To Be A Leader

Chapter 26: Poison

"Is it a bit weird that we know Pit Viper has the contract on Selma?" Jody questions. "Do they usually advertise that sort of stuff?"

"In general, their favored form of advertising is heads on spikes," Amelia responds from the front seat of the van, and I pull my knees into my chest. "I don't know how the Laundry learned Pit Viper have Selma's contract. Perhaps Sigrid wanted it broadcasted to discourage others from running."

"Discourage others from running?" Paula repeats. "From her Handmaid's Tale-style fertility baby serum factory?"

"And they weren't even injecting babies with zombie spit in Gilead," Peter mumbles as the van slows to a stop. Amelia turns to us from the front seat.

"Well, this is as far as I can take you. Highgate, the badlands of London. Well, some of the worse lands. Anyway, I'm not getting nearer the Pit Vipers than this."

Understandable. I stand and open the door, hopping out of the van and waiting for Peter and Paula to follow.

"I'm surprised you got as close as this, to be honest," Peter says, giving the blonde a raised brow. "Are you going soft?"

"Or do you like us, Amelia?" Paula grins.

"I've always liked you, but liking you has nothing to do with business," She answers curtly. "And this is business. Buying out Selma's contract is worth a shot. If you manage to make a deal with Pit Viper, they'll be grateful I sent business their way. If you don't make a deal with them, they'll be grateful I sent their targets their way. It's a win-win-win."

I was expecting her to say that, in all honesty.

"I'm always surprised," Jody sighs. "I should try to stop bein' surprised. That could be my New Year's resolution, actually: don't be surprised when Amelia seems helpful, but actually has an angle."

She pouts. "Oh, but if you weren't surprised, it would hardly be as much fun!"

"I hate you," I growl, and she smirks.

"Right, you lot. Pit Viper's HQ is in the London Underground. You have my directions. You'll have to do some fast talking when you get there. See up there?" She points amid the plumes of oil fires and burned out, abandoned buildings that remind me of the decay that eats more at modern civilization with each passing day. "That hellscape is what remains of Highgate Station, and is absolutely the safest way into the Underground this side of the wall. Well, I've got to get back to New Canton for an oil treatment. Go on. Do what you do. Run!"

We turn and head off. I hear the van go into drive before driving off, back to the safety of New Canton. As we run through the streets of London, memories of the last time I was here hit me like a truck.

"I can make you happy, Five! I can make everyone happy!"

"Doesn't have to be Five's brain. Mine's never done anything good for me anyways."

"Simon, you'll die."

"It will be excruciating, Simon."

"Just give me your damn hand!"

"You know, the more I think about it, everything happened exactly as it should... I didn't think that I'd be meeting you-that yours was the face my death would wear... Now your aura's gold! Gold like the sun. We're both headed in the same direction, man, but I bet I'll get there first.

"Race ya."

I shudder, trying to block out those awful memories and push them far, far away into the deepest corners of my mind. It's been around two years since that happened, and yet the memories are still fresh in my brain. I wonder if the others are reliving their memories of that day as well.