Twisted Mercy

Mission Interrogation

July 5th, 2021

7:19am

Location: Rockport, AR

**********

The meeting room we were sitting in was damp. Like, we could've been in the middle of a cave damp. Condensation formed on the cool metal table and I busied myself creating many tiny faces.

Happy, sad, angry...

Genny adjusted in her seat as the door across the room opened. I didn't look up as the footsteps stopped and the chair across from us was pulled out.

Confused, bored, crying...

"Lillian, are you going to pay attention to this briefing?" Madame Cabal's motherly tone hardly concealed her rising annoyance at my disinterest.

However, not wanting to submit myself to three hours of torture and four days without food, I lifted my gaze and crossed my arms. The short, plump woman across from me seemed slightly pleased at this action and dropped two folders on the table.

I grabbed mine and Gia flipped through her own. This is usually how it went. We get the files, read them, then Madame Cabal repeats everything in the files. Rather redundant, in my opinion.

Our next mission should be a piece of cake. Gia has to hack into a surveillance feed while I sneak into an ex-Cabal's safe house. It was set up by the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately, there are rats everywhere. With the right amount of cheddar, they become very nice pets.

"Lillian?" Uh oh. I hated it when they had questions for me.

"Yes, Madame Cabal?" I feigned innocence, knowing full well that she'd rip me a new one for not listening again.

"I understand that you couldn't care less about this mission or any mission we give you, but keep in mind that you are to listen when I speak and be prepared for any question I may ask."

Huh. That wasn't as bad as the others. She must be having a good day. Obviously, her nails are done and so is her makeup. Mascara was distributed in globs on her eyelashes, making them clump, and her purple lipstick stained one of her incisors. Must be date night with Sir Cabal.

"I apologize, Madame. What were you saying?"

"If you fail this mission, you'll be replaced. If you step out of line, replaced. Betrayal? Don't even think about it."

"All due respect, Madame Cabal, but we would've betrayed you already if we wanted to."

Her icy gaze could've frozen Mexico when I looked her in the eyes. I remained indifferent, even with Genevieve squirming in her seat next to mine, silently pleading with me the shut the heck up.

"You seem quite sure of that, Lillian," Madame Cabal sneered. "It almost sounded like a threat."

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the chair. "Not a threat. Just a statement of fact."

"It doesn't do you well to state things that could get you in trouble, dear. I could end you with a blink of my eyes."

I suddenly became extremely aware of the guards standing by the door as they shifted on their feet. A young man and an older one. I thought it was cute that Madame Cabal needed protection from us. Of course, the things we do, no one can protect themselves from it.

Sighing, I picked the folder back up and glanced over the names and the location. It was for their informant in Alabama. There's one in every Southern state. Not in the capitol, but close to it. It helped keep someone close to the action without getting involved so names don't get spilled.