Ruby Redfort: try not to scream

Chapter 24- Odd Behavior

LB walked into The Red Room to find Ruby sitting at her desk, going over the case file. She looked up from the scattered papers across her desk to face LB. She smiled slightly.
"Hey, what's up?" asked Ruby, closing her draw rapidly as if she was hiding something. LB didn't question it; she wasn't in the mood.
"I just wanted to say that I thought your speech yesterday was very... moving,"
"Speech?" Ruby shrugged, confused.
"About Baker. It was clear he meant a lot to you," LB said.
"Well yeah, I mean, he saved my life. I owe the guy everything," Ruby hated talking about Baker. It was still so painful for her.
"But you know, life moves on. And besides, I only knew him for a few weeks. You were in love with him. I can't sit here and cry about him when there are people who clearly knew him better and meant more to him. He wouldn't want us to be sad anyway,"
LB smiled. She knew Ruby was right. Baker wouldn't want them to be sad.
"You're so much like him Ruby. I mean besides the fact that you're a girl and a whole lot shorter and you're slightly more bigheaded but other than that..."
Ruby laughed.
"I think if I was exactly like him you would either love me or hate my guts," she giggled.
LB turned away to leave.
"And LB," said Ruby. LB turned back to face her. "He loved you more than anything. I remember when we were in that cafe the day I figured out he was alive. The way he looked at you, even though he couldn't remember a thing, I could see it in his eyes,"
"How?" asked LB, who had never heard Ruby talk like this before.
"You looked at him the way Clancy looks at me. And he looked at you the way I look at Clance and I love him with all my heart. But I don't think I've ever seen so much love between two people as there was between you and Baker. I knew if I didn't tell tell you that now I probably wouldn't ever get the chance,"
LB thought over that last sentence for a long time. Why wouldn't she get the chance? Was something going to happen to her? There was one thing LB knew for sure. Ruby was hiding something from her.

LB called a meeting with all those who had been working with Ruby for the past few weeks.
Hitch, Blacker, Dan and Froghorn sat in front of her desk, shifting slightly. All they had been told was that it was about Ruby so the suspense was agonising.
"I'm sure you are all wondering why I called you here. It's about Ruby. She acted very weirdly when I went to talk to her."
"What do you mean?" asked Hitch, leaning forward in his chair.
"We were talking about Baker and she said something. Afterwards she said 'I knew if I didn't tell you that now I probably wouldn't ever get the chance'. It worried me slightly,"
"Now you mention it, she did say some weird stuff to me the other day too," said Dan thinking back to their conversation about The Count.
"What did she say?" asked LB.
"She was talking about The Count and that she felt like she wasn't complete without him and that when she saw him she didn't know weather to 'shoot him or shake his hand',"
LB looked confused. It was as if Ruby was friends with this evil doer.
"And then there was what they both said at Clancy's house," said Hitch, almost to himself.
"What?" asked LB.
"When we were at that party, after Ruby was shot, she started saying stuff like 'ok' and 'fine' and 'as long as you let Colt go'. It was like she was agreeing to something. Something bad. When I walked in he said something about her 'not cooperating' and then he aimed at me. It was like she was bargaining for my life, or something," Hitch looked destroyed. They talked a little while about everything. LB mentioned the drawer senario and Hitch talked about things Ruby had said about The Count.

"Something has to be done," said LB. "What I suggest, I doubt any of you will like but it could help her."
"What's your idea?" asked Blacker.
"I could fire her," said LB. Everyone looked shocked.
"What? No. You can't do that," protested Froghorn. "She's our best agent,"
"I know but if she's no longer part of Spectrum she'd be safe," said LB.
"She's right," said Dan. "You don't need another mole situation,"
"What? Are you seriously suggesting Ruby could be a mole?" asked Blacker.
"No. I'm just saying, she's been acting odd and quite shifty," said Dan.
"He could be right you know. She could be being blackmailed," added Hitch.
"Ok, our decision is made," sighed LB.
"How are we going to tell her?" asked Hitch.

"Don't worry," came a voice from behind them. "I got the message,"
They all spun around to see Ruby, half crying, crying in the doorway.
"Ruby..." spluttered Hitch. "We can explain,"
"Oh, can you? That's good because there are a few things I need explaining. First of all, why is Froghorn the only one standing up for me? Second, why are you seriously thinking that I would ever betray you guys. And lastly, do any of you think I could ever forgive you for this?"
There was silence. Ruby looked Hitch dead in the eye.
"I take a bullet for you and you don't trust me. What a great friend you are,"
"Ruby you have to listen," started LB.
"No, you listen. I'm about to give everything for you and you're trying to get me fired. Well, you know what, I'll save you the trouble. I quit," 

Ruby ran out of the room and out of Spectrum. She took the exit through the orange corridor which set her out in Downtown Twinford. She just wanted to be alone. It was a warm day outside so Ruby sat down in one of the alleys. She didn't want to cry. She refused to cry. But when an all too familiar sound of shoes on the ground, the sadness was replaced with fear. She suddenly felt an arm wrap around her mouth.

"Why so sad, Miss Redfort?"