An Unexpected Revenge

Chapter 5 - The Plating

Chapter 5 - The Plating

I barely made it through this last week in hell. The wheel has come full circle and I find myself driving away from the dreaded compound and out into the world again, breathing relieved the furthest I am from that place. 

The compound may be in the heart of Augusta, but its thick and ridiculously tall walls make it more resembling a prison than a home, an oasis within close distance to any amenities.

 To my employer and colleagues, I am heading out for a relaxing day and maybe some light shopping, not that Alec would care as long as I don't speak to anyone about what happens in his house. Well... define 'anyone', because in reality, I need to meet up with my team for our weekly briefing and I am itching to update them on the most recent developments, most pressing the matter of Alec getting together with his father's former campaign manager. That's something that Sean and the rest need to look into, as Diana would most likely be a source of valuable information. Information I am sure she is reluctant to give up, despite letting something she shouldn't have slip to Alec.  

I mean, I see it, don't get me wrong, I am not blind. Alec Vaughan can be very persuasive using his good looks better than I can as a woman, and kudos to him for seducing even a woman that has publicly sworn off men and married someone of the same s*x. I am mildly impressed, which only shows the extent of his deceiving ways to get whatever he wants. But what, what does he want? The man is so confusing that the mere thought of him gives me a headache. 

He threw a fit the other day about eating his eggs out of the wrong plate, or rather about me serving the eggs in an unsuitable plate. Who knew there is a right and wrong plate to eat eggs out of, because I sure as hell didn't. I resisted the strong urge to take the plate and dump its contents on the man's head, and instead I flared my nostrils, put on a FAKE apologetic smile on my face and proceeded to swap the plate, still a little unsure if the new one would be alright. 

I laugh like a mad woman, alone in the car, as I remember how I presented the newly plated eggs and Alec dug in without any further comments. I could have spit on them, or they could have been cold, he just didn't care. But he did care about the f*****g plate. Talk about priorities. 

I smile as I stop at a red light. Note to self: always serve Alec his eggs on a wide plate.

The following days when I served his food, there were no complaints regarding the plates, on the contrary. He seems to be in an oddly good mood which reflected in the way he treated and spoke to me, and also the other employees.

The latest comment that he made this very morning, before I left, has left me completely baffled. Ricky was there in the kitchen and witnessed the scene, nearly choking on the sip of coffee he was taking.

I presented the Master with his breakfast and he looked at me and the plate. I could see in his eyes that he was surprised, pleasantly might I add, that he couldn't find any flaws, and therefore had no complaints.

"Keep this up and you might even be wife material." Alec gave me a sly smile and I completely blanked. I didn't know what to make of his comment, so I hastily turned around and left, not understanding the subtle blush that insisted to creep on my cheeks, or the heat building up between my legs. In retrospect, I should have taken advantage of that, set the plan of seducing him in motion, anything, but the words were so unexpected that I forgot who I was and my mission there.

"I need to speed things up." I say out loud, making the final right turn and arriving at my destination. The sign on the door reads 'Massage Therapy' but in a back room of the parlour, my team awaits.

I greet them like a normal person this time, not storming in an starting to complain about how miserable I am in the compound. That seems to please Sean but disappoint Laurie and Tom who feed of drama like bored, middle aged house wives.

"So that Ricky guy, I think I may get an in with him." Laurie starts and is also licking her lips. This is her tell that she's itching to go on a job. 

Indeed, Ricky is way more handsome than most of the marks Laurie had lately, so it wouldn't be that bad. He seems to be quite high up the ranks and is always close to Alec, even going in the mysterious office I am yet to gain access to. And as he has proven, Ricky is a notorious gossip, so I think he wouldn't shy away from divulging confidential information about his employer for the sake of impressing a woman such as Laurie. It might get him killed, but it might also get him laid, and men like him, always focus on the positive in such predicaments.

"Go for it. It may prove useful. He's not replacing Daniel, but is one of Alec's most trusted men." I give my input and Sean signs off on Laurie's own side mission.

"And speaking of Vaughan's most trusted men... " Tom starts with a mysterious aura around him and a sinister grin on his face. Sean is not impressed, most likely already knowing what my colleague is about to say. "... rumour has it that Alec Vaughan is hiring. I heard through some old contacts that he is looking for a new head of security."

"So he's not promoting internally?" I ask.

