Something Relocated

The mansion was scurrying with soldiers of just about all shapes and sizes, makes and builds, and ethnics but their experience in the field was certainly not extremely varied -- all of them looked exceptionally well trained. A sight Dev, Ian and Ed had last seen right before they left the Agency and embarked on what would inevitably be their final assignments for little more than ten years.

            "Tell me again why we ever agreed on doing this?" Dev said under his breath as they walked up to the huge doors, which had been guarded by a soldier, or mercenary on either side, like little bulldog puppies guarding their food bowls.

            "They're so lifeless," Ian said even softer than Dev. Ed who had heard him merely glanced at him, then walked up the steps and onto the raised area before the doors.

            The soldier on the left surveyed the three of them. He then nodded once, probably due to the orders coming through his black earpiece, and merely pushed his side of the door open with his left hand.

            "Aren't you going to search us or something?" Dev remarked as Ed stepped through the door first, followed by Ian.

            "There is no need, Mr Drotsky," howled through the mansion, the most obvious point of origin being the upper floor. "Please do come in. Make yourselves at home."

            All three of them shared confused glances. A tall man in the same kind of black body armour walked up to them. His firearm glimmered in the candle light that emanated from the huge chandelier that hung from the ceiling. It looked like the same one Ed had been given by Connor during his supposed escape from the plane-facility thing.

            "Show yourself," Ed demanded flatly. Dev nodded, he would have been the one asking exactly the same question had no one else done it.

            "Where's the fun in that?" the voice said, almost saddened.

            "You wanted to see us."

            "And so I have."

            "Are you going to give us our next assignment or not?" Ian said to the upper floor. He had started to get irritated, not being one for being played at. They almost thought they heard a chuckle before someone stepped out of the shadows that spilled into a hallway next to the staircase.

            The moment all three of them noticed the person coming out of the shadows, the tall soldier stepped neatly into earshot of his employer, as if they had choreographed this countless times.

            Who they had first thought to be a man turned out to be an extremely tall woman who had absolutely no trace of a smile on her face. Her light blue eyes pierced at them as she and the bodyguard stepped ever closer, almost elegantly. Devon chuckled and shook his head in disappointment, and Ed and Ian merely stood still.

            The woman pressed her bodyguard to the side as she walked over to the three of them. As she came closer, her features seemed more and more childlike, yet still extremely elegant and womanly. Her round chin protruded ever so slightly which made it look both sharp and round and her cheekbones were strong, yet the apples of her cheeks were full and round.

            She walked through the three of them, eyeing each of them as she did, then made her way around and rejoined her bodyguard, who stepped back into place slightly in front of her. "Please, don't mind my brother," she said and looked up to the second floor. Her accent was extremely foreign, almost Russian, though the way she pronounced her words made it clear that she had been brought up in England. "He isn't used to having... civil guests. Now please gentlemen, follow me."

            Without saying a word, they followed her through the dark hallway she had stepped out of and into a huge study, easily five times the size of the library Ed and Ian had back at home. The bodyguard stepped out of the way just as fast as he had stepped into place the moment the woman walked around a real oak desk, sat down onto the huge wooden office chair that seemingly made Ed's memory jump back to the pudgy agent who had commissioned him. That was also the day he had first met Aaliyah.

            "What do you want us to do?" Ed asked almost immediately after she sat down. All of the people in the room, excluding the seemingly dead bodyguard in the corner looked at him as if he was stupid. Ed only looked at the woman, though who, as soon as their eyes met, made him feel embarrassed for some reason. "I'm sorry," he then said and sat down on one of the three chairs that had been made ready for them, "I'm just extremely frustrated."

            She nodded, and almost smiled. She then beckoned the others to sit as well. "Gentlemen, thank you for coming, though I know you may not have much choice in the matter. I am Elizabeth and nothing else, and will be your handler for the remainder of your contracts."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "The time we work for these guys until they deem it enough and we get Aaliyah." Ian said matter-of-factly.

            Elizabeth waited patiently and then proceeded to go through a folder that lay on her desk. "For the remainder of your contract, you will be required to check back here after every assignment. Three rooms have been made available for you," she continued as she read off a page, "you are allowed to have one guest each, however it is strongly advised not to be out of your rooms after midnight, until dawn."

            "Why is that?" Dev asked as he rolled his eyes.

            "Simply, because."

            "What the hell does that mean?"

            Elizabeth stood up from the desk, walked over to the door, and ordered her bodyguard to stand outside. She then closed the door behind him and turned back toward the three agents who was sitting in silence. "I was the one that managed to get you freedom to have guests and to come and go as you please," she said in hopes that Dev would at least try and compromise, then looked at Ian, "your doctor will be given free reign of our hospital wing if you ever are in need of medical assistance for any reason. Furthermore, there are no surveillance in my house, and I do not tolerate firearms, though for obvious reasons they are sometimes required. As for my brother: he will very seldom be seen around the house, and if ever you make contact, remember that he has not been around people other than family and security for quite some time. He may not be entirely up for normal conversation, and you are advised to keep contact with him short and to the point. Copy?"

            Ian nodded in acknowledgment. He had figured that something like this was inevitable, and that they would be forced to relocate however temporarily, during the time they were to work for the people Elizabeth merely called the counsel. Ed was still quiet as can be, as opposed to Dev who was shaking his head in reluctance. He liked the new arrangement absolutely nothing, and sighed heavily at the thought.

            "Good. You will have a day to get used to the new environment and get all arrangements done. After this, you will be required to be on stand by at every hour of the day -- and at night, only if already on assignment. Security will let you roam free from this moment forward. Gentlemen, I have prior engagements to tend to, but it was good finally meeting you -- all three of you. I do hope you'll enjoy your evening." She opened the door and walked out, disappearing into the same shadows of before. The huge front door could be heard being opened and closed almost instantaneously.

            "Well this is just peachy!" Devon exclaimed after a moment.

JR was still at home, bored as ever. He felt a need to pick up his cellphone and call Ian but also felt that he didn't need to call Ian at all.

            As soon as he exited the MXiT app on his phone and entered the Call app, he felt someone lean on his shoulders. "They're not here," the female said as she rubbed her cheeks against his. "They have left you, all alone."

            "No. They just went to see what's wrong with the girl."

            "They left you for her," she went on.

            "No. I, I hurt her."

            "You saved her," the female persisted, "you saved her, and they took her from you too."

            JR's bored eyes shot wide open as images flooded his mind. He had just gotten home, trying to roll up his sleeves to hide the green veins. Abigail a few metres down the road. Blood dripping from her face. Her arms. He went inside and said hi to Ed. Once in his room, he snuck out the window. Then his mind went blank. "What happened then?" he asked, sounding out of breath. "What happened!"

            "They took her from you. They left you..."

            "No! They're at the hospital!"

            "Call them. Call the doctor."

            "No..."

            "Because you are afraid. I am here for you. Only you."

            JR stood up as fast as he could and turned around. No one was there. His vision started to fade as he scratched at his arms. He then looked down and noticed that the green pulsating in his veins had returned.

            "They left you," the female voice went on.

            "I am alone," JR muttered afterwards, then made his way upstairs to the bar.