Divisions

Part 4- Chapter 17

Jarred

JARRED, CAN WE PLEASE MEET UP?

ABOUT THE MISSION?

It was Natalia. I could not place the emotion I felt as I read the message.

WHEN AND WHERE?

She responded almost immediately.

AS SOON AS YOU CAN, I AM IN THE MISSION'S BRIEFING OFFICE.

I WILL MEET YOU THERE IN FIVE MINUTES. I AM ON MY WAY.

"Gia..." I said, turning to her.

"Natalia? Mission stuff?" Gia asked.

I nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry,"

"Nah, it's okay, I have Netflix to keep me company, go get 'em," she smiled.

I got up off the couch and left the room, a little guilty. This was technically supposed to be our first free day out as a "date" and we had decided to stay in. I had only been with her for three days and this feeling of busyness and constant rescheduling had already become familiar.

The first day, she had had to spend the whole evening on a call with her friend David who worked in a chemistry lab at the EII. I do not know why, but I was not jealous. She also had not been jealous when I told her about what had happened with Natalia and Ricardo.

It was okay, because that is how our relationship was; we built our relationship on a level of trust between each other, although I always felt as if she had to forgive me more than I had to forgive her.

The mission's briefing room was relatively far from my room, and so I ended up having to jog my way to get there on time, and I was still three minutes late.

"Sorry I'm late Natal...." I began, and stopped, because she was already there, two objects placed on the table in front of her. She was wearing blue medical gloves and her hair was in a tight ponytail.

Her expression was even and unreadable. She was silent, allowing me to take in the objects in front of me.

On the left, was a smashed recording device and I only had to quickly look at the empty place I where the listening device from the meeting with Mr. Patterson had been to realize which one it was.

On the right was a packet of ashes.

I cleared my throat.

She nodded.

"It's exactly what you think it is. What Mr. Patterson told you a few days ago at the meeting, I already know. Oh, and Camilla and I discovered the "cloth" that mysteriously appeared in my room, and Camilla has done a swift job of burning it. These are the ashes, by the way."

She picked up the packet.

"Hey Camilla?" she called out, and Camilla appeared from another door, also wearing gloves.

"You need these thrown away?" Camilla asked Natalia, giving me an ugly stare and shaking her head.

Natalia nodded, handing her the packet and she swiftly walked towards the room, and within seconds, I heard the sound of a toilet flushing.

"Very interesting that we found this, huh?" Natalia asked. "You hid it in such an obvious place, right underneath a couch? For an IDA detective I thought I would have to look for longer,"

"Natalia..." I began.

"One question," she said, walking nearer to me. "Whose side are you on?"

"The side that's for the greater good?" I tried.