Tais-Toi

Chapter Forty-Two

After a few days of almost never leaving my room, I have a theory that doesn't sound that crazy. My mum spent a lot of time with Visioned. Maybe she met someone there and maybe she fell in love. Relationships are forbidden over there so a cleaner killed my mother. One: to eliminate a threat. Two: to eliminate the relationship – that means weakness – and so guarantee a better quality of the agent in question. And three: to show the Visioned agents they aren't messing around. Bonus package: she was wanted. Dead or alive. From what I've heard, they've killed many other relationships too. And it would also explain why my dad doesn't want to tell me who my biological father is: he's dangerous.

That leaves me with two options: my dad has been killed too, or he still works for Visioned. I hope it's the second option because I want a chance to meet him one day. If it isn't too dangerous. I might be staying in the CIA right now, looking into my mom's cases, but I'm not tired of living. And I will have to be very careful, especially if he doesn't even know I exist. I wouldn't want to scare him away or kill me because I know about Visioned.

Everything is always linked to Visioned. And I have to get inside. I need the information. And I can't get it myself because they know me. Who was it again that told me I have been on Visioned's most wanted list until I lost my ability to speak? Probably Heather. And I mean, my mum had been on that list until she died. And I resemble her.

Suddenly, it hits me. They already have someone on the inside. Maybe he or she can help me. But it will get very, very difficult. Because who would let someone like me talk to an undercover agent inside a deadly organisation? But asking won't hurt anyone, will it? I hurry to Ryan's office and push the bell button a hundred times. After a few seconds, he opens and is quite surprised to see me.

"Willow? Please, come in. To what do I owe the honour?"

I've got some things to discuss with you. I tell him, still panting from the running.

"So your grandmother talked to you?"

Oh. He says something I haven't prepared for. Yeah, that was a few days ago.

"That's why I haven't seen you in the training hall anymore." He notices.

I'm sorry about that. I just think my mom's case is more important than training. I say honestly, hoping he will understand.

"You wanted to talk to me?" He reminds me. "Did you find something?"

Yes... No... Kind of. I have a theory.

"I'm listening." He gets curious.

What if my mother was on a mission and fell in love with a Visioned agent? It would also explain why she got killed. A Visioned agent isn't allowed to have a relationship with a civilian. And most certainly not with a CIA agent. So, they kept it a secret while she was on the mission and he was probably on a mission himself. But when the mission ended, they had to split up. And he couldn't forget her. Visioned found out four years later and have been hunting her ever since, resulting into killing her. And the fact that she was the most wanted CIA agent, was a fantastic extra. It sounds possible, doesn't it?

"Surprisingly, it does. She had been captured twice by Visioned. Maybe she got close to one of her guards. And after she got rescued, there had always been a possibility for them to meet in secret."

There are records of her sneaking off when she was supposed to be here, in Washington.

"And in her personal reports?"

Never mentions anyone. He hums while he thinks about the new, refreshing info I gave him.

"The question now is: what do you want me to do?" Yeah, that's why I'm actually here.

I heard that you have someone on the inside? It's a rhetorical question. I would like to ask him if he could help.

"I'm afraid we'll have to discuss that with a few other people. And I'm afraid they'll think it's a bad idea."

If you could just ask it. It would be very, very helpful. If it's not possible, I'll back down and get the information in another, less dangerous way.

"I fear the biggest problem is that we need her inside Visioned for other reasons and I can't distract her from her actual mission." I understand, but if he could just ask!

I understand. It's not a problem.

"But I'll put it on the agenda of the next meeting." He smiles and I look up, surprised that he's even considering my stupid plan. Or at least, I thought it was ridiculous. Apparently it isn't that bad if he's going to discuss it on the next meeting. So let's hope now.

I appreciate it. Thank you.