The killer detective

9 - Orders from Meiko

"Accepted," Meiko spoke up.

"Meeting adjourned." The major general got up and went out of the room. I was still sitting on the chair lost in my thoughts, staring into space. Is this really a place I was supposed to be? Didn't they just mistake me for someone else? Are they sure this was really it? How could I even do something like that? I have never done anything wrong in my life. I always acted according to the general rules of the Register. So why would they try to pin something like this to me, an honorable Register citizen?  I was visibly confused.

Someone squeezed my shoulder gently. But I didn't care. I was too busy thinking about what was going on and why it was happening. I didn't want to be bothered by anyone or anything. I just needed quiet time without any disturbances. The hand grabbed my shoulder and softly shook me. 

"Alth?" I knew this voice. I didn't want to leave my thoughts, but somehow I was forced to come back into reality.

"Uh... Eh... Yeah?" I focused my eyes on the blurry face in front of me, which was a couple of centimeters from mine. I blinked several times to make sure I was seeing things right. Two eyes, nose, lips... Why are those lips so reddish. Somehow it made me want to imagine them pressed on mine. But that would just be a stupid thought. I don't need anyone nor anything in my life. I'm happy as I am. I don't need someone kissing me. Get those lips out of my mind and out of my face!

"You should get out of the room, so we can close it. Unless you want to be locked here for couple of days." Meiko left me and my shoulder alone. I shook my head to make sure I wasn't thinking about this issue anymore. My mind had to be clear and empty if I wanted to deal with this situation. I jumped up from the chair and quickly left the room. The last thing I would have wanted would be to be locked in this room alone without anything! No food, no water. To top it off, no water nor light! The last place I would seriously want to end up. Even the sand hell pit was considerably better than this room!

By the time I got out, Meiko was already waiting for me, small-talking to another guy. They were probably there to make sure the door was locked. Another guy was waiting along the hallway, his back rested on the wall behind him. It looked like he wasn't taking his job seriously. Even I do that better. So why didn't they pin it to him? Why me? I always make sure everything is done properly! My perfectionism doesn't let me f**k things up! I bet pinning it to this kind of people would be way easier to prove.

"Meiko..." I tried catching his attention, while he was still chatting with the guy next to him. He was at the committee with Meiko as well. But Meiko ignored me and continued talking with the two other men while we were walking to the elevator. The three of them were walking in front of me as if I was thin air. Like I wasn't even there. They should have treated me like this before! That way they wouldn't need to call me to the interrogation.

To make things worse, I was mushed in the elevator with them. It was awkward. I was basically still invisible to anyone in the tiny closed moving space. And I was also hidden behind them. In comparison to the guys in front of me, I was quite tiny. Even with my 170 centimeters, I was still at least a head shorter from them and my body was at least half the width of theirs. The difference between a civillian-working sniper and beefed-up guys on steroids from the military is seriously so catchy. I wanted to laugh at my sarcastic remark. The corners of my mouth were twitching up, but I was doing my best to press them down. I couldn't afford to laugh in this situation. 

The few seconds' ride in the elevator felt like long minutes. The three of them were all chatty, while I was pressed completely in the back, nobody to talk to. As long as they weren't making my space smaller by pushing their bodies to the back, I was fine. It was the perfect chance to get lost in my thoughts once again. I just couldn't figure out why me, why at this time and who would even come up with such a scheme.

"You need to pick up your stuff in my office." I heard Meiko talking to me. He once again snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at him, as my eyes were staring at the floor and my shoes before. He was holding the elevator door open. Who knows, for how long he had been standing there already.

"Uh... Yeah." I squeezed through the two beefy guys, who were occupying the whole elevator, and followed Meiko to his office. We didn't talk. The office carpet was muffling the sound of our steps. I was still digesting the situation and Meiko probably had other things on his mind.

"I'll send you the points after the suspension. Now scram, I'm busy." He said while taking off his jacket, putting it on the backrest of his chair, and sitting down behind his desk full of papers.

What a sudden change in his personality. But oh well, this was the way he has always been. Cold and arrogant when it was just the two of us. Nice, kind, and sticking up for others when there were people around. I turned up my nose at his behavior. I was getting a suspension and no money until they had cleared everything! Yeah and I'm going to eat what... Pine trees? Grass? I scoffed. 

"And there I thought you actually were a nice person," I mumbled while picking up my bag. I wasn't in the mood for anything. 

