Disappearing, Inc.

Chapter 16- Big News

Chapter 16- Big News

They were all there, sitting as still as statues, watching us walk into the room. All four of us sat down to face them: Mom, Dad, Madame Miranda, and even Amy. Their faces were stone, emotionless and intimidating. Then he walked in, Derek Thorton. He darted over to an empty spot in the chairs, late. Not only was he my brother, but the reason we were all in trouble, all because I didn't shoot him and he was alive.

"Welcome, since this is your assassination, this is your first assassination debrief," announced Madame Miranda. "First things first, mission failed." I stared at the ground, annoyed at her comment. What did they expect? Did they think I would actually kill my brother? Morgan kicked my shin and I looked back up, we needed to stay strong.

"Mission plans were--" she continued until she was cut off.

"We all know it was an accident, you shouldn't feel ashamed," put in my mother graciously. Her comment didn't make me feel any better, only worse.

"What do we need to learn for next time?" Asked Madame Miranda.

"If she didn't shoot Derek, who did Claire shoot?" Kelsey asked. I pawed the ground with my bare feet."

"That's the thing," Madame Miranda continued, pausing. I could feel my dads stares beating into my forehead, but I kept on looking ahead. The pieces didn't fit together. They wanted Derek dead, and now he is sitting here with us, having a civilized conversation. Did they even know that I knew he was my brother? They had to of known and obviously at one point I would find out too. Still, my team didn't know. Also, if we failed the mission, why were they being so apologetic? Something wasn't right.

"Claire, you shot X." She said, looking right into my eyes. I stared straight back, not flinching at her glare. Morgan, Brooke, and Kelsey gasped in surprise. I kept on staring.

"The bullet hit right in the neck and right now she is in a critical condition, luckily, we have the best of the best for doctors and the odds are in her favor right now." My dad said with his bellowing voice.

"We know you didn't mean to and we hope she's okay," soothed my mom, still not helping at all. My discontentment was bubbling up with everyone of their comments.

"What did you expect me to do," I asked rising from my chair, "shoot my brother?" Another round of gasps were released and Derek turned bright red.

"Sweetie, calm down, it's okay, it was probably a misunderstanding with X," said my mom, trying to calm me down.

"X this and X that, who is X?!" I screamed, balling my fists. Guards stepped in front of them protecting them, protecting them from me. As I was about to lunge forward to attack the guards, a nurse similar to the one who fed me while I was in the hospital walked in.

"Peter, Josephine, Miranda, it's an urgent message from the infirm," she said. She outstretched her arm and in her hand was a little white sheet of paper.

Madame Miranda whisked it from her hand. She studied it and her face fell.

"X is dead." She said, trying to maintain a calm expression. All the sound in the room faded away as we soaked up the news. X. Dead. All of the pain, gone. All of our missions, gone. X, gone.

"Can we, um, see the body?" My mom asked softly, shattering the silence.

Madame Miranda didn't respond. She only glanced at us then stared walking out the door, signaling for us to follow.

We walked down a dark hall for what seemed liked hours, but could only of been a few minutes when we reached a solid steel wall with an iron door. A doctor came out with scraggly gray hair and large glasses. He wore gloves with drops of blood on them and a stethoscope around his neck. He was breathing hard and looked stressed and tired.

He didn't say anything, only shook his head and opened the door. Inside were dozens of machines and tubes of medicine. In the middle of the room on a white bed was a young and beautiful woman, about the age of thirty. She had long brown hair and smooth skin. She lay motionless and the monitor at her side beeped a slow continuous rhythm. A deep wound lay in the center of her throat, where I shot her. It was X. The mysterious one. The one I have lived in fear of. The one who ruled my life. The cause of the pain. She was dead. X was dead.

I couldn't take the silence much longer. I ran out of the room and down the endless hallway, not stopping for even air. It couldn't be true, it was just too easy. X was the top spy out there, the number one killer. How could an amateur like me just, just shoot her?

Finally, I reached my destination, the study I woke up in. I sat down on the leather couch and didn't move. I heard footsteps behind me, but I still didn't move, they couldn't make me.

"Claire, Claire," puffed someone. "It's me, Morgan."

"Hey," I responded, not saying anymore.

"We made it!" Chanted Brooke and Kelsey who were right on her heels, also panting.

"Hey," I said again. "It doesn't make any sense. They had to of manipulated us. X can't die that quickly, it was just to easy!"

"You don't think we haven't had the same thoughts?" Cried Brooke.

"Why didn't you tell us Derek was your brother?" Asked Kelsey.

"Because I didn't know. I had known from the start that we had some connection, but it didn't hit me that he was my brother until I had my gun pointed at his head."

"Oh."

"That part also doesn't make any sense. Why did X want to kill him?" I asked, still confused.

"I'm not sure, none of us are, but this isn't a safe place to talk, they will be coming soon." Said Brooke.

"Where did he go? What happened to him?" I asked, staring off into space. I remember some of it, but what happened after he left is a mystery to me.

"That is a good question, where did he go? He didn't come with us to see X." Realized Kelsey.

"Guys, we really have to go!" Morgan begged, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the door. She dragged us into a closet just as the adults came streaming past us. I pressed my ear against the wooden door.

"Where did they go?"

"Do they know we're in the house yet?"

"X is..." The words faded away and so did the sound of footsteps. We stayed squished against each other for a few more minutes, just to stay on the safe side. If we were in the mansion, it means that there was a passage behind the plant in front to our side.

When we opened the closet door, I pointed towards the plant.

Brooke shook her head, "I want to see her one more time." I tried to argue, but they dashed down the hall before I could veto it. I didn't want to see the cause of our suffering again. Once was one too many.

We reached the door and opened it slowly. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see her. Kelsey tapped my shoulder.

"Claire," she said voice shaking. I opened my eyes, grimacing at the thought of what I'd see.

But the body was gone.