"We're here." Adrian said, taking a turn and entering some sort of building with his car. In what looked like to be an underground and hided parking lot. He quickly parked somewhere and stopped the motor. I didn't say anything and simply stepped outside of the car.
"Alan is still here." It wasn't really a question. I recognized his car from where i was.
"Yes. He was told to wait until your arrival." He said, with his nearly robotic voice. Is that why Jake was talking like that ? Well, it wasn't that pronounce anymore but sometimes he would still talk like that too.
I nodded my head and followed him. He entered by a door on the side, holding the door open for me. I stepped inside a long white corridor with absolutely no doors. Adrian suddenly took a turn in another corridor with this time a few doors. Once in front the third one, he stopped and turned around to look at me.
"I am not supposed to enter as the meeting is private right now. You will be in company of Chief Alan Bloomgate and my superior, Marc Levoy."
"Nobody else ?" I raised an eyebrow.
"No." He said before turning back to the door and knocking. I was surprised that i didn't have to pass a security gate of some sort to see if i didn't have anything harmful with me. But then again, they also probably want to keep this as private as possible. For now at least. That means Alan probably turned off his phone by choice.
"Enter." The voice was deep. That wasn't Alan. Probably this Marc Levoy.
Adrian opened the door and stepped to the side. "Miss Judith Anna Tolis has arrived sir." Wow, so formal. Should i be that formal too ?
"Good. You can leave now Adrian. Please, take a sit Miss Tolis." The man said, standing up and extending his hand to show a blue chair.
I didn't say anything and simply walked inside the room, hearing Adrian close the door behind me. The room wasn't that big. It has a relatively big round table with a set of blue chairs all around it. Alan was sitting on one of them. Surprisingly, or not really considering the place we were at, he was wearing a costume. Well, a dress shirt and a pair of black trousers. He had stood up too.
I nodded my head to him, looking at him. He was tall, taller than Alan, and had black hair. He looked like to be in his fifty ? Maybe ? I don't know. I sat on the chair in front of Alan, greeting him with a movement of the head. He did the same and sat down again, followed by Marc.
"Thank you for coming Miss Tolis. I apologize for not warning you before that. I wasn't aware of your involvement in this story until now." He said, crossing his hands on the table.
"It's alright. Admittedly it wasn't the best idea to post a guy in front of the door of my roommate. But i accept your apologize." I said, looking at him. "I think Chief Bloomgate must have mention me then ?" I turned to look at him for a second.
"Ah, yes, he did."
"Did he show you the proofs ?" I asked directly. Because i wasn't here to ruin my time.
"He did. Videos and pictures were showed." He said, pointing at the end of the table where a laptop was resting. I didn't saw it at first.
"That's a start. Why am i needed then ?" Because as much as i wanted to help, i didn't really know why i was here.
"I believe you know someone called Jake ?"
I tried to be as impassible as i could and stayed silent. Just watching them. Did Alan talked about him ?
"Let me explain. I had an employee called Jake who worked here for four years. One day to another, he vanished. He supposedly tempered with some of our system to blackmail. It has been years since we last saw him in person."
"Did you ever saw those tempering ?" I asked.
"Well, admittedly back then, i never saw any needs of proof. The simple fact that he vanished, was enough to understand that he did something he wasn't supposed to."
"Are you all like this ? Or is it just Duskwood ?" I asked, feeling my chest burn. They accused Jake without even looking. They never actually knew why some of the members of the government wanted Jake.
"Judith." I heard Alan say. It was the first thing he said and it was probably because i was starting to lose it.
"What ? What you're trying to say is that, one day, somebody under you came and told you that Jake had tempered something and just like that he was a wanted criminal ? Isn't that a bit low and unfair ?" I said, looking at this guy.
"I understand your point of view now."
"What ? Because you saw the videos ? You saw how those same guys that were looking for Jake, were in reality the monsters of the story ? What you needed was that ? Videos and pictures of men, women and children being killed and assaulted ? Being Raped ? Or was it the organs trafficking ? All of the above ?" I said, slamming my hand on the table.
Alan looked at me and shook his head. He knew i would be pissed. "Judith, that's enough. You want to help, yes or no ?"
"Are you kidding me ? I always wanted to help everyone ! That's why i'm here." I said pointing my index finger on the table. "That's why i left everything and came in this town. But how can i help if it took all those years for him to understand what he did wrong ?" I nearly screamed, pointing at the man in front of me. My heart was beating like crazy and my voice was starting to get squeaky.
