Wake Up ||ONC 2021|| GxG

21. Negotiations

The little room was unbelievably stuffy. Esme was feeling a rush of pity for the people she'd dragged in here before. It wasn't nearly as fun being on the side of the glass that reflected her own grubby face back at her.

The door swung open and Director Alia Donahue glared at her the entire walk to the seat opposite Esme. "Two minutes in the door and you're already causing me problems again, Agent."

"I have a very good reason this time," Esme grumbled.

"Please, enlighten me," she sighed.

"He's a mole," Esme said bluntly. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs at the knee. They'd ushered her into the interrogation room immediately after her altercation and she hadn't even been given the opportunity to clean up. Esme didn't dare breathe too deeply, afraid she'd smell herself.

"What proof do you have?" Donahue asked.

"I saw him while I was being held, a few times actually," she replied. "I'm certain if you check his movements in the first three months of my absence, you'll notice he visited this little place out past the highway at least once a week."

Donahue reached back and tapped the glass. "Get me Teigan's movements for those dates," she ordered to whoever was observing them. "Even if he is a mole, you can't just walk around punching people Essie."

"I've been having a rough week," Esme huffed. They chuckled and Esme took the hand she offered.

"We're happy to have you back," Donahue told her.

"I'll be happier to be here when I can get myself clean. Is my locker still active?" Esme stood, almost challenging her to keep her in the room.

"Of course it is, you didn't die or anything like that," Donahue muttered. She didn't move from her seat except to lean back a bit to keep her eyes on Esme. "There is still a problem we need to discuss."

"Can't it wait? I am exhausted, everything hurts, I still have a gash in my leg that needs some attention and I smell like a dumpster fire," Esme whined. One head shake from Donahue and she threw herself back into her seat.

"Bring them in," Donahue called out towards the hall. The door opened and Easton walked in followed closely by Nevaeh. "Both of you involved a civilian in our affairs. More importantly, you brought her here and she seems to know a fair bit about everything, not just the details of this particular engagement."

"It was necessary," Easton said, keeping one hand on Nevaeh's arm. "They'd already seen her around us often enough and every time we attempted to get her taken somewhere safe we were detained."

"The fact still remains that she knows too much," Donahue explained. "She is a walking security breach waiting to happen and I cant' have people out of my control walking around with the kind of knowledge she has."

Nevaeh pushed herself further behind Easton's back, her eyes fixed on Donahue. Her lips parted as her breath hitched and her pupils had widened to the size of saucers.

"What are you suggesting Director?" Esme asked quietly. Her legs tensed under her and but she did her best to appear calm and relaxed. Her only visible tell was the tightening of her fist on the table.

"She needs to be dealt with in a way that keeps her quiet," Donahue answered, mimicking Esme's relaxed stance.

"If you lay a single hand on her, it will be the last thing you do," Esme threatened.

"My thoughts exactly," Easton added. His hand brushed over the bump in his coat, slipping under the fabric to wrap around the metal handle waiting there.