It wasn't quite an interrogation room. The biggest factor was the lack of cops. Just four dull gray walls with a light hanging from the ceiling, a metal table and chair in the middle, no one-sided window and only a door where she could hear men talk but not quite make out what they were saying. But she wasn't alone.
In the corner, opposite of the door, stood the Aussie with his arms folded, glaring at her from the corner of his eye. He was also at a crossroads, he couldn't decide whether she was an enemy (of some kind) or really just a dumb civilian who decided to saunter around without thinking, but one thing did not falter. He did not trust her... yet?
Unbothered by his glaring or rather trying to keep a brave face Emma frustratingly removing sand and dust as best she could from areas where sand should not be, but it was difficult whiles someone else was in the room. Removing her boots, she tipped them over removing sand and small rocks. There had not been complaints from the man against the wall about her actions, so she only continued. Emma also took the opportunity to study the man, making sure not to look too long only giving him side glances.
He wore a red three-quarter button up t-shirt - the top button was open revealing a white undershirt - and a dark brown or gray vest. Not zipped up like the other man. With bullets in his right pocket, a quiver over his right shoulder and black fingerless gloves. From where she sat, she could not see his shoes, but he wore dark gray almost black pants with a small satchel on his right upper thigh. The shadow from his hat and glasses made it hard to see his face and know what he was thinking. Only remembering his light blue eyes in the scuffle.
Suddenly the door opened and a very well-dressed man, also in red, walked in with a ski mask on. "Ee apologize for makin' you wait so lon', mademoiselle." Never mind a balaclava because this was a Frenchman. "Dz eembehciles outside had told meh evergrythin'..." He used his best velvet like voice to get her to ease but Emma didn't really care, and he kept yammering on, saying 'mon cher' every now and then.
Watching her intently he was a bit offended that she wasn't listening, about to speak once more she stopped him. Leaning slightly over, brushing her shoulder length even dirtier blond hair to remove more sand and dust. "Are you a lawyer or something?" She asked frowning slightly sitting back up, throwing her hair back and unwrapping the dust covered red scarf and placing it on the table. "Non?" He furrowed his brows glancing at the man in the corner. "Ok good because I don't really like lawyers and I'm not the one that should be interrogated. These people attacked me!" She burst out shaking her scarf and wrapping it loosely around her neck, folding her arms over her chest. The Aussie found a new liking to the trespasser. Most women would be swooned by the French accent, but she didn't seem all that impressed only caring about her own safety.
The door opened once more and the two men from before walked in, but this time the Texan spoke first and the loud-mouth stood near the door with the Frenchman. "Ah want to apologize for my frayend's rude behavayor and the hostility from these two men," Pointing at the loud man and the Aussie, "had shown ya." Smiling kindly Emma felt a bit more relaxed but that quickly ended with his next words. "But we would very much layke to know how ya found us?" His voice had a little more aggression and Emma knew that now was not the time to be wasting any time.
Unfolding her arms, she placed her hands on the table to seem more harmless, taking a deep breath she spoke slowly. "Look, my father left me a letter saying that this place was "safe" and that I might be able to use my skills here and-" "That still doesn't tell us how!" The loud-mouth interrupted, making her raise her voice but keep her composure. "I'm getting there! He didn't give me this places' coordinates but the small town not far from here, um, -eufo-t." Everyone simultaneously frowned and the man in the corner looked up. "Ya mean Teufort?" The Texan corrected, she only shrugged, calm once more. "A man near the bus stop drove me here and then left me here," Feeling slightly betrayed she pushed it away, "but the only other thing worth mentioning it that my father said, 'RED is your friend'. That is why I am wearing a red scarf." "But who was your father?!" The loud one pointed an accusing finger at her. Licking her lips, she sighed deeply. The man yelling at her was making her nervous and the four pairs of glaring eyes did not help either.
Reaching down to her right pocket, she remembered taking one of her father's photos and stuffing it into her pocket. She thought that maybe she had to show it to someone and now was the perfect time to show it. Everyone tensed up at her movement and made some variant of a noise. The Frenchmen instantly pointed a golden revolver at her making her flinch and raise her hands. "I'm only taking out a photo!" She retorted, he eyed her up and down. Holstering it he nodded indicating she may move freely, reaching again but this time slower, she pulled out a small piece of scrunched up paper. Placing it on the table, folding it open and turning it to face them. "That's my father." She pointed with her left hand at the man third on the right. The man with the goggles slowly picked up the photo to inspect it better. Her father stood with friends and had a wide smile on his face.
Between all of this the man in the corner had pushed himself off the wall and walked a bit closer to the table. When she reached for her pocket, he only uncrossed his arms and watched her more intently, ready if she would have done anything. When she pointed at the photo, he had noticed a bandage around her hand, ending slightly before her knuckles.
