Mission 'Don't get killed'

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

That afternoon, I'm taking a 'casual stroll' around the building. I notice things that have changed, but what stands out more are the things that didn't change and how easy I find it to find my way around. You lived here for thirteen years, of course you know your way around, dumbass, I tell myself, but still. It doesn't feel like home. Because it isn't home. I used to consider this place to be my one and only home but then I got older and wiser. My home isn't here anymore. I've also been thinking about Vic. Vic has always hated me, but I never thought he would be so direct in telling me about his suspicions. He usually operates a little bit more discrete. I have also been watching him during the rest of the training and even though I haven't seen him for five years, I could feel that something was of, but I don't really know why. I suddenly find myself in the kitchen, even though I hadn't actively been looking to get here. As always, Jenn is already making preparations for dinner, even though it's only two pm.

'Hello there.' Jenn says without looking up from the huge mixing bowl in which she's frantically stirring. I sit down on one of the dining chairs and watch her work. Then I get an idea. It doesn't feel very good but I know it might provide me with some information. I mean, Jenn knows all the gossip that's going around in this place. Breaking into her mind shouldn't be too hard, she's a reader, so she won't see me coming. I try to stay focussed on chatting with Jenn, so she won't suspect me of doing some shady business, while breaking into her mind at the same time, but staying focussed on the last isn't very easy, since she keeps asking me questions.

'Are you hungry?'

'No, thank you.' I reach out to her mind. Focus focus focus.

'Are you sure?' She turns around to face me and her gazing at me makes me lose my focus. Shit.

'Yes. Thanks though.' I smile and try again.

'Well, if you need anything, you know where you can find me.' Jenn has turned her back towards me again. 'What have you been up to this morning?'

'Not much.' I pry my way through her walls, which are very easy to break through compared to all the mindscapes I've seen before. I know Jenn wants me to elaborate on my morning activities. 'I went training with Tegan again.' I tell her while I'm looking around in her mindscape. I need to find her memories from about two weeks ago, when Sara and Zac went missing.

'That's nice. What will you be doing later today?'

'I don't know yet.' I'm peeking through her memories and it makes me feel guilty. I try not to look too much at the ones that don't concern either Zac or Sara. 'Maybe I'll ask Tegan if someone brought her some magazines lately. Or watch a movie.' Yes! I see something where Jenn hears someone talking about two people who have been brought in. I dig a little deeper but it doesn't help me any further. All she's heard is that two people have been brought in. The story gets several twists though, someone thinks they're from a rivalling syndicate while someone else thinks they've been send by the government to spy. Disappointed I pull back. I'll have to find it elsewhere. I want to get up and leave to investigate a little further but suddenly I think of a question to ask her.

'I saw Vic training today.' I say, trying to sound not too interested. 'Are there new training schedules or diets?' Vic has always been competitive so I wasn't really surprised when he won almost all his matches but something about his attitude struck me, it was as if he didn't have to do anything at all to win and just faked his efforts. If he had been a manipulator, I would have said he had been manipulating his opponents into letting him win, but I know for a fact that he is a reader, so mindscaping is not an option, but maybe he is on special medication to make him stronger.