Chương 62: Seriously… Who Says That?

Who Says That?

Regina strolled into the office like it was any other day and headed to her desk.

"Morning, Theo," she said, as she passed a newbie who was diligently working on paperwork.

"Morning, Regina," he mumbled, not looking up from the papers on his desk.

"I was told to tell you to report to the lab when you arrived."

"Okay, thanks," she replied.

"Do you know why?" she asked, her stomach clenching.

"No," he said, flatly.

"They don't tell me anything around here, you know that," he said, looking up at her. He looked gaunt and pale, like someone who was just going through the motions of life instead of living it.

"I'm just the errand boy and purveyor of paperwork," he said, summoning up a casual half smile and an upbeat tempo to his voice. Regina snickered.

"I feel that, Theo. If it makes any difference, I think you are doing a great job," she smiled, turning to walk away.

"I don't know how you have managed to deal with all these changes, Regina," he called out after her.

"I give you a lot of credit. I would have walked a long time ago, if I could." Regina turned back to him.

"You know, Theo, some days I wonder why I didn't walk out the door when they offered it to me. I'm not sure if I am a glutton for punishment or just gullible enough to think it will get better," she sighed.

"I better get to the lab before they hand my ass to me," she said, turning toward the door.

"Good luck!" he called out to her.

"Thanks, Theo, same to you. Hang in there, buddy."

"Oh, I'm hanging, Regina. But I might just switch it to up there, from the rafters, you know, for a change of scenery," he replied, his voice saying joke, his eyes telling a different story. Regina gave him a soulful glance and nodded before making her way out of the room and down the hall. She genuinely liked Theo. He was smart, capable and had been downgraded extensively since the new administration took over. He had been with the agency for five years but was newly assigned to her division.

His expertise was in financial operations; he was a whiz at numbers but had been downgraded to glorified administrative assistant. When same sex marriage became nullified, both his professional and personal life suffered extensively. He was openly gay and when the new administration came in, he suffered the same degradation as women working within the organization. He was stripped of his rank, his pay was cut and his family insurance policy was cancelled.

His husband suffered from a chronic condition that was no longer covered, wiping them both out financially. His husband succumbed to his health issues six months after the new regime and regulations took effect. He was forced to sell his family home and move into Blackwood's housing for the poor and destitute. Blackwood's clever solution for the housing crisis promised a leg up for the sick and struggling. Turns out it was just another means to serve his biased agenda. He had merciless control over the residents.

They were expected to work for him, doing what he told them to do, whenever he told them to do it. Their rent, food and basic needs were deducted from their paycheck, but the paycheck never covered it all, placing them further and further in debt to Blackwood Manor. They had no way out unless the bill was paid in full. Death didn't erase the obligation. The debt was simply passed on to survivors, recruiting a new generation of indentured servants.

No matter how hard he worked or the hours he put in, the cycle continued. There was always some new fee being added. Regina was horrified when he told her about the surplus toilet paper fee. He explained to her that residents of Blackwood Manor were allocated "necessities" on a regular basis. These necessities were meant to last until the next allotment slot. If you ran out of something as trivial as toilet paper, it would be replaced, but a surplus fee was added to the bill.

This fee was generally ten times more than the item's cost. A second roll of something as basic as toilet paper could cost a resident a day's wages. Residents of Blackwood Manor were not paid with a paycheck like a normal employee, they were issued what was known as the Blackwood Freedom Rewards Card. This card could be used the same as cash at any retailer, but at the end of the cycle the card holder was charged a series of fees for each transaction.

If you did not have available funds at the time of purchase, that was fine, Blackwood would just charge fifty percent interest on the purchases. His justification was to teach residents fiscal responsibility and to live within their means. Regina continued to the lab, preparing herself for anything.

"Good morning, Elios," she said cheerfully. Then she saw Blackwood. She did all she could do to mask the revulsion threatening to reveal itself on her face.

"Mr. Blackwood, nice to see you this morning."

