Operation 007 (SpyxFamily)

Ch. 17: Part Three

Of course he could, she thought. He was an awful person.

If she didn't help Yuri find him, would that make her a bad person? Putting herself ahead of whoever he hurt next? She was the only person she knew of they could ask this. The only subject who had his name.

For obvious reasons.

When she really thought about it, she didn't like the idea of the director running around, doing whatever he wanted. If he was caught, it would make her feel better, but terrified at the same time. The director, knowing what he knew about her, could tell someone at anytime. She also knew he'd say nothing of his business if he could help it. He liked to keep things secret. To keep information close to his chest and use however he liked, without anyone knowing. Used peoples ignorance against them. Took advantage. If he was caught, she knew he probably wouldn't say a thing about her. Or the other subjects. But it was scary that he could.

"Kai Forester." Anya said, deciding she wouldn't feel right withholding it.

Yuri blinked, a little surprised. She actually answered. He finally had the name he needed. Loid, thinking the same thing.

It made Yuri ask himself how she knew that. Why did she have his name, but none of the other subjects did? Was she actually related to the director? Or did she come by it some other way? "Do you know anything else about him?" Yuri asked, any detail could be useful.

"Not really." She lied. She knew plenty, but not what he was looking for. And anything else would give him too many hints.

Yuri sighed. He'd have to be satisfied with the name for now "Can you tell me what your subject number was?" Yuri asked. If he could narrow it down at all that'd be helpful. He'd visited the kids in the hospitals, hoping to use process of elimination, but they all insisted they didn't know. He wasn't sure he believed them. Some gave away definite ticks of lying, which led him to think they were all lying. As if in solidarity. To protect them.

'Protect them from what? The police? What did they think would happen to them?' But it made sense when he thought on it. These kids were used and experimented on. The espers even more so. It made sense they wouldn't trust people, if any one of them would be locked up or taken advantage of.

What was he supposed to do with this information, then? He needed to know. He couldn't ignore any possible threats to the state. They would need to be monitored.

"Anya doesn't know." The little girl answered, as Loid came out with her plate.

Yuri realized he'd gotten lost in his head, and refocused. He couldn't tell if she was lying, but he guessed she was.

Loid came to join at the table as he placed the food in front of Anya, who happily took the excuse to break contact with Yuri without appearing guilty.

What would Yuri do if Anya was one of them, he thought. Yor wouldn't like the SSS keeping tabs on her all the time. He knew he couldn't let Yor down if she asked him to keep it a secret.

'That is what she'd want', he thought, the knowledge drastically declining his fervour to find the truth. He could never do anything that would upset Yor.

It was very possible that none of the subjects they found was even an esper. The number of children found, not matching the count on the sheets. Others were probably dead, or elsewhere. Like Brook who had been on missions. Quite a few were missing, that even the deceased couldn't account for. Which meant determining the lab kids subject numbers would only get him so far.

It was inconclusive enough that missing one telepath wouldn't be strange. He could keep it to himself if Anya was one of them. No one else would have to know if it meant securing Yor's happiness. He couldn't say the same for the others, but he'd try to deal with it delicately.

Yor would appreciate that, he thought.

He then asked Anya what she knew about the scientists, but it was nothing he didn't already know.

She insisted she was ignorant of the numbers, convincing Yuri he'd have to find another way to further his investigation if those involved, didn't talk. He couldn't very well torture children for it.

He wished there was more Anya could give him, but she said that was all she knew.

He paused in his thoughts, curious if she could hear him. How did that work anyway? Could espers hear all of it? It was disquieting to think they could listen in to his subconscious. Disquieting they could listen in to anything. Yuri wanted a way to test it. To know for sure. he couldn't stop thinking about it when he was around the lab kids. 

With his vision on Loid, he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, watching her stick her prongs into a piece of broccoli.