Who Am I

Matteo

Lotte's eyes widened. Matteo gulped, glancing down at Nikita before meeting her gaze. Lotte took an involuntary step back. He took a step forward.

"Matteo..." Nikita murmured. Her eyes suddenly opened. "Antione! Where is he?"' Lotte's gun came up again, the black tool shining in the light.

"Lotte, I can explain-"

"ANTIONE!" Matteo gently touched her face.

"Shh. Shhh. It's a bad dream." Lotte frowned. Her face cleared, eyes blank.

Click.

Matteo glanced between her detached expression and the gun. He jumped off the balcony.

"No!" Lotte cried. She ran to the ledge....

Matteo unhooked the cord from his belt. A car swerved in, hands pulling Nikita inside. Matteo jumped in. Lotte watched as they drove away.

What are you doing? Get them!

Lotte ran down out the apartment, down a flight of stairs. She burst into the lobby. Ivan and Cora ran to her.

"Matteo. He's here. He's with Nikita. And they're working together and she passed out and mumbled about Antione and then they jumped. But they're alive! And they ran or drove off in a car and that wad a few minutes ago. And Matteo is with her."

"Lotte," Cora said calmly, "if you want us to understand, speak slower so we can go to the authorities."

"I talked with Nikita and she passed out. Then Matteo came and took her away. And they jumped off a balcony."

"They jumped off a ten story building?" Ivan asked.

"They had a chord."

"That's hardly an improvement," Cora said. She lowered her voice, snapping a fan open. "And all my drinks in the fridge were spiked." Ivan's mouth popped open.

"Why would you do that?" Lotte groaned.

"You wouldn't drink any of that. You like tea too much."

"Still!"

"You are still here."

"I could have lost the target!"

"And now we are thinking of a future that will never happen." Lotte started pacing.

"We need to call the police. I'm going to call the FBI. Maybe even Interpol. Matteo works with the underground financier of illegal activities, haha."

"No you're not," Ivan said slowly. Lotte whirled to him.

"Why?"

"Because if you want to get anywhere in this subject, you do not waste your time with dimwitted police who can't even do their job well half the time. A job well done must always be done by yourself."

"The police!"

"Are not going to help," Ivan said. "They stay out of business. And they'll do it willingly if you pay them enough. They're short staffed as it is."

"Are you expecting me to do it? I don't even know where my next assignment will be?" Cora scoffed.

"Then quit." Lotte blinked.

"Did you just suggest I quit?" Cora narrowed her eyes.

"You shouldn't be held down by such expectations. Besides, if you really need the money, Ivan, Blaire, and I will hire you."

"I like my job."

"Is it the pay? We can triple it."

"It's a good job."

"But don't you want to find out what happened?" Cora pressed. Lotte frowned.

"I do," she began slowly, "but I have obligations in the US."

"Really. And what are these expectations?"

"......."