"Ah thank we should discuss this further outside?" The Texan finally spoke, and the three other men looked over his shoulder at the photo and hummed in unison. Heading for the door she quickly spoke, raising her hand slightly, "Could I get some water?" Smiling slyly the Frenchman answered, "Of course, mon cher. Dzees bushman will zhet you yourgr drgrink." Placing one hand behind him and pointed the other at the Aussie. Frowning at him he knew what the frog was doing. "Oi ain't gettin' her nothin'." Side eyeing her, she looked defeated, but he still didn't trust her and with the new information she seemed more and more suspicious. "Ah thank that's a mithy good adea." Looking at both men he sighed deeply, mumbling to himself as he walked reluctantly to the kitchen. "Bloody spooks." They closed the door and followed him into the kitchen to further discuss her there.
Outside the door, just before they left, Emma saw a lanky youngish man walk by. Whistling slightly to himself pretending to mind his own business, but he looked straight at her making it blatantly obvious what he was doing. He also tried making himself bigger by walking with his arms slightly out. He also tried to flex? She only frowned and shook her head at the man. Sitting back, she waited for the others to return. Feeling terrified by what she got herself into and what these strangers with matching colours would do next.
"This is a photo of the previous RED team. Apparently, the old engineer was her father!" "She could be lyin'?" Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge - as they recently found out the water was contaminated - he placed it on the table and folded his arms once more, looking between the three men before him. "We should ask faw hergr name, dzat will make it easiergr to find mawe inforgrmation." Lighting a cigarette and placing it between his lips they continued. "Why don't we just beat the information out of her!?" "Ah don't thank that's gonna solve anythan' Soldier, she's already not welcomed." Nodding in agreement they all went back to the room. Making sure to grab the bottle as they leave.
Sitting silently in the dim room Emma jumped at the sudden opening of the door. The Aussie placed the water bottle away from her. Everyone was confused by his action but waited to see what he might do. Frowning at the man before her, he leaned forward over the table and looked her straight in the eyes. Emma on the other hand could not see his eyes through his glasses so she took a wild guess. "How do we know you ain't lyin' to us, sheila?" Shocked at his question she leaned forward as well, challenging him. "I don't know, maybe if you do your job, whatever that might be, you could have files or something." She emphasized 'or something' by shrugging and shaking her hands slightly. Finding truth to her words he felt dumb for not thinking of it himself. Frowning slightly, he continued, "Oi don't like ya." "Well, I don't like you either, cowboy." Flicking the tip of his hat with her index finger, he stood up right, smirking and chuckling whiles fixing his hat. She had guts for someone who didn't know where she was and who they were but deep down she regretted everything and feared for her live.
Suddenly their glaring contest was rudely interrupted by Soldier slamming his hands on the table making the bottle fall over. "State your name, rank and intentions!" With wide eyes and arms tucked close she looked at him confused but answered as best she could. "Emily Shallow, civilian and wishes she was never here?" Standing up once more placing his hands behind his back he turned around and walked back out. Without another word everyone else did the same, leaving her in shock, but moved the bottle closer for her to reach. "Thank you." She said silently before the door closed, hoping no one would hear her, but the cowboy heard her.
~~~~~~
Sometime had passed and the four men had finally found a folder with the name Shallow on it. Placing the folder on a metal table the Texan flipped through it finding the information regarding the previous engineer. "Got married in 1945 and had a single child three years layter named Emily." On the file was a small family portrait. The woman sat in a chair with her husband standing on her right and a small baby girl on her lap. "That could be anyone!" Soldier protested pointing at the little girl. "It's 1973 now, she should be somewhere in her twenties." "We kah-nt believe her that quickly, she ain't tellin' the full story." Sniper agreed with Soldier, but the Texan wasn't taking it. "We have proof, Sniper! Why are ya against her so badly?" "This is probably what she wants." Talking calmly whiles walking closer, opening his arms to emphasize, Engineer only frowned questionably. "She'll get us one by one and pin us against one another." Standing in front of Engineer, still talking calmly but with urgency, jabbing his finger in Engineer's chest as he was shorter than him. "But the evidence says otherwise." Not convinced and slightly agitated by Sniper's calm but argumentative tone, both crossed their arms and glared at one another.
The Texan didn't like the accusations he was throwing around about the woman, but knew he was right. She could be lying, pulling a cloth over his eyes, but he also wanted to believe Sniper was paranoid. Still glaring the Frenchman spoke up, causing them to look at him. "I can't believe I'm sayin' ds but... the bushman's rgright, we must not let our guargrd down. We still don't know what she's capable of." It was three against one and Engineer only huffed picking up the file and placing it back in the file cabinet.