"Please calm down. I understand your anger but it cannot be undone i'm afraid."
"But can you fixed it ? That's the real question here. Can you stop this ? Can you assure me that it will be taken care of ?"
"I can."
"But will you ?"
"If you can explain how you stumbled on all of this, i will. I can not in good conscience let you the power to find governmental matters if you are able to do so."
"What did you say ?" I turned to look at Alan who was quiet. "How much did you talk ?"
He sighed. "Only what i know. Somebody gave me access of files that contained videos, pictures and documents about the matters that were going on in the government. We spend some times looking at the most important ones."
That's why he stayed so long here. I nodded to him and started thinking. What would Jake do ? I have to power in hand to explain how Jake found those things and maybe gain his liberty.
"Whatever i'm about to tell you, would it be used against me or the persons mentioned ?"
"No. I understand that you do not seems to like me Miss Tolis." He was right. "And i can see why. But all that matters to me, is justice, believe it or not. If we are in a case where an injustice happened, i would like to make it right again."
"Alright. I wasn't the one to find those files. I'm not smart enough to do so." I said. I heard Alan cough and looked at him. Was he mocking me right now ? I could see a smirk, i swear.
"Was it Jake ?"
"Straightforward."
"Always."
I thought about it one last time. They actually knew i was in contact with Jake and they were aware that he was alive, somewhere here. Even if i didn't say anything, they technically already knew.
"I am in contact with him, yes. He helped me understanding why he was being chased down. And like you saw, he was trapped without good reasons."
"I see. Would contacting him be possible ?" He asked.
"Would it be needed ?"
"Not immediately."
"Then i prefer if we didn't bring him in the matter now. Because even if you do see him as somebody who was judged too quickly, the ones implied in this, won't. They're part of the government, it would be easy for them to understand that you took contact with him. And honestly ? I don't feel confident in implying him yet."
"Judith, maybe you should-" Alan tried to talk.
I stopped him. "No. If he isn't needed here for now, he won't be called. I don't care what you think Alan, they chased him. They forced him to live a life that no one wants." I said to him before looking at the other man. "I won't contact him. Not now."
"I understand. But i must say that if you do want the case to come to an end that would be in his favor, he will need to be here. Or at the very least, you will have to contact him if you want it or not." He said, tapping the table a bit with his finger.
"I know." I said, looking down at my hands. "Until then, what do you plan to do ?"
"I will act like nothing occurred." He responded.
"What ? Did you hear what i-"
"Judith, you can also wait until people finish their sentence. He won't do anything." Alan said.
"Like Chief Bloomgate said, i won't do anything. What i meant when i said i would act like nothing occurred, i meant that i would act like i never had this meeting with you. At least until i can be assure that all of the fraudsters are being taken care of. They can't know that i know. If they do, they will try to escape. And that's not what we want, do we ?" He said, putting his chin on his crossed hands.
I simply nodded my head to him. "That seems like a good idea, yes. I apologize for talking without thinking."
"It's quite alright, do not worry about it." He was actually nice. I never expected him to be like this. "Well then, i think that we are finished here ? For the time being i suppose."
"Yes." Looks like they only wanted me to come here so they would be sure i had some sort of contact with Jake. I hope i did the right thing.
"Would it be possible to have your phone number ? It will be possible that i will need to take contact with you at some point in time." He said, pulling a notebook from the side of the table.
I raised an eyebrow. "Do you not have it ? You're the head of the government." I saw Alan turn his head and roll his eyes. I raised my shoulders at him.
Marc Levoy laughed a bit and opened his pen. "Well, technically speaking, i could have someone looking for your number, i could even look for it myself. Let's just say that i would prefer if you gave it to me so you would be aware of me having it."
Seems possible. "Sure." I quickly gave him my number. "Would that be it ?"
"Yes. I'm not keeping you any longer. You are free to leave if you wish to. Would you like me to call Adrian so he can drive you back ?" He asked. Oh god no.
"Actually, Alan ?" I said, batting my eyelids a bit. "Can i come with you, please ?" I asked, smiling sweetly.
He sighed once again, bringing his hand to his eyes. "Yes Judith, i will drive you back. Hurry up, i'm done here."
I nodded and stood up. They both stood up too and shook hands. The head of the government extended his hand to me next. I quickly shook it and followed Alan in the corridor.
I felt like i could breath right again. We were doing good. I swear we would find a way so that Jake would be free.