right, "until you warm up. I don't mind if you chat amongst yourselves, but please do not be a disturbance."

Alfred and I both answer with a resilient nod, shuffling over to the bench. 

     "What kind of business do you think this is?" I ask once we're situated. 

Alfred takes a look around the room and then shrugs, "I have no idea. There isn't so much as a sign or even a flyer in sight!"

Crossing my arms over my chest, I begin to watch the lady behind the desk. Her monitor is tilted just so, that if I squint, I can read what it says. I pay close attention as she flips through the tabs. Eventually, she opens one that reads "SIF" at the top. Under the heading, it says, "Sensitive Information Force." My eyes widen. I nudge Alfred, who is carefully studying his pocket watch. When he glances up, I nod in the direction of her screen.

In a hushed tone, I ask, "Do you think this could be a place for spies to gather intel? There's no way a top secret place would just be sitting here on the streets corner!" The lady behind the counter glanced at us, promptly going back to work. "And there's no way Daye's father would have not had spies!"

     "Oh, he certainly did, but he also prided himself on discreteness and secrecy. They never would have been allowed in such a public area such as this. I think it's time to go and report this place to Daye as soon as possible." Alfred shoots out of his seat, smoothing his clothes. With a sight bow to the lady, he thanks her and rushes us out the door. Having the chilled air suck the oxygen from our lungs made it challenging to shuffle down the sidewalk, yet onward we go!