Poison

Chapter 3 - Back Home

CHAPTER 3 - Back home (Poppy)

There’s a chill in the air as Scarlet walks up the steps to the grey metal door.  She knocks and the sound rings out in the alley way. With the screech of a bolt sliding across, the door swings open.

Scarlett steps inside and nods at the hooded figure, who is closing and bolting the door again. She shrugs of her cloak even though the air inside the industrial building is only slightly warmer than outside.

‘It’s good to be back’ thinks Scarlett and it’s true. The grey concrete wall and exposed wire lighting is what no one would call cosy, but for Scarlett it’s still home.

“I’m going up. To the rooms” she says stepping in the cage lift and leaning against the bar. She closes her eyes in exhaustion and sighs deeply.

The hooded figure, who scarlet has decided is a woman, begins to turn the wheel and the lift judders into life.

Scarlett gets back into the lift an hour later, her hair dripping. The two girls near the door look her up and down, and then glare at her.

The only other occupant in the lift is a man with a pile of folders piled so high his face is obscured.

Scarlett ignores them all.

The lift clanks down one level and the doors open.

A good-looking muscular guy gets in the lift as the two girls get out. He says hi to folderman and looks appreciatively at the two girls.

They look like they wish they could stay. Scarlett raises her eyebrows at them as they stalk away giggling.

The guy smirks and leans on the bar next to Scarlett.  “Where’ve you been then?” he asks as the lift starts to descend again.

“Having a bath” she answers dryly, running her fingers through her hair.

“You know what I mean” he grumbles “you were supposed to be back yesterday, but you weren’t at breakfast or lunch and nobody I asked had seen you”.

Scarlett hears the concern in Tonys voice and turns to look at him. “ I did get back yesterday, I debriefed, dropped the object off and went straight out hunting.”

Tonys eyebrows knit together, “what time did you get back though?”

Scarlett smiles tiredly. “About eleven- you know me; I can’t sleep after a mission, too much energy and adrenaline”. 

Tony smiles back teasingly “’mission’ ‘debriefed’ – you still talk like a government field agent, you know.”

Scarlett rolls her eyes. "Who was the guy, with the folders, you said ‘hi’ too? I had assumed he was just a bookie.”

Tony smirks again, noticing her changing the subject, but answers anyway.

“He is, I shared a journey to Manchester with him though and got talking. Did you see the tip of his pinkie was missing? Blew it off with a firework!”

Scarlett chuckles .“Defiantly not your average bookie then.”

The doors open and they walk out into the corridor. Scarlett yawns and then speaks “I’m going to the armoury. Brought some throwing knives at the market last week and they need some attention. You?”

“Wherever you go, of course” replies Tony “I’m not leaving you alone till you tell me what happened yesterday.”

They walk into the armoury. The room always reminds Scarlett of a library. If the floor to ceiling shelves had been full of books and not weapons it could well have been. There was a studious atmosphere of everyone concentrating on their own projects, not to mention the weapons master (or librarian as Tony and Scarlett called him) who was always snapping at anyone who talked to loud.

He nodded at them, as they walked in, from one of the worktops where he was scrutinising a sword with a small crack in the teakwood handle.  Scarlett was surprised, with the weapons master you were lucky if you got away with a glare. A nod was practically a hug as far as he was concerned.

Scarlett put his good mood down to the fact that the armoury was almost empty with only half a dozen people spaced out. 

Scarlett picks up cloths, polish and a sharpening block and walks over to a worktop, tony strolling behind her.

“I heard that the survey team messed up.” Tony prompts in a quiet voice “I heard the Subject came back early and you had to deal with it.”

“How is she?” Scarlett says bluntly.

“Dead.” Tony replies just as blunt, watching her closely. “That’s not what’s bothering you though.”

“It’s not?” Scarlett asks, not looking up from her sharpening.

 “Off course not. It wasn’t your fault and you dealt with it well. The bosses were pleased. Besides it’s not like your conscience keeps you up at night.”

She says nothing and keeps dragging the knife across the block, even though its already sharp enough already. It didn’t surprise her that he had realised that something was distracting her, even though she had tried to hide it.

She looks Tony in the eyes. “I do have morals you know.”

Tony snorts in disbelief “You have the morals of a wolf and you know it”

When he says it there are murmurs of agreement from behind shelves all over the room.

Scarlett rolls her eyes and tries not to smile. “Great to know exactly who’s eavesdropping, huh?” she says in a loud voice and Tony sniggers.

“Well it’s mighty hard not to when ya’ll are having such a darn interesting conversation” says a bright voice from behind them.

Spinning round, Scarlett and Tony break into identical grins when they see who it is. “I had no idea you were here Ang!” Scarlett exclaims as she is engulfed by a cloud of fluffy blond hair.“I couldn’t smell you under all that perfume.”

“I borrowed it from one of the girls here” replies Angela turning to tony and getting engulfed in a bear hug.

“and that would explain why you smell like a floozy” says Scarlett.

Tony gives her a look.

“It’s almost dinnertime; you wanna head to the mess hall?" He asks turning to Angela, and glancing worriedly at the weapons master. Who, as Scarlett had also noticed, was giving them the evils for being loud. Or happy. Scarlett could never work out which annoyed him more.

Angela agrees and the two of them move towards the door. Scarlett drops the cloths and polish back and falls into step beside them.

“What about you then, Pup? What’s changed?” Angela asks, using Scarlett’s childhood nickname.

Tony answers for her, “she’s just the same as before, maybe a bit more grouchy if that’s possible.” He laughs dodging Scarlett’s punch.

“No, seriously I am glad you’re here. I think Scar needed some distraction.

“Yeah” agrees Scarlett, “it sure is good to see you.” the three of them are silent for a minute happy to be in each other’s company.

“LAST ONE TO THE MESS HALL IS A ROTTEN FAIRY!” Scarlett yells, charging down the hall, tony close behind her.

“Oi! I can’t run in these heels!” Angela shrieks “and say that to any fairy and they’d behead you!”She yells slipping of her shoes and running after them.