Chapter 15, the art of diception 4

(Callie)

Overhead, the drab white lights of the hospital shone down on Callie, the steady, bright light giving her a migraine. Her eyelids drooped, feeling like stones. She leaned back in her chair, her fatigue momentarily lowering her guard.

" You should go to sleep. I will contact you later this evening. Take the day off." said Dustin, waving Callie towards the door. Callie forced away a yawn and stood.

" Wait, Callie. Don't leave yet." said Taniya.

Callie paused and turned back to Taniya, who looked much better without her head caked in blood and after a solid eight hours of sleep.

" We should get together sometime. Whenever you can get away from your workaholic boss." said Taniya, winking at Dustin.

"That would be nice. I found this wonderful drink that is absolutely delicious." said Callie, forcing a smile.

" That would be amazing. I need something strong after last night." said Taniya, her face scrunching up in anger.

" Just call me when you are available and we can go for a drink." said Callie, cracking a smile.

" Okay, I can't wait. Don't worry about giving me your number, I can get that from your file." Said Taniya, her mischievous grin lighting up the room. Callie strode from the room, passing the two soldiers still at the front door. She was exhausted and couldn't wait to get some sleep. She caught a shuttle before finding a hotel. The hotel was random, and she payed crowns upfront for a single night. This kind of evasion was tedious, but it helped her peace of mind, knowing no one knew where she was. Once the door was trapped, she lay on the bed, placing her gun on the nightstand and her knife next to it.

Fresh air flowed in the room from the three story balcony and Callie let out a sigh of relief. Green light from the city's barrier shone in around the edges of the window shades, leaving the room in partial darkness. Wrapped in blankets, her mind wandered and before long she fell asleep.

Callie awoke suddenly. A sound like fabric rubbing against fabric drifted to her ears. Holding completely still, Callie listened intently, waiting for more movement. She opened her eyes, glancing around the room. Still, she lay perfectly still, taking deep breaths. Fabric rustled again, the sound drifting across the room from the balcony.

Callie tapped her reservoir and surrounded her prone body in a barrier of pitch black stars of energy intersected by fluorescent lines of white. She rolled to the side, reaching for her gun. Her hand found the grip of her 223, and she pushed herself clear of the blankets, rolling off the bed and into a crouch. Her toes slapped against the cold tile floor. She bunched the muscles in her legs, preparing to leap into action.

She scanned the room, moving the gun from left to right.

" Villus, how can I help you?" Said Callie, her finger tensing on the trigger, ready to fire. Villus leaned up against the wall beside the balcony, feigning disinterest. He was dressed in cargo pants and a long sleeve black shirt, a black ball cap covering most of his face.

"Callie, would you tell me how you found judge Lyle jaden?" Asked Villus, his eyes flashing angrily. In one moment her instructor was Calm and the next his eyes were flashing in anger.

" You left a decrypted file on the falcon. Don't blame me for your slip up." Said Callie, preparing for a fight. With no one watching but Villus this time, she wouldn't need to hold back and could utilize her negative art.

Villus clenched his fists, but after a deep breath, his expression changed. His ragged, weather-worn face and cool confidants were usually so unsettling. That was until their last two fights. She realized they were far closer in strength than the last time they fought in the compound over a year ago.

"And how did you find us so quickly with our captive?" Asked Villus.

For some reason, she didn't feel comfortable telling Villus anymore about Taniya. She didn't want to give him another chance to do it again. Doubt filled her. Why did she care? Taniya is the enemy. She is one of those that helped conquer Etria.

" My boss was talking to her when you broke into her apartment." Said Callie, pushing down her traitorous thoughts.

Villus folded his arms, and she allowed herself a breath of relief. So he wasn't here for a rematch.

" How is your infiltration going?" Asked Villus.

" Surprisingly well, saving that girl has earned me a lot of trust points with my boss and her." Said Callie.

" I'm surprised you infiltrated the Devali so quickly. Excellent job." Said Villus, nodding his head. Was that approval? Callie's muscles tensed. She had been expecting angry threats.

Callie nodded her head slowly, her gun steady on Villuses chest.

" You best tell your spies monitoring me to back of a little bit. My boss has been keeping a close eye on me as well." Said Callie.

Villuses' eyes flashed with amusement.

" I was wondering how long it was going to take you to notice them." Said Villus. Callie scowled at him.

" If I see them again, who knows? They might go missing in an alley somewhere." Said Callie murderously. She hated the idea that Villus knew where she was at all times.

"Of course, you are a full Secari now. My mistake, I was just worried for your well being." Said Villus. He said that, but his tone was unapologetic and insincere.

" Liar, you don't care for anyone but yourself." said Callie calmly.

"That might be true. That is part of the rules after all, as a Secari we cannot care for anyone." Said Villus.

