"Elise!" My head snapped up from my desk. I ran my hand over my eyes from the sudden large amount of light. I cursed under my breath.
"Asleep on the job again?" Ethan Brown strolled up to me with a smirk on his arrogant face. "How do I always know?" He leaned against the far corner.
"What now, Ethan?" I groaned.
Ethan Brown. Chief of the Headquarters in New York City. My one and only boss. Who also happens to be my one and only pain in the ass. He found a lead on Christian DeLeop a year ago and was promoted for his 'advancement in the case'. I really think it was just a man who happened to look like Christian.
If he wanted to disappear, no one would ever find him. He was the best in the business, trained to fall into shadows. And that's what made his case the most important, and the most difficult.
"Just checking on you weekly progress again." He held a clipboard against his hip. "If you actually have any this week." He rose an eye brow as I narrowed my eyes slightly.
I could see why he was so suspicious of the amount of results I've collected. I haven't gotten anything in the past two weeks. It's all been the same. Photographs of a shadowed face, a blurred image, or sometimes a country claiming to have him in custody for the reward. But every times we send him over for questioning, we always end up with a dead end.
I quickly looked over at the file open on my computer. Christian DeLeop. Wanted in 27 different countries, two accounts of attempted murder, millions of dollars, euros, and pounds stolen from banks and treasuries. Date of Disappearance: Friday, May 13 (2011). And here we are, three years later, still looking for him.
"Well?" Ethan cleared his throat.
I clicked the file closed and turned off my monitor. "France and Serbia claim to have him in their holding cells." I turned to face him with my arms crossed over my chest. "A plastic surgeon in Guatemala says he gave him a new face two days ago after he saw a most recent picture of him. Is that enough for you?"
He scribbled it down and sighed. "France and Serbia were both in your last report Elsie."
"Well, apparently, he's still there."
"Hey." His voice lowered in volume to a stern whisper. "People are starting to question your loyalty to us. They're starting to think you're helping him disappear."
I shrugged. Let them think then. "If he wanted to disappear, Ethan, then he's not going to be found." I hissed through my teeth. "You of all people in here should know that."
"That was a long time ago." He snapped.
"You guys were like brothers. You should know all his favorite places to go and all his little hiding places." I pointed out. "Maybe it isn't my loyalty that should be tested.
Ethan drummed his fingers on my desk as he chuckled under his breath. "But what about you? All those late nights you two spent here. All of the lunch and dinner dates you guys went on. You guys were together a long time Elise. Usually secrets aren't kept in relationships. You should know the secret project he was working on, and you should know where the hell he is!" His voice grow louder and louder with each word he spoke.
"Sorry to disappoint." I said bitterly and pushed my chair back. I got up, grabbed my jacket, and made my way to the door.
Ethan grabbed my arm and jerked me back. "Where do you think you're going?" He said through his teeth.
"I'm taking the rest of the day off." I replied and shook my arm out of his grasp. I threw open the door and headed towards the door. My breathing and the clicks of my heels were the only thing that I could hear in the hallway. I pressed the elevator button and leaned against the wall.
Why are we even looking? This case has cost more than it's worth, I'm sure. Look outs in every country, and even undercover agents watching the lookouts. It was all too much. If we hadn't found him by now, we never will. No one around here seemed to understand that.
The elevator dinged and I stepped in. The room was empty and I hit the main floor button. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. I could really use more sleep.
"Come now, Elise." Christian called from another room. I silently closed the closet door. I heard his footsteps getting farther away.
I slid against the wall down the walk-in closet. I pulled a black trench coat of his closer to me so it blocked most of me. I stood behind a pile of shirts and shoes so I was completely hidden from view.
"Elise." He called out, sounding tired. I held my breath as he opened the door. I closed my eyes and waited for him to close it. I heard him take a deep breath and leave the room. I slowly and silently let out the breath I was holding.
My eyes stayed closed as I listened for his footsteps. When I didn't hear any I stuck my head out from behind the coat. There was nothing.
Suddenly, a pair of arms slid across mine and locked my arms to my sides. I jumped as I sucked in a breath.
"I told you I'd always find you." Christian whispered against my ear.
The elevator dinged again, snapping me out of my trance. I blinked a few times and the door slid open. I walked out- past the front desk, past the door man, and past the parking lot with everyone turning to look at me.
I walked by the curb and waited for my limo to pull up. I slid off my shoes and held them by the heel as I swung them forward and back slightly. A few moments later the car pulled up.
The cold leather seats felt good against my legs as I sat down. The arm rest next to me sank down for a few seconds before coming back with a glass of campaign. I smiled as I lifted the glass to my lips.
The bubbly drink tickled my throat on its way down and I drank the rest. I put the glass back down as the limo pulled into the hotel I was staying at. It was nothing too fancy because it was only temporary. I moved from apartment to hotel and back again about every month. Give or take a few days. I like change.
