Prophecy: Tome of Skin

4. The Enemy of My Enemy

Stephanie leaned against the car while she waited, clicking her tongue in a loud fashion and succeeding to annoy the man beside her. Cliff didn't chide her though, no, her transgression was not dire and if he were honest he knew that his irritation had little to do with her. It was his situation. It was the very idea that he had been forced to throw in with Monica in order to destroy her. It was the idea that he had to leave behind the closest friends he'd ever had. It was the idea that he was put right back in the middle now, and he tried his best to avoid looking at Lorelei as she came into sight and hurried over to join the two of them.

"I'm here, let's get this over with." She made no attempt to mask her disdain for the arrangement either, though she had no qualms about staring down her former comrade.

"Got to say that I was surprised, I'd completely given up hope on hearing from you-Cliff and I were about ready to handle the extraction ourselves. Next time, if you want to keep to an amicable agreement, don't drag your feet and wait so long." Stephanie made it into a perfect trifecta, joining them in their irritation. She had gotten Monica's wrath, and so they, by default, got hers. It had taken all the persuasion that she had to get Monica to agree to hire Lorelei, and when Lorelei made it seem like she was not interested, Monica was displeased.

Of course it didn't help that the super soldiers had been defeated on their premiere trial run-though they would be back to health in no time. If only they were more reliable, then they'd have all the fire power they needed to do the job within the family. Given time all the bugs would be worked out, and both Monica and Stephanie were patient when it came to the long con. Still, it had taken both Toby's people and Angel's to force their retreat, so that was a small victory in itself-one that would hopefully prove to be the harbinger to the task they set out to now.

"Look, I could care less about your problems, do you have what I asked for?" Lorelei's eyes darted to Cliff for a moment, wondering if he knew of their transaction. The way that his expression shifted told her he didn't, and she was relieved.

"You expect me to give you the serum beforehand, so you can just take it and leave? I don't think so, you'll get paid after we complete our mission." Knowing already that she would not be argued with, Stephanie moved her weight from the vehicle and rounded the front, on her way to get in.

"What if we fail?"

"Guess you'll just have to do your best then, huh?"

"Right," muttering, Lorelei gave up debating it with her, understanding that things had to shake down a certain way, even if it wasn't ideal. She put the worry out of her mind for the time being and started forward, noticing her old friend hadn't moved. For a moment she considered that he was trying to play a part to convince her, but the guilt that permeated him was pungent and she knew right away why he remained. "It's been a long time."

"Too long." Cliff wished that he could raise his eyes to meet her, but they still weighed heavily and he could not. There was a time when he used to look down on her, when he berated her for the criminal she was and refused to imagine that there was more to her than the things she did. Now the tables had turned, and he found himself reflected in that exact sentiment, perhaps making it all the harder to face her. "You don't have to do this."

"How the mighty have fallen," she sighed loudly, believing that she had diffused him and made light of the situation. She didn't, and even though she would not tell him her reasons, she found that there was still a spark left of their relationship that demanded she show him her flaws. "Yes I do."

"Come on!" Stephanie hollered from her seat, laying on the horn and not letting up. Cliff finally found the strength he needed to raise his eyes and look at Lorelei, but by then it was too late and she was already getting in the car. He didn't linger any longer than he had to as he followed her lead, and when they were all present Stephanie shifted into drive and took off. The ride there was completely quiet, because the enforcer had nothing to say to either of them, and they didn't want to continue their private discussion in front of her. Not because it exactly required secrecy, but because she was not a part of it, it was theirs.