"You're late, Rachel!" Blackwood screamed.

"We have been waiting here for hours for you to make an appearance!" Regina checked her watch.

"Sir, I'm actually early. Per your mandate, women operatives are not allowed on the clock until nine and it is ten til," she said, flatly.

"I'm just following your orders, Sir." Mordak looked over at Elios, who nodded his head, confirming what she said to be true.

"Never mind that, we have to get you caught up and, on your way. We have a lot to accomplish and not a lot of time."

"Is this her?" An unfamiliar face asked from behind Blackwood.

"Yes, Charlie, this is the agent I have assigned to you." Blackwood said, stepping out of his way, and letting him pass, then turned to Regina.

"I'd like you to meet your new boss, Charlie. He did what your female incompetence failed to do. He brought me the baby," he said, patting Charlie on the back. Regina found it difficult not to roll her eyes as she looked him up and down. Was he fresh out of grade school? She asked herself, taking in his pimpled face and lackadaisical manner.

"My boss," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Yes, Rachel! Your boss! I'm sure he can teach you a thing or two, being a man and all," Mordak said, confidently.

"I will let him fill you in on the details of your new assignment." He turned to Charlie.

"Be sure to use small words so she understands," he said turning and walking away.

"Don't let me down, Charlie," he called out over his shoulder.

"Okay, girlie." Charlie began. Regina looked at him blankly. He did not just call me girlie. She seethed. He has no idea who he is messing with. Keep it together, keep it together, her mind screamed. Suddenly Charlie snapped his fingers in front of her face. Do that again and you may lose a hand, she thought, smiling politely at him.

"Pay attention Girlie, this is important," he said, shaking his head.

"What is she, brain dead?" he asked, turning to Elios.

"How am I supposed to work with this… this zombie?"

"I'm listening, please proceed whenever you are ready…" she began, and forced herself to add, "Sir." She could feel the bile rising in her throat behind the word.

"Glad you could join us," he said sarcastically.

"We are to infiltrate that fairy place and retrieve Seraphina and the hot one," Charlie said, as he jumped up on the table to sit, swinging his legs.

"The hot one… um, Sir?" she replied, taken aback by his obvious immaturity and inexperience. He is fresh out of middle school, look at him. The thought of this man being in charge just incensed her further.

"Yeah, the hot one, what's her name?" he asked before looking up at the ceiling trying to remember.

"Calista, Contessa, no…"

"Celestia?" Elios asked.

"Yeah! That's it, Celestia, the hot one," Charlie said, excitedly.

"I'd love to get a piece of her, man, you should see her, Elios!" he remarked callously. Regina almost had to place a hand under her chin to stop it from falling to the floor. She clenched her jaw tightly, doing her best to refrain from calling this dufus out on his lack of professionalism.

"So, we are going to the fairy realm and kidnapping Seraphina and Celestia. For what purpose?" she asked, uncertain of what the end game was.

"Boss wants to execute them for killing the baby," he said, calmly.

"I don't know, something like that anyway."

"So, the baby is dead?" Regina asked.

"Yes, the baby is dead, duh, didn't I just say that?" Charlie asked, rolling his eyes.

"She ain't too bright now, is she?" he laughed, hopping off the table and gesturing to Elios, pointing at Regina.

"Now I know why the boss put me in charge. The gears are turning but no one is at the wheel I see." Regina could feel her blood pressure quickly rising, it was only a matter of time until she did something she would most certainly regret if he kept it up. This man/boy was out of his league and too stupid to notice.

"Do we have a plan, a strategy, any intel?" Regina asked.

"Nah, we're gonna wing it. It can't be too difficult, we just morph into a couple of fairies and walk right in, hide out in the restroom until someone who looks official walks in. Then we off them, morph into them, take their credentials and go from there," he said matter-of-factly.

"Just leave it to me to do the thinking, Sweetheart. I did it once already, and it was much easier than I thought it would be."

"Off them?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know… kill them? It's not like we can just ask them to hand over their ID's," he said looking at her like she suddenly grew another head.

