Alex sat alone in Julie's office, staring at her mentor in disguise. She had no idea what Auxilium wanted from her and as soon as they got it, there was no telling what they would do.
"You must understand what you've done has put the entire agency at risk, caused a multitude of problems and disturbed a much anticipated tradition."
Alex nodded, not really feeling like she was meant to say anything in this scenario. She was putting all of her focus towards not squirming under Julie's intense gaze and looking at the door behind her. The screen displaying the Scottish Highlands no longer seemed magical or like a work of art. It was taunting, showing her a place she could get away from all of this.
Julie reclined in her chair, power and control rolling off of her in waves. "You won't be allowed to go on any missions of course. Against the board's judgement I have allowed you to remain here at the agency because they don't understand the stakes. There is something bigger at hand and I'll be needing the best analysts and field agents we have. Luckily for you, you're included in that group."
Yay, not being kicked out by the killer agency. Lucky me.
"But what I really want to know," Julie continued, "Is exactly what you saw."
Alex gulped. "N-nothing." Stuttering? Since when did she stutter?
"I find that very hard to believe."
"No, really, I couldn't figure out the username or password. It was ridiculous to attempt it now that I think about it."
"Well," Julie steepled her fingers in front of herself, looking at Alex too critically. "I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. A large part of me really thought you'd be able to get in."
Alex gritted her teeth. She knew what game Julie was playing, what she was trying to get her to do. But she would deny what her pride was pleading she do and carried on playing innocent. "Nope, I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was," the words tasted bitter in her mouth, sour and poisonous.
Julie sighed. "I guess not."
Alex cleared her throat. "Is there anything else?"
"We just need to go over a few things. You will be completing no other missions until further notice. Access to most areas have been rescinded until further notice. Lessons will continue as per usual. This isn't a prison, you aren't forbidden to do anything. You are a special case. Under normal circumstances you would have been asked to leave."
Intrigue pushed away fear. "What make my circumstances so unusual?" Alex had a hard look in her eyes and Julie knew that there would be more trouble if she didn't come out with the truth. She didn't enjoy lying to Alex but it was what she had thought was the best course of action.
Now she was regretting her decision and her underestimation of Alex's curiosity and determination to avenge her mother.
"I know you said you don't have anything but one of the last things your mother relayed to us was that some very important information she had risked her life to find was with a 'special person'. It made sense that this person would be you."
"So that's really why you wanted me here then? Not even as 'protection' but because you want to use me?" The accusation was clear.
"No! Alex, you are amazing and there is so much of your mother in you. You have the ability to help save so many people but you have to trust that we are looking after you." Alex wanted to believe her, she really did. But everything that had happened was proof that trusting people only lead to pain and more problems.
"Trust," she scoffed. "Easy to say, not so easy to do." She stood up suddenly and turned towards the door. "I accept the punishment, don't care," she called over her shoulder before striding out of the office and into the atrium.
The rest of the agency were departing the event, letting Alex blend into the crowd once again. She enjoyed the anonymity while she could, already knowing that what happened would spread, though maybe not the truth. Auxilium had a knack for hiding that.
Alex had known that this had been the cross-roads for her. The decision she made was just another move on the chessboard. She just hoped sacrificing her queen was worth it.