"I'm not sure. But I also doubt that he would give that much access to someone new, so I'll try my luck, see if I can get my name into the hat. It would be good if I can at least get access to the compound. That way we can speed things up." Tom lays things out, everyone else agreeing that it's worth a shot, myself included. Having Tom in the compound as a member of Alec's security team, having the type of access that Ricky has, would mean that we would be able to enter his office and get what we need.

"And Ruby, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. Well, for all of us, really." Sean gets up, the other two falling silent. So they know already. I hate being the only one that's in the dark. I nod for Sean to tell me the news.

"Chief Mills called a few days ago. The Sheriff's Department is under a lot of pressure to close the Bourne case." He says, and my heart drops into my stomach. f**k, if anything, we need more time, not less, and the added pressure on us to find admissible evidence. It also hurts me that my own godfather is under so much pressure, and in such a risky position. If anyone find out that he's taken upon himself to contract us for this, he is a goner, and I don't mean from his job as the town's Sheriff.

Chief Mills is the one who took care of me as best as he could after I was left without any parent, and was nearly thrown into the foster care system. Sheriff Toby Mills made sure I was fed and cleaned, and when I told him I didn't want to live in the town where both my parents lost their lives anymore, he sent me to a private boarding school in Canada. I didn't know it at the time, with being only a child, but as I started to understand what money is, and see the privileged life my peers in school had, I understood that my godfather must have really struggled to send me there and keep me in school. He's the closest thing I have to a father, and It's hard being in the same town and not have to ability to meet. The phone call where I told my godfather that the RED team will take the job was the last time we spoke. For security reasons, after that only Sean spoke to him, and that is also only when it's absolutely crucial to the mission."How much time do we have?" I choke asking the question, my mind going into overdrive with thinking about how I can speed things along.

"No more than two months. Mills is doing whatever he can to stall, and legally he can't be forced to close the case sooner than that, but Conrad Vaughan is using all his influence to pressure them into closing it as soon as the law allows it." Sean explains, the crease between his eyebrows deepening. I bet Dr Mack is hounding him to get it fixed, yet Sean refuses every time.

"OK, so we just need to step on it a little. Tom and Laurie, if you guys come into play, then we'll have more chances of gaining access to Alec's secrets. And speaking of secrets, would you mind looking into Diana Pierce?" I remember the things I actually wanted total to my team about.

"Diana Pierce?" Sean asks rummaging through his thick case files. Indeed, she was known as a very public associate of Conrad's, but not a person of interest to us, until now.

"Yeah. She had a rather interesting interaction with Alec the other day." I laugh and proceed to tell my team about the night Diana and Alec spent together, and most importantly about the morning after when she sobered up and realised that she might have spoken a little too much in the heat of passion.

"Wait. So her and Alec..." Laurie stops me, looking extremely confused. "But isn't she gay?" She whispers the last word, a few connections misfiring in her brain as she tried to understand what I just told them. I don't judge my friend, I've been there the morning I realised that Diana and Alec hooked up.

"Laurie, seriously, the woman's choice in s****l or life partners isn't any of our concern. I'll look into Diana Pierce and see what's going on there, how she plays into this. If the guy goes around seducing her, then she must have something that he wants." Sean intervenes, dismissing us for the week.

I take my bag, hoping to make a clean getaway, before Sean stops me and hands me another listening device. f**k, I was so close! I sigh and take the bug, knowing that I need to find another place to set it, and then remember to disable both of them before the guys do a sweep. I just need to pray they don't randomly start checking for bugs, or else I'm screwed.

"Oh, and Ruby. It would be really helpful if the bugs stay active more than they stay disabled. I know it's risky, but we have to have ears in there." Sean reminds me. "This way we could have heard what Diana told Alec. You did plant the device in his bedroom, after all." He raises his bushy eyebrows at me, and I look down, suddenly finding the floor rather interesting. He's right, I know, I was just too scared to leave the thing enabled at night, or during the day for that matter. What if Mr Paranoia starts scanning his room? I may be fearless, but I am not stupid, and I rather like being alive.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." I mutter and make a play for the door, knowing that this time I f****d up. 

"Hey Ruby, did Alec give you a maid's uniform yet?" Tom teases just as I walk out. I turn around, glaring at him.

"f**k off, Tom!" I spit the words out and close the door behind me with a loud bang that disturbs the serenity of the massage salon.