Returning to the room Emma had made herself comfortable with her feet on the table, leaning back in the chair. The Texan spoke first again. "Do ya mind tellin' us your ayge?" Setting her feet back down she looked between everyone. She was very hesitant in giving them the information, but she knew it would benefit her, "25, almost 26." Nodding at her response he glared at the others just because and spoke further. "We hayd found your faythers file and it has proof that ya ayre his daughter..." "Were his daughter." She quickly corrected him receiving a head tilt "Ah beg your pardon?" "My parents passed away a few months ago, it's just me now." She spoke with a soft voice and a slight smile, too scared that she might cry. "Ah'm sorry for ya lose." She tried keeping her smile, but it quickly faltered.
"Well now dzat we had settled dzees for now. I thenk we owe Miss Shallow a proper apolozhy." He mostly looked at the bushman and loud-mouth. "Affirmative! Miss Shallow I apologize for shooting you!" Nodding and frowning at his words she looked at the cowboy, who stood with his arms over his chest he looked at her and gave her a quick apology, "Oi'm sorry as well." Looking away she knew she wasn't going to get much out of him and only hummed.
"Let me take yee to dz enfergrmary so dz Doctorgr can fex yourgr argrm." Standing up hesitantly she walked to the door where the Frenchman placed a hand on her back that instantly received a glare from the Aussie. The frog wanted to seem like the hero and wanted her to warm up to him. Walking down the hall almost back to the room where she came in, they took a left past black double flappy doors into a medical room. The other three did not follow only the man with the goggles did. The young man from before was also in the room talking to a very tall man with a lab coat, hair brushed neatly back wearing glasses.
"Jou muzd be ze fräulein Zcout ghat tolt me about." He pointed to the man sitting on one of the many hospital beds, flexing his right bicep, but the doctor guy had a thick German accent. Does everyone in this place have some sort of accent? "Yea doc, this is hea. Hahwahya, toots?" He leaned on his knee towards her with a smug smile on his face and had a Boston accent. That is a yes, everyone has an accent.
Upon seeing her the Doctors eyes saw the cloth on her arm that was soaked in blood and dried on the edges, quickly making his way to her he inspected it further. Flinching at his quick movement towards her arm she tensed up but relaxed as he only cared about her injury. "Leave now pleaze!" He yelled at the others, pulling her to a hospital bed and walking back to grab his medical kit. The three left but stood outside the door. Sitting atop the bed he quickly returned and untied the cloth inspecting the injury, luckily it was only a graze and would heal quickly.
Grabbing a cotton ball, antiseptic, medical scissors and a bandage from the kit his red rubber gloves had returned and Emma finally spoke, shocked at his actions and slightly intimidated by his height. "Seeing as everyone was rude and did not introduce themselves, I'm Emily Shallow. What's your name?" Taken slightly back with her question he frowned, not quite sure how to react but smiled and started cleaning her wound. "I am Medic." Now her turn to frown she tilted her head slightly. "Medic? Is it a code name or something?" Just before finishing her sentence, she instantly sucked in her breath through her teeth as the antiseptic burnt her wound. "Jou coult say zat. Did you, perhaps, azk for zheir names?" Furrowing her brows at his question, she knew he was right, she could have just asked but she was being yelled at half the time and did not have the time to think about it. "Well no... but it's called basic human curtesy! But they did 'ask' for my name."
"Hremove your zhert." Widening her eyes in shock and fear, it was more of a statement than a question. Realizing himself what he had just said he corrected himself, rushing his words and stumbling over them slightly. "I apologize! I meant, pleaze hremove your zhert OR may I cut it?" With a slight pink hue over his cheeks Emma relaxed and looked at her shirt. It was already destroyed, and she won't need it in a desert. "Cut it. It has done its job." Nodding at her he cut her sleeve completely off from the shoulder.
As he cleaned and walked back and forth from a metal table in the middle of the room, she looked around the room and saw that there were a few doves on the cabinets, hospital beds, gurneys and the bed curtains. Trying to push the thought away that doves were like pigeons and were probably very unsanitary. However, one in particular was more daring than the others, sitting on the bed beside her. "Hello?" She said looking at the dove who tilted its head at her and cooed flying atop her head. Giggling at the bird Medic didn't seem fond of it. "Not now, Archimedes!" Waving his hand over her head to shoo it, it only cooed and then complied.
Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to ask about him more. "What's your real name?" She asked as he wrapped a bandage around her shoulder. "I am not at libehrty to zay." Humming in understanding, he stepped back. "All done!" "Thank you, Medic." Humming at her he placed everything back and she walked out to see the men were still there but had almost stern expressions. They heard everything, especially the question concerning Medic's real name, it made them worry about what Sniper said. "Ah thank its time ya meet the team."