Jenette

Chapter 2

HEADQUARTERS NYC SECRET LOCATION.

15:08

"Careful or you would break your heel jumping down," Q shouted over the whirring blades of the helicopter.

"I never break my heels," I said and continued down the rope ladder.

"I never buhreak my heels," he said in a phlegmy imitation of my voice.

"If you do that again, these heels are going from my feet into somewhere you do not want it to be in," I gave him a glare and jumped down from the tight rope to the flat roof which we used as a helipad most of the time. 

"Did you bring the note. We can try carbon dating on it," 

"Yeah got it in the case," I looked around and admired the beautiful skyline of New York City. I saw it as the city for people who dreamt big. That was true for everyone but I was an exception. I had no reason to dream. Being able to dream meant breaking rules that limited you. I had no chains because I belonged nowhere. I didn't grow up with cultural beliefs or chains to how I should act. The wind flipped my hair forward as if reading my mind. I basically was still living because I had a specific piece I needed to find and I didn't know what it was.

"Ready?" Q said behind as the helicopter whirred off. I gave him a slight nod as he clicked on the red button on a device that gave only top agents access to the secret location. The spot where we were standing shook a little and then lowered us down through a metal tube. I looked at Q as his hair was spiked to the right and his mouth twitched a bit.

"You don't look bad yourself," I said not looking at him purposely in order not to see his reaction.

"Returning the favour aye," he whispered as the metal doors opened to a vast room of computers and gadgets and people going back and forth the halls.

"Hey O!" I heard Jane, the person who filed my missions call from her desk.

"You suck," I said to her as she smirked knowing what she did. Q must have obviously talked her into tricking me so I could keep him company.

"Just doing my job," she hollered.

"Isn't today your day off," Q asked opening up the orange laboratory door as we went in.

"It was," I said and pointed at the note "but not anymore,"

             Q picked up one of the lenses on the futuristic white mantle piece we had in the lab.

"I really don't know why that table is still there," I said while slipping on my lab coat and removed the brown curly wig I had on for my fake mission.

"There we go," I heard him say as I pulled my straight jet black hair out of the wig and set it down near my leather gloves.

"I know, I need to get that  wig conditioned," 

"Alrighty goggles on," he hollered and passed the note which was held by forceps through different rays of light.  He picked up a pen and started solving the exponential decay of the piece of paper. 

"Did you inherit that house or..." I asked as he had started integral equations on a piece of paper.

"God no! I cheated my brother into giving me full rights to the house," he said without flinching.

"Really?"

"No," he said, looked up and gave me a very sharp smile and added "I love messing with your gullible side,"

"You're so annoying,"

"O, the famous trained agent can't read sarcasm," he said in a tone I wasn't really sure of. I couldn't tell if he was mocking me or just poking fun. Q was an expert at that. He always gave mixed sentences, mixed emotion mixed coffee? Does mixing dark and blonde roast coffees sound normal.

"But really if you have that house, why do you work here. It looks like it cost a fortune,"

"I got the house but getting a house doesn't bring fulfillment which is why I'm here. No one knows your name, no one cares where you are from. I enjoy that than being stiff in useless formal meetings where girls are shoved at you in tight dresses and you pretend to give a deep bored sophisticated face to every one. Doing this I feel free." he said writing more vigorously shooting me looks form time to time.

"Deep," I said as I saw him do a quick shrug. "At least you chose to do this unlike some people,"

"You know you never told me your story. You know how you ended up doing this. Obviously I know why you are my partner. I know you secretly think I'm attractive," Q threw in a wink saying that and then went back to writing.

"Don't flatter yourself and there are some stories that are not meant to be said,"

"1864," he said lifting the note. He repeated it again slower. I guessed he was thinking of anything so significant that happened at 1864.

"Photographic memory needed," I hollered as he had his index and middle fingers near his temples. Before he could say anything, my mind whirred. It felt weird anytime I tried so hard to remember something. At a point in time I had a program installed for a program test for my thoughts. Unfortunately I was planning to escape that agency that night as I overheard I was meant to be used as a distraction for one of their stupid unplanned missions. That could have resulted in my death so I tore off the cords and escaped that night but the process was not complete. I still get a strange feeling like a static shock when I think too hard.

"I've got it," I looked up and snapped my fingers, "Fashion,"

"Fashion?" he asked , his voice higher than normal.

"Yes, the first model was out in the 1800's major fashion revolution year in Paris and you are 1/8th french," I said picking on every syllable so it could sink in.

"Come to think of it, people in my line were known for making great designs and manufacturing quality purple fabric for royal families,"

"I think we should check the house again but not the regular places. There is always a clue. Always," I told him.

"Right, well I'm done for the day, it's quite late,"

"Cool,"