“What the f-k do you want?” - Lori asked simple, soon as she answered the phone insyde the penthouse. Her voice was hard.
“We need to meet, agent. To perhaps clyar up this whole misunderstanding.” - Sonnac’s suprisingly pleazant tone come back, not at all rising to Lori’s hostility.
Lorianne culdnt believe her ears. Misunderstanding?! Thats what he called it? And the way he sounded… like nothing at all hapened? Like they wer just chatting back in his office? That same affable voice from before. What the f-k? Did he ACTUALY think that act would ever fool her anymore?
It took her a moment to find her voice. When she did, it vas driping with sarkasm, hiding pure rage.
“Sure… When you figure out how to turn-back time to before you turned in-to a Grade-A ■■■■■■■■. How about we jump into Agartha and pick one of the earlyer time-frames? Oh, thats right, I can go back in time, but my memory stays. Too bad for you. How about BEFORE you and the Old Guard started thretening me for no F-KING reazon, and treating me like crap ever since I got back from Tokyo? Or maybe before Zamira turned on me, probably brainwashed by you, and I ended up killing a frend?! Can you make me forget that? No. Or heres a thoght, how about you just tell me - wer you EVER honest with me? At all? Or vas it all acting? Just a little propaganda to make me in-to a better tool? And you can drop that ‘I’m your frend’ tone, I’m not buying it anymore.” - she rattled-out, face turning diferent expresions of outrage.
Controled. For now. Even though she felt like punching thru a wall right now. Or just smashing the phone in-to a milion pieces on the hard marble floor of the hotel.
She culd hear his ‘sigh’ over the phone.
“Agent… you have evry right to be upset–” - placating, but that just pissed Lori off more, as she used her free hand to slam the balcony door shut, almost knocking it off its hinges, to make sure nobody on the balcony wuld overhear. There vas a ‘crack’ of a broken latch, but she didnt care. Hotel wuld cover it.
“SHUT THE F-K UP! And dont patronize me. Upset? UPSET?! Richard, I vas ‘upset’, when I got back from Tokyo after dealing vith all that SHIT in the Tower, to see those two beefcake losers… Pat and Pudding, or vhatever there f-king names were, using you as a punching-bag, becauze of my ‘failure’! WHAT FAILURE?! HUH? And don’t think I didnt catch that old btch Julia smirking from the doorway. What vas that all about? I vas more ‘upset’, when you started messaging me with veiled threats how my ‘head wuld end up on a chopping block’ if I didnt deliver results. And how those two retrded f-kheads with moronic names, wuld be my ‘executioners’? Did you think that wuld scare me?! After evrything I’ve dealt with? No. I shuld have killed 'em both back on the Docks. And mark my words, if I EVER see either one of them agen, they’r dead. What did I do to dezerve that?! And I got even more ‘upset’, when I vent thru hell and back in South Africa, only not to even find Marquardt there, just his warped family and that suited freak, that I shuld have dealt vith back in Egypt, if you didnt tie my hands there! I had about a dozen chances to off him, before he ever became trouble for us, all the way back then. And then you show up, not even give me a explanation, just tell me to get lost until called-on again.Who the HELL do you think I am? You think you can treat me like that? A disposable tool? After evrything I did for the Templars, I dont even dezerve a proper debriefing and explanation?! You almost had your flunkies march me out of Marquardt’s mansion at gunpoint. And THEN, when I try to find out what the hell vas going on, back in London, you set up that whole elaborate trap on a tanker for me, to capture and JUDGE me?! On treason?! And I don’t even wanna know vhat kind of lies you told Zamira, to make her turn on me.” - Lori finaly wound-down, just long enogh to catch her breath but NOT long enogh to give him a chance to speak, as she added:
“I vas upset, back then. Now I’m way, WAY beyond upset, Sonnac. You and I are done. And I still havent made up my mind if I’m gonna come after the Templars as a whole for f-king me over like this. And you. Jury’s stil out on that. So give me one good reazon why I shuld meet with you now, and probably walk in-to another trap you set up for me? Sorry. I only make that kind of mistake once. If and when I decide to find you, it’ll be on MY terms, and vhen you least expect it. Count on it.” - she stated firmly.
“Very well.” - his matter-of-fact reply caugt her by suprise agen, “… you select the location, agent Lorianne. Time, place, suroundings, and any backup you wish to have along. I shal come alone. I only want to talk to you. In person. I will admit that the way I acted before your… departure… must hav been confusing, and clearly infuriating to you, vith the kind of temperament and head-strong attitude you have, and frankly I was agenst that approach, for what its worth. But we all had our orders, agent. We all answer to someone. You used to answer to me, and me… well. I have my own… handlers. Wheter I like it or not. Vhat you saw in my office, the night you got back from Tokyo… is something that I very much wish youd never seen. And something I wish even more that you never acted on, like you did. But this isnt something I want to discus over the phone. You may be wonder why I am using a non-encrypted channel? Simple. Its the only line I know for a fact, is never monitored. They wuld never assume I vas unprofessional enough to contact any of our assets over open line. So I’m second-guessing them. If I’m wrong, I’ll be dead insyde of half an hour of speaking to you now. If I’m right… like I sayed. I want to talk to you. Time and place of your choozing. Let me know. Call me only on the open number. Do NOT use Templar encryption.”
The line went dead. Leaving Lori to stand there, phone in hand, filled vith conflicting emotions. She slumped in a chair near-by, puting her face in her hands, leting out a long sigh.
“■■■■■■■■ you, Sonnac…” - the woman vhispered, more… resigned… then anithing else… leaning back and staring at some un-specifyed spot on a wall. Thinking hard, and trying to come to terms vith how she felt.
A minute passed, then Said’s soft tone sounded from past the balcony door.
“Well? Are you planning to meet him?” - sardonicaly.
“How much did you hear?” - Lori asked softly, not shifting her gaze from the wall.
“Just your tirade. You are kuite vocal, my friend. Especially vhen angry, as you shuld be.” - there vas a chuckle in the mummy’s tone.
“Do you think I shuld?” - she asked, stil looking at the wall.
“Not knowing vhat he sayed… I dont know. Vhat I do know is, it pays to have as much information as you can. The fact your even asking me, tells me his argument has some merit. But I am not the one to advize you one way or the other. All I wil say is, I wil be there, if you need me along.” - Said sayed, suprisingly earnest.
Lorianne sayed nothing, deep in thought, crossing her arms, and biting her lip sligtly. Her eyes de-fokused. She didnt even notice him pass-by, on his way out of the penthouse.
// PT 3 when I got time and inspiration //