Encephalon: Emergent

Chapter 6

Elena waited as Justin stepped outside to confer with his colleagues. She could see them through the window, not really looking at each other, but nevertheless giving their complete attention at the same time. They also watched her, intrigued no doubt that she still looked at them directly when she did not need to anymore. She realized and turned her attention back to the office floor. So this was all to monitor the movements of some powerful cartel? She was impressed and underwhelmed at the same time. Justin had told her before he had left the room that this was the only surveillance centre they had, three floors of this building masquerading as a finance firm. Three floors. They dare not have an operation larger on the island of Manhattan. The fear was faint, but she could sense it in him; this group made him scared. The Encephalon.

She had pushed the point home, she wanted to see more, and now Justin was conferring, about what she had no idea. They were studying a map of the city and Justin pointed to certain locations. Decision made, he came back into the room and told her they were leaving. She asked no questions and followed him out. They hopped into a taxi and headed uptown not saying a word along the way. About halfway there, Justin stopped off at a small boutique store and told her to get out. Inside they bought her a whole new outfit, an elegant dress suit that fitted in with the cover of a finance firm. Elena looked at herself in the mirror. She had never seen herself like this, in something so affluent, so smart and perfectly fitting, far from the old, thrift-store finds she wore in her part-time office job as a student. Justin took her a few blocks over and bought her a moderately expensive but tasteful diamond ring and necklace to go with it, paying in cash for everything. As her eyesight took in every sparkle of those diamonds and its symbiosis with her new fabrics, she felt something she had never felt before: a hint of decadence that pointed to a hint of power. Justin watched her appraise herself and said she would fit right in.

They jumped into another cab that took them all the way to a demure-looking restaurant where the hostess stared at them on the way in, running through a mental checklist to ensure they were the right kind of clientele that would not get her into trouble with her boss. Justin gave her a fake name; he had dined here before. The main doors opened and Elena stepped into a high-class restaurant full of high-class customers on business power lunches. The carpet and decor reminded her of the hallway to Quinn's penthouse apartment: generic, luxurious. Justin once again walked ahead of her following a Spanish waiter who led them to their table. They sat down and Justin helped Elena into her chair pushing it in once she had sat down.

"Would sir and madam like a glass of wine?" The waiter asked.

Justin shook his head and Elena thought how just twenty-four hours ago she was still a prisoner locked down at that wall. Now she was being treated to an expensive lunch at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Manhattan and had just been bought a diamond worth more than she made in a month. She hid behind the menu; she had no idea what half the things on it were.

Justin watched her closely, "Would you like me to order for you?"

Elena no longer cared. She nodded her head disinterestedly.

Justin ordered a meal of lamb, potatoes, vegetables, peasant food in reality but all with exotic sounding names and an expensive price tag. The waiter nodded subserviently and left them to it. There was an awkward silence as Elena realized she did not have anything to say and she was done asking questions.

"See anyone you recognize?" He asked her.

Though she kept her eyes front and center, she took in the entire scene in one instant using her newfound ability then looked briefly behind, supposedly for the bathroom, and had a 360 degree overview of the room. As she turned back she visualized the entire establishment and everyone in it, familiar faces from the news or newspaper articles jumping out at her.