"So, you killed one of the fairies while you were there getting the baby?" she asked, trying to assess the situation.

"Yeah, what's the problem?" he asked.

"How do you think I was able to pull this off, do you think I just walked in and asked them to give it to me?" he put his finger to his head and tapped.

"You gotta think, woman, you gotta think." You idiot, now you made our presence known, do you think they are not going to tighten security or be on the lookout now? Her mind screamed at him. Why not just advertise that we're coming? You fool!

"You're right, Sir. I wasn't thinking. It sounds so simple, now that you have explained it to me. I'm so glad that I have you to direct me. I could never do this without you, you know…" she swallowed hard.

"Being a woman and all."

"Now you're getting it. You leave all that hard thinky stuff to me sweet cheeks and we will get along just fine," he said, giving her a wink.

"If you got to pee or anything like that, I'd go before we leave. I know how you ladies always have to go and I don't think there will be too many rest stops on the way." Regina stepped forward and for a brief second it looked like Elios was preparing to hold Regina back to keep her from punching Charlie. She stopped short of reaching him.

"You know us women so well, bladders the size of a walnut and all," she said, in the most sickly-sweet voice she could conjure.

"Be back in a flash, don't you dare go leaving without me now. I wouldn't want to be in that big, scary place without your…" she smiled shyly, "protection," she said, hurriedly making her way out of the lab. Regina made her way down the hall wanting to scream. Was he trying to fit into a stereotypical jackass on purpose? She thought, clenching her fists as she walked. She shook it off. She had far more important things to focus on. She had to let Elena know what was going on.

There was no way she could just kidnap the two targets for Blackwood's entertainment. The prophecy child was dead, wasn't that enough to satisfy his demented power trip? She entered the bathroom and checked each stall carefully to be sure she was alone. She pulled the communicator out of her pocket then pressed the button. Instantly she heard Elena's voice.

"What's up, Regina?"

"I will explain all the details later. I have to move fast," she said, almost whispering.

"I am going to extract two fairy agents, they are in imminent danger, I will meet you at our spot once I have successfully gotten them out of harm's way. Do we have any assets that could assist over there?"

"Whoa, wait a second. You're gonna do what now?" Elena asked.

"You heard me. I don't have time to explain now. Do we or don't we have assets in other realms?" Silence.

"Elena, I need an answer now," Regina said, with a growing sense of urgency.

"No Regina, we do not," she said.

"You will be on your own." She sighed.

"The best I can do is pull you and the targets out," she said. Regina could hear muffled voices in the background.

"You're not alone, are you?"

"No, I'm with my team, we are trying to assist, give me a second," Elena said.

"All you've got is a second, I need to…" she broke off as she heard shuffling outside the door, then a gentle knock.

"Hey, Sweet Cheeks? What did you do? Fall in? We have to get going," Charlie said, from the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, you know how these things are." She giggled.

"Nervous tummy, I guess. You know how us silly women are. I'll be out in a minute, I'll meet you at the teleport, okay?" she said, making a farting noise and grunting.

"Yeah, take your time," Charlie said, flustered.

"Elena? You, still there?" she asked.

"Well, that was impressive," Elena laughed.

"When you are ready to get pulled out, press the communicator button three times in a row, it will activate the emergency portal. You must… and this is important… you must be touching the targets in order to pull them through with you."

"I didn't know this thing could do that," Regina said, looking at the device in a whole new light.

"Well, up until a minute ago, I didn't either. It was part of the system update," Elena said flatly.

"Have you tested it? Do you know if it will work?" Regina asked, skeptically.

"Nope, you are now officially test subject A," Elena said, trying to make light of it.

"I'm sure it will be fine."

"Said the scientist to the lab rat," she replied.

"I know it isn't ideal, Regina, but it is the best we can do under the circumstances," she sighed.

"Good luck," she said, before disconnecting. Regina flushed the toilet and washed her hands in case Charlie was out there waiting.