The Fall

Chapter Seven

Five days later...

"Is that dude coming to get you yet?" Janet yelled from the kitchen.

Peter looked up from where he was seated, at the kitchen table. "No... he said- uh, another few days."

Janet rolled her eyes. "Wow, he really likes taking his time."

Peter nodded distractedly, then frowned. "Hey! I thought you liked having me around?"

"Psh.. where'd you get that impression?" Janet replied, giving him a wink to show that she was joking.

Peter didn't understand her at all. Janet could be warm and friendly towards Peter at times, but at other times she withdrew completely, prefering the company of her cat. Peter had taken a few calls from Lance, so he had a creeping feeling that she was on to him. They hadn't discussed the ED code since the first night.

"Dinner will be ready in a few," Janet told him. "I just gotta chop some carrots for the sala-"

She opened the knife drawer, and suddenly stopped talking.

Peter realized.... that's where she put the knife the night of the Triad ambush.

"Janet?"

Janet shook her head and relaxed, grabbing a different knife. "Salad."

Peter watched as she continued working, wondering about the things she was hiding.

~

"NO. I AM THE SuPERIOR ONE HERE!!!"

Peter cackled and beat her character in the game they were playing. "You haven't been doing this all your life!"

Janet fumed, smashing the buttons on her controller in a futile fashion. "I can't believe I'm losing to YOU. You can't even remember what you had for breakfast!"

"Hey," Peter scoffed. "I liked those eggs you made!"

"They were pancakes!!!"

"Oh..."

"Ugh, game over," Janet huffed, throwing the controller on the coffee table.

Peter smirked. "Another round?"

Janet shook her head. "My dignity has been hurt enough already."

Peter chuckled. "So, if your memory is so great... how long ago do you remember?"

Janet shrugged. "What's it to you?"

"Do you remember the Russians kidnapping you?"

Janet looked at him with icy eyes.
"... who told you about that."

Peter shrugged. "My boss. The one who- who sent me to meet you."

"Oh," Janet said curtly. "So... this is all for a mission, huh?"

"Basically."

They sat in silence. 

"I don't know where I was born. But I remember it. My parents's names were Andrew and Monique."

Peter looked up, surprised at this new information.

"My brother was my twin. We went on vacation, my parents... they were killed. The Russian Mafia took me and my brother and trained us from the age of three. Indocrinated us. Then... I was nine. A... and... I was saved. The man helped us for a long time..."

"Travis?"

Janet almost winced at the name. "You-"

"He's my boss."