Perilous Passion

Lies and False Hope

Thursday 16th 8:27am

I grab my coffee and go to sit down in the metal chair. You would think they would get something more comfortable for morning meetings but no, they say:
'Comfortable means distacted and distracted means no work done.'
As I'm two and a half days behind work I can not afford to be comfortable.

Celeste takes her seat next to me whilst keeping her beady eyes on my features.

"Is there something you want moon?"

"It's Celeste! They know what happened. I told them."

I smile as her words hit me.
"Oh right yes Greyson said that you were successfully delivering information. So what might it be?"

She moves closer to my ear and whispers like it's a secret that I've been missing for the last few days.

"He told me that Santiago is alive and now all the Operatives know. He told me."

Fuck.
Why? Why would he make her tell them that? What is he gaining from it?

I turn to face her, my coffee in my right hand placed on my knee. My left hand on her arm.

"Why did he make you tell them?"

She knows it's more than petty competition now. There's something bigger. Something we've missed.

She sighs and pushes my hand off.

"Sera. They need us away. They used Santiago to do that. They said either we stay away or Santiago isn't coming back."

She wipes a tear from her cheek. I won't lie, I don't even pay attention to when she cries anymore.

"You weren't the only one who loved him you know. I had to watch him be with you and then I became the best agent and he still didn't see me."

Sometimes I forget she lost him too.
I was in love with him but she...she watched. She watched us fall in love whilst her own heart was torn.

"Celeste what did the Operatives say whilst I was gone?"

She shakes her head.

"I can't-"

"Tell me Celeste!"

Everyone turns around to look at us and then turn away immediately when they see me, see them.

"They said they would give you...in exchange for Santiago." Her whisper is faint but I heard it enough for it to shatter me.

I'm nothing but another agent to them.
Just someone who should kill.
Just as Xavier said.

"...Just a person taught to be a machine which kills other people..."

I look down at my coffee. This information shouldn't affect me but it does and I can't explain why.

"Did Jackson agree to this?" It's a only a mumble but it's loud enough for her to hear.

I look at her and she nods. Guilt written all over her face. She's always hated me but now...now I think she's sorry for me.

Operative J.O walks in at the same time Mikey does.
Mikey takes a seat next to me and flicks his eyes over to Celeste. Obviously he didn't expect this, this morning. Then again nobody expected what happened over the last few days. I shake my head at him and we both turn to face the front.

Jackson stares at me. I'm not sure if it's relief or perhaps guilt. I know one thing. I know he's wishing he was any where else but in front of me because at least then he wouldn't feel guilty for not sending a search team for me.