How to Start a Fire

CH11 [The Lion's Cave]

"So, I've heard you had an interrogation with that girl who's working for Gagnier. How did that go?" Mamoru said as we were sitting in our office together and I almost spat out the coffee I was drinking in surprise. I hadn't told anybody.

"...how do you know?" I asked, staring at him.

"They talked about it at the station when I delivered some documents. Sounded kind of offended because you did this on your own." Mamoru said.

"Do you think Millicent knows?" I got a little nervous, she would surely yell at me for doing something like this behind everyone's backs.

"I don't think so. They talked about how it was no big deal but they were still offended." He responded, leaning back in his chair. "So, what did she say?"

"She told me Gagnier's address..." I said, remembering everything that had happened in that cell and felt embarrassed about it. I still couldn't believe I had a breakdown in front of her.

"For real?!" Mamoru almost jumped off his chair. "So, you mean we got him?!"

"No... I don't think so. But she wants me to visit him and tell him something..." I chewed on my lower lip for a bit. "I'm scared tho."

"Don't worry, we will take Sasha with us. He's strong." Mamoru said and smiled widely.

I rose both my eyebrows at him. "What?? Remember last time we met up with him? He fucking killed you."

"That's why we will take Sasha with us. He will be our back-up." He clarified, still smiling at me.

"I don't even want you to come with me... I'm supposed to be doing this by myself." I said, looking down.

"Oh no, you aren't going alone. No offence, but that's objectively an awful idea." He said and crossed his arms. "At least just take Sasha with you. As a body guard. No, wait, I got an idea... How about you stay in the car. With us on the headset, and we go in there and talk to him. So you can listen to him and tell us what to say but you don't have to be in there in person. How is that?"

I frowned at that. "Moru, I'm not gonna let you in there. That man KILLED you."

"It would be an idea. You aren't the best person when it comes to talking in person." He said. Painfully true. I had to admit, he was absolutely right. There was no way I would just walk in there and do what I was supposed to do just to walk back out moments later.

"Okay, fine, I'll think about it." I said and turned back to my computer.

"Let's do that tonight, to be honest." Mamoru said, getting up.

"What??" I turned back around to him just in time to see him adjusting his shirt.

"I just think we should go tonight because tomorrow chances are higher that Millicent will try to stop us. So going tonight would be the safer bet." He stepped closer to me and buried his hands in his pockets.

I cringed. "You didn't even know this was a thing until a few minutes ago! What's up with you and wanting to have adventures recently?"

"I dunno, I just thought it was a good idea." He said and shrugged. "What are you waiting for?"

I avoided his face. Yes, I had considered going tonight, but I had been scared and told myself to go the night afterwards. I would have been procrastinating on it for maybe even weeks... besides, my only plan was to chug a whole bottle of blood for strength and maybe pray so Jesus takes the wheel.

"Okay, fine, we're going. But we handle this like a mission, okay?! I'm making the plan and you explicitly do what I'm saying, no exceptions. If something goes wrong I'm responsible" And I can be responsible again, I thought. I couldn't deal with that.