Truth Stealers (Thief's Signal: Book 1)

17

Nimio sat on the sterilised bed, brooding. He wasn't yet sure of his exact disposition, but the memories were becoming clearer. His name was not Jag Blakeman, it was Nimio Flecker. His marriage to Lucy Baker was formed only in order for him to get closer to her, for him to gain her trust. He remembered now - the very night that they consummated the marriage, he found the blueprints to the meta prototypes. And now he remembered where he had hidden them.

Somebody unlocked the door on the other side, and Nimio looked up. Illgis burst into the room, but this time was wearing a jacket and jeans instead of a lab coat.

"Let's go," he said, with a more cockney voice than the one that he had put on before.

"I thought I had ten more hours before I was allowed out of quarantine," Nimio replied.

"Yeah, exactly. That's why we're going now." Nimio looked at him, still not comprehending his intentions. "We're delivering you to Drigs. We'll get the blueprints on the way." He dropped the words with a sense of finality that left no room for argument.

Illgis peered round the corner, as they came out of the room. He silently nodded to Nimio to follow. They walked down the corridor, turned, down another, rounded the winding hallways, twist and turned, finding their way through the maze. Illgis lead, for he knew the facility by now like the back of his hand. Or even better than that.

As the two came through the bend, a woman suddenly startled them.

"Jag! Congratulations! The first ever meta-type. How does it feel?"

Nimio squirmed awkwardly as he came face to face with Jane. Illgis looked at him sternly, a warning to hurry things up.

"I can't describe it...it's like nothing I've ever felt before." He didn't have to lie for that part at least.

"Wait," realisation crept into Jane's voice, "aren't you supposed to be in quarantine?"

"No, that-"

"Yeah, no seriously, what are you doing out here?"

Illgis put a hand into his pocket.

"Illgis, what are you doing? Why are you not wearing your lab coat during work hours?"

"Hey," Nimio put his hands up and feigned a mask of innocence. "No need to be the police around here, Jane. I was let off early, that's all."

Jane relaxed a little, and her expression lightened up. "Well what're you both doing then?"

"Look, I'm sorry," Illgis said, his voice disguised in that foreign formal tone again. "But we are both in a little bit of a hurry for our dinner reservation, honestly, we'll catch up later."

"Oh yeah sure, don't let me stop you," Jane said, but then suddenly her eye caught a sharp metal object leaning out of Illgis' coat pocket. He followed her gaze, and quickly shoved the gun back into his pocket, but it was too late, and they all knew it.

"What's that?" Jane demanded. "You know that the only personnel authorised to carry weapons are the military escorts."

Illgis began to crack under pressure.

"Please, just let us through," he said softly now, struggling to contain anxious energy.

"I'm sorry, but I am going to have to report this."

"You never reported what we did," Nimio spoke up, taking a risk. "We never told anyone, and maybe that's the right thing. They don't have to know, because what good would it do anyone?"

Jane was stunned, but then logic seized her attention. "Well at least tell me why Illgis is taking a gun to the restaurant."

A member of the medical staff came round the corner, and slowed down as they saw Illgis. The member recognised him, and drew a small pen from his own coat.

"Hey woah, woah, what're you doing with that emergency com piece?" Illgis began to walk over to the staff member.

The pen blinked red. "There appears to be a breach in security protocol," the medical operator spoke into it.

"Hey, stop! Stop!" Illgis was panicking now.

Jane looked worried. "What's really going on Jag?"

"I'm sorry," he said, "I have to do this. I always had to. I won't see you again, but just know that I have always loved you."

Jane's eyes widened, and her face twisted from confusion to pain, to passion.

"I've always lo-"

A gun shot rang through the corridor, and the body of the medical staff member dropped to the floor.

Illgis looked up at Nimio with the gun still smoking in his hand. "Let's go," he said.

Jane screamed.

"Jane, it's alright, don't -"

Jane screamed again, and then turned and started to sprint down the hallway.

"Shit," Nimio swore under his breath.

Illgis lifted the gun again, and Nimio understood what he was doing.

"No, Illgis, let her go. You don't have to do this." Nimio made his way towards the gunman, but his heart was already decided.

Illgis shot the gun down the corridor, a laser be shooting past Nimio's face, and finally landing straight into Jane's back. She face-planted the floor, shouting in agony. Illgis stalked his prey. Then he shot again, and then three more times until there was no way she was still alive.

Illgis turned to look at Nimio, whom wouldn't tale his eyes away from the newly fallen corpse on the floor. Illgis walked up to him and grabbed his shirt.

"Now we get out of here."

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