A Hunters Prey

Chapter 3: Confiding

"They want you to work with your last mark?" Ingrid questioned in disbelief, rubbing a luxurious moisturizer into her skin, "Isn't that breaking all kinds of rules? It's ludicrous!"

Alia was laid out across the rustic rouge love seat with a frown, "It does sound odd." She agreed in perplexity, as unsure as I was of what to make of it, "Was it awkward? Seeing him again?"

More than she could ever imagine. I knew that I shouldn't be giving away details but they only knew what I did, and none of what was said to me was said in legally binding confidentiality. So, in all fairness, what I knew now could be shared among us.

We had gathered in Ingrid's lavish apartment that mirrored her taste for extravagance. Everything here had her personality written all over it; from the Persian rugs to the chandelier hanging in the foyer. Not to mention the ridiculously sized walk in closest that was meant to be an adjacent room.

"It was unexpected." I muttered stuffing a handful of salted popcorn into my mouth. That was such an understatement but I didn't need to go into detail at how...painful it was, "Hume totally blind-sided me."

It wasn't unlike the Ladies to do that but Hume done it the least out of them all, she at least had a pinch of mercy. Ingrid made a facial expression at my statement, more than familiar with what I had just experienced.

"Ugh, I will never get used to it!" She muttered in dismay, hooking one leg over the other and relaxing back so she was sprawled over her couch, "I know we graduated but it feels like the tests never stopped!"

That could be agreed on. For the first time, we all had the weekend off and so on these rare occasions we'd gather for drinks and exchange stories about our operation experiences. Besides, I wanted to know how they managed without me today- scoping out potential serial killers wasn't exciting but small jobs were still paying ones.

"You said it!" Alia muttered, snapping shut the operative issued laptop and pinking up her martini glass. She let out a stressed sigh and lied out along her side, "I got an operation scheduled for me- they want to fly me out to Frankfurt on Sunday."

We all sighed in annoyance. Overseas operations were the worst, it was impossible to communicate until we came back to the city and that could mean months of not speaking and seeing each other. It can get lonely really quickly, but the work would keep Alia busy.

"At least it will feel like home!" Ingrid tried lightning the mood by pointing out, which was true. Alia rarely got the opportunity to go back to her homeland and speak in her native tongue so casually, "I mean, it will be fun seeing the culture and eating the food!"

Ingrid didn't get to leave the country much because of her talents. They liked to keep her close by but when she did leave, it was to be sent towards the richer countries to seduce the men in power. It had only happened a couple of times because her operations always lasted longer than ours, but when it did happen, she was ecstatic.

Personally, I hated overseas operations. I hated the travelling, and I hated the way I always felt smothered. Although, one of the highlights was the downgrade in supervision. After all, the Society can't afford to follow us everywhere.

"It feels good, going back." Alia was brave enough to admit, furrowing her brows a little. There was a distance in her gaze now as she spoke, "Sometimes...I can remember things from when I was younger...or maybe it's just my imagination!"

Alia laughed off the end of her sentence, slating the nostalgic look in her eyes. We didn't probe because we knew how dangerous it was to say the things she did, but with us, she didn't need to worry.