The Unmasking

Part 24

Mr. Blackbourne POV

Ms. Sorenson's palms were sweating, a slight tremor running it's course through her increased heart rate. I held her hand a moment longer, satisfied I had read her correctly. She was resolutely terrified now that we were present at the school. Sean had been right about his hunch this morning during their exchange on the way to Ashley Waters. The school was connected somehow, either in the presence of Volto himself, or in new information she was aware of. I resolved to get to the bottom of whatever held Ms. Sorenson's tongue in check. Sean walked up behind me, holding out the customized phone we had been working on all morning. Ms. Sorenson's original pink casing now disguised a phone that would work as normal, but record 24 hour audio, even if the sim card and battery were removed. I hoped it would keep us better informed on everything going on around her. Even a slight advantage could mean the difference of gaining vital intelligence or remaining in the dark. As much as Ms. Sorenson thought it necessary to withhold from us it could ultimately hurt her further than we were willing to let it. Sean spoke up, pain behind his usually carefree tone. I frowned. Something had been off all morning with him.

"Your phone pumpkin. Keep it on you at all times...please. "

I took the device from Sean and held up the new phone in the old pink case expectantly to her. Her expressions were everywhere, nervousness, relief, fear, anxiety, as she reached out to take the case from me and silently placed it behind her button up shirt into her bosom. Once in place she hovered her hand over the area she had tucked it, tracing it and nodding half to herself and half to us. I wanted nothing more than to reach out to her somehow, to be able to wipe the lost look from her face. Kota nodded and they were gone, on their way to Principal Hendricks office. I smoothed down my tie and turned, Sean already had the cameras we had set up in Hendrick's office up on his laptop. I stood next to him with my arms folded and stared, waiting for an explanation for his odd demeanor. He sighed angrily as he set up the audio to play through earbuds and handed me my set. It was going to be a difficult discussion then. I waited and focused on the surveillance feed, giving him space to spit it out.

"Owen, either we let her in or we're going to lose her. She needs to be trusted with more than the pittance she picks up here and there on her own."

"It's too soon Sean, you know that. The Academy..."

"The Academy has rules, yes. But sometimes rules have to be bent if an objective is to be reached, and by hell Owen I see that objective slipping through our fingers this time! She had a point this morning. We give her so little and expect everything from her. I'm not surprised she feels indignant at our demands. I would too if I was in her position. She should know more about what she's trying to help us with at the very least."

"You know as well as I do that that is not possible right now Sean. There is too much at stake. We're working on it. By January she'll be introduced to the Academy and we can tell her more."

"I feel it will be too late by then." he muttered.

He plucked his earbud set up and inserted them quickly as we both watched Ms. Sorenson enter the surveillance screen, cutting off our conversation as we focused on her. I worried at his words. Sean's gut feelings were usually spot on. I would be a fool to ignore them.