"In another thousand years maybe. You owe me big time. Leave the bag here. They're taking it for checks." I dropped the bag down. So first I'm supposed to come and get my stuff, which is only THIS BAG HERE. And now you tell me I'm supposed to leave it here? What is... Just decide, you woman!

"Yeah, yeah. I get that, boss. Let me know when you need help with some outside jobs again." I retorted, leaving my bag there. It was no use arguing with him nor even raising my voice at him. I had no power here. I was a powerless sheep in a herd, which had to follow whatever decision and order they came up with. Without anything else, I turned around to just leave this office with annoying Meiko in it. He could die in it for what I cared.

"Bring me double iced Americano without sugar from MoonYens next time you appear. You better get your ass here without your full gear next week, Saturday 4 pm sharp in my office. Deal with the front desk however you want." That long order sentence stopped me from even trying to reach the door handle. So instead of my usual function, I was supposed to become his lackey. Great. That's EXACTLY what I was aiming for. My lifelong wish has come true. My lifetime goal has been fulfilled. Now I can die without any regrets. I frowned. As if! I turned around. I saw Meiko resting his back on the backrest leaning it backward with his eyes closed.

"Thanks." I sarcastically retorted.

"No need. Now go." He didn't even open his eyes to look at me. He just didn't care. Why would I ever think this guy was going to be nice and good? I had to be deluded. Hallucinating! Yes, I had to be hallucinating in that room. Who knows what they put in there to make people confess...

"Okay..." I said to myself, not seeking his reply nor attention. I silently went out and quietly closed the door to make sure I didn't make any more sounds. Just one more word from him and I was prepared to get my knife out of the bag, which had gotten confiscated by the supervisors, to dig his tongue out.

I made my way towards the elevator, imagining how to get rid of Meiko. With as many painful ways for him as possible. He just couldn't get more annoying! I pressed the button to go down. The elevator dinged sooner than I had expected it. I got in. Good thing nobody is around. I can finally lose the facade for at least one minute until I get down. I pressed the ground floor button. The ride felt like it was taking hours. I was just staring at the door to finally open. Burning holes in it, so it would open faster and sooner. And finally, it eventually did. I found myself in the huge lobby and saw two idiots dressed in their uniforms staring at the elevator door. My eyes grew bigger.

"Alth!"

I started rapidly pressing the close button to get out of their reach. I didn't want to deal with more idiots today! One was more than enough! And the whole establishment as well!

Bam!

A huge boot got stuck in between the doors before the elevator had gotten closed completely. Now it started opening again! I horrifiedly watched the door opening. I knew whose shoe that was. I knew what was coming. I gulped. Did I sign a deed with the devil or something?! Just what is going on today!

"Second time in the day you didn't salute!" A very uncomfortable chill ran down my spine. Two guys were standing in front of me, the bigger one holding the door open. He was probably even leaning on it. His big hand was making sure it wasn't closing again.

"Isaac..." I said while letting out all the air from my lungs. My soul had shrunken itself into an invisible particle. He still kept holding the door with his boot and at it. I was feeling myself shrinking at the complete back of the cabin in the furthest corner. Isaac's shadow was falling on me, making me feel like I was in a real hell, where the sunshine doesn't fall.

"You hungry? Let's eat." Isaac's ordering voice made me shrink even more. And it didn't look like he was going to leave before I made my way out of the elevator. And if I did without agreeing to his invitation, he would probably grab me by my collar and bring me there like a stray kitten. That would make everyone around us think weird things. I would lose my authority around here even more. Title? Position? Who would care?! I got carried to the cafeteria by an officer a bit higher in rank than me. I would become a complete laughingstock!

I shrank even more. This was too much in a day. I didn't move an inch. Isaac looked down at me. He was losing it. He never liked waiting for too long. No wonder he wouldn't have made it to a sniper! Patience is a big need and a huge virtue for us! As I was staring at him, Isaac reached for my shoulder and pulled me out of the elevator. Basil was standing behind him this whole time as well. It was so obvious he was trying to suppress his grins! He was having fun watching all of this. Guess he didn't have enough paperwork to deal with, damn Basil! 

On the way to the cafeteria, they behaved as usual and didn't ask me anything. Instead, they were happily chatting about different things, which I wasn't curious about at all. All I wanted to do right now was to get home, take a hot shower, and finally sleep.