I got to my room and opened the door, figuring my roommate was already here. I shared the room with my best friend Bailey. We've been friends since we were 8.
"Bailey!" I called out. "Do we have anything good to eat?" I opened the fridge and looked inside to find the answer my question. That would be a no.
"Not anymore." Bailey's boyfriend Kevin walked from a hallway to the counter in the kitchen. He jumped up and sat on it. "We had lunch here and ate all the good stuff." He shrugged.
"I'm four seconds from kicking you out again." I warned slowly, not taking my eyes off the fridge. He was right. They ate every single good, still edible thing that was left.
"Hey guys. Can't we get along for one day?" Bailey came in at last. I laughed. Kevin and I don't really get along well. We're like siblings. We can get along, if we're helping each other for presents for Bailey or family things. But normally we just push each other and mess with each other.
I looked at Kevin and Kevin looked at me. I blinked and we turned to look at her. At the same times we said "nope." Everyone laughed and I picked up the phone.
"Pizza's okay right?" I let a moment of silence pass and I took it as a yes. I dialed the front desk and a man picked up. I ordered the pizza- half meat lovers and half cheese. It would be all meat lovers, but Bailey's a vegetarian. Has been since 6th grade. I have no idea how she does it.
"I'll call you when it's here." I replied thank you and hung up.
"So," Bailey said with a smile. "Any birthday plans? Or am I gonna have to make them?" She joked. Although it has happened before.
I laughed. "My birthday's two days away. That's plenty of time to plan." I rolled my eyes and plopped down on the couch.
"Not for your 23rd it's not!" She poked my arm. "Come on, seriously. We gotta plan."
"How about we go to Italy again? Like we always do?" I suggested. I had tons of money from my parents. Plus, working in a business no one can know about that could get you killed pays very- very- well. We've been going to Italy for my birthday for 7 years.
"I don't know if I can this year. My parents can't spring me anymore money," she said.
"So I'll pay." She started to protest but I cut her off. "Don't even! What about all those things you've paid for me?"
"Those were little things! Like food or a few extra dollars when you ran out of money for skirts. You're talking about a ticket to and from Italy, Elise!"
"What's this about Italy? You guys are going again? Can I go this time?" Kevin gave little time to respond between each question and I grew more and more irritated the more he spoke. He walked up and sat next to Bailey with his arm around her shoulder.
"Conversation between the taco and burrito. Nacho." I replied.
"What are we, twelve?"
"Twenty-two. Thank you very much."
"And now I'm leaving. See ya later." He kissed Bailey goodbye and left.
"Seriously, don't pay for me. I'll figure it out."
"Don't freak!" I laughed. "It'll be fine! Let it go." She started to object. "Stop. It's official. We're going." I stood up and got a bottle of water from the fridge. "God!" I groaned. "How long does pizza take?"
My phone buzzed from the counter and I grabbed it. A new picture message from Ethan.
Lovely.
A picture of a dark, and slightly blurred, man holding up his hand filled my screen. I canceled out of the image and read the message that went with it. French authorities believe its DeLeop. Could it be?"
I didn't look at the picture again. I simply typed back No. I set my phone back down and ran my hands over my face.
"Was it him?" Bailey ran over.
I shook my head. She knew about my job and what it was I did. She was my one person I've ever told. Headquarters OK'ed it, as long as she swore never to breathe a word. She also understood the very long and painful list of punishments that went along with breaking that promise. "Just Ethan sending me another shadow picture,"I grumbled.
She sighed. "He'll show up."
"That's what you say every time." I chuckled.
"Elsie. He loved you. He's coming back. He always said he'd find you anywhere."
"But that's not the problem. I haven't moved. The problem is finding him." I poined out. "I just felt so dumb when he left. He never even told me what he was working on." I said quietly as I started at the water bottle I was spinning in my hands.
"Maybe he didn't want you to get hurt. If you think about it, if you did know, the police and FBI and Secret Service would all be grilling you for more information." She rested her shin on her hand as she spoke.
She did have a point. I sighed and laid my head on the counter. "Why couldn't he have just stayed?" I sighed. We've had this conversation a million times, but Bailey never got upset with me. She knew how much it hurt. She even asked me once why I was still on the case; I could tell Ethan it was a conflict of interest and resign from the case. But if he was going to be found, it was going to be by me.
"He obviously had a good reason for leaving."
I was about to reply when the phone rang. Bailey went to answer it. She gave a quick 'Alright', then a 'Thanks', and hung up. "Pizza's here."
"I'm not hungry anymore." I hopped on the counter and sat on it.
"Fine. But you ordered it, so you have to get it!" She yelled as she ran into a bedroom and I heard the lock click. Sneaky this one.