Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 47 ⊰❉⊱

My thoughts sharpened.

Paragon's details were brief. But they always were. They did not expect to have to waste their time supplying information. Fortunately that was something of my own speciality–though a lawyer I knew had that same affinity ten fold–focus god damn it.

I typed faster and drew up their names. Mug shots slapped across my screens. I noted the fairly bland appearances of the men in black and white. Then a quick assessment of their backgrounds that could potentially complicate matters. Nothing. They had no inside support as far as I could tell. Another check against known affiliates for the radical group they followed confirmed it. It still shocked me that intelligence services weren't aware of such men–yet things had happened before under such watches.

My research ended on them quickly. I knew where they would be between now and 6am tomorrow morning–at that point the window would close and they would be released on bail.

My infiltration had to be complete and unquestionable for less than twenty four hours. I drew up the register on all on-call guards. Then the uniforms. The company producing them. Within a few minutes I had effective blueprints for their design and forwarded them to a seamstress. But not just any designer. A place much more tailored. 

Paragon tailors.

No questions. No price. One confirmation of a set of uniform. My next occupation... prison officer. My ID was also being fabricated along with a pass that would give me clearance inside. 

A single reply.

"3 hours."

"Confirmed." I replied simply.

Immortals did not bother with formality. We bother with yes or no. Confirmed or unconfirmed. Dead or alive. The time read 7:15a.m. I nodded to myself and drained the remains of the chrome packet on the desk.

I rolled onto my feet out of the chair and went for the book shelf. I tapped the inside button and it slid open to me with its cool illuminated interior. Restocked completely.

I cast a quick eye over the weapons. All of which would be virtually unusable. They would be flagged upon entry. I needed something with a finer touch. I drew closer and assessed the smaller more lethal items. The glass vials beyond the gun barrels and blades. The chemical poisons. The colourless yet lethal variety. Utterly ineffective to us but rendering mortals lifeless in less than 10 minutes.

I took two vials.

I turned from the shelf and went to my fridge to pull out a mock imitation of fruit bar. I palmed a knife and sliced the plastic in two fine holes before sliding in each vial. It pressed against the packaging of the fake fruit snack and was almost entirely undetectable.

My phone flashed below me. I carefully secured the lethal 'snack' then pulled out the phone with half interest, expecting a new time for my uniform–

"I could have sworn I told you to be there when I woke up."

I grinned down at the screen and instantly melted out of the soulless assassin to the whims of whatever this mortal desired of me.

"You have my apology arriving later, Miss Adams."

"Will it include you?"

"I promise I will come to you before I begin my work tonight."

There was a pause, I considered that she may have started making herself breakfast. I glanced at the weapons lining the bookshelf and moved to close it once more.

"Fletcher, why is there a god damn piano outside my house and a bunch of men trying to get inside?"

I laughed out loud. They truly were the fastest team I had ever employed... But 7:25 now?  I shook my head unable to shake the image of Quinn half dressed, trying to dismiss a bunch of hefty males from her house.