" I know that." Said Callie firmly.

" Really? Then you wouldn't care if Ferra went missing all of a sudden?" Asked Villus.

"That would be a minor inconvenience. She is simply a tool to help my cover." Said Callie, her chest tightening. She kept her face calm, unreadable, not showing a hint of concern.

" Then I suppose you wouldn't care if something happens to Warren?" Asked Villus. Callie's hands clutching her pistol clenched to a white knuckled grip.

She didn't answer that trap of a question, but her body betrayed her concern. Villus grinned victoriously at her reaction. She hated that He knew her weakness.

"Get out!" Said Callie, taking a menacing step forward.

" Don't forget to keep me updated. If you keep ignoring me when I need updates, who knows Warren might fall down some stairs, or trip and break a leg." Said Villus. He laughed humourlessly and walked backwards. Callie glared at him until he disappeared over the balcony to a lower floor.

She checked the balcony, her eyes dilating as the green barrier above shown down on the hotel.

She paced in her room, wanting nothing more than to kill the instructor. If she didn't need his help so much, she might have tried to. Getting revenge on the Zrixian empire with three people was alright a near impossible task. If Callie and Villus killed each other, there would be no hope of revenge.

Callie let out a sigh, wondering why life was so complicated? Callie sheathed her knife and, after some deliberation, and decided to go do some exercise to vent her frustration. Dressed in form fitting blue pants, a white long sleeve shirt, with a light jacket to cover her knife and shoulder holster, Callie slipped over the balcony.

She scaled down the front of the building using the balconies below as a sort of latter to descend. Her back throbbed in pain, still sore from when Villus used her like a cannonball into the wall. She ignored the discomfort, reminding herself that the art couldn't heal everything. Muscle still needed time to recover. A civilian on the street gave her an odd look, but she shrugged at him.

" What? It was faster than taking the stairs." Said Callie.

Glancing back up at her room, the civilian in question looked at her with clear disbelief.

Callie then jogged down the street, building up her speed until her heart was beating at a reasonable clip. She breathed evenly, her conditioned body keeping up the pace easily. She darted through the flows of traffic, scanning those that seemed overly interested. Most of those were guys, of course, their eyes following her as she ran past. The people admiring her figure didn't matter. It was the ones looking specifically for her that were the actual targets of this run.

She had her meager possessions on her, so she didn't need to return to the hotel. With each fall of her feet, the gap widened. Every thirty steps or so, she glanced over her shoulder. One way to catch someone following was to force them to run after you. Of course, no professional observer would fall for the trick, but Callie was betting Villus had ordered the tail to keep her in their sights no matter what.

At first, no one stood out, but as Callie got further away, she noticed a grey shuttle again. That was the third time in twenty minutes. She smiled as the man behind the wheel rounded the corner, out of sight. Her body was building up a good sweat, she breathed evenly, her soft soled boots kept up the rapid pace.

This run was meant to be obvious. She wanted to catch all those spying on her. She was going to enter a building and take an elevator to the mazelike corridors of the under city when she wanted to escape her tails. Being watched left a sour taste in her mouth, but she wasn't sure if the people following were Dustin's people or working for Villus.

Callie scowled. She decided she didn't care. She was going to confront them and scare them. If they were Dustin's people, she could simply state she didn't know. Turning into a nearby skyscraper with its crown tapering to a crescent, Callie headed for the elevator. People moved in and out of the building and she had to wait in line. Her heart beat rapidly, still racing from the long run. Not a minute later, a woman walked in. She was familiar, that petite woman that had been at the bar the night before.

The woman looked young, her cheeks still slightly rounded and a slightly upturned nose that was rather cute. Not to mention those stunning blue eyes. Callie took this all in with a glance as the elevator close and began descending to the labyrinth beneath.

She waited until everyone got off before getting off. Using her comm, Callie overrode the access and sent the elevator to floor -50. This was a maintenance floor perfect for her needs. Noone besides city workers would be here and the hour was late. Callie was betting no one would be around to get mad at her for hacking the elevator.. At the top, her pursuer might notice the elevator's last stop on that number. Callie hoped so as she moved down the hall to wait around the corner for her prey. On the maintenance floor, there was no one else moving about. It was nine in the evening when most of the city workers would be off shift.

She waited, drawing her knife in her right hand and holding it by her side while waiting out of sight of the elevator. She glanced to her left down the hall while casually waiting to ambush her pursuer. The hall was well lit; the floors marred by years of use. She pulled up her jacket, glanced at the small device up high in the corner at the end of the hall to her left. Callie kept her face angled away from the camera down the hall. The elevator chimed, and the soft fall of soft shoes on allium drifted around the corner.

Her body thrummed with her positive art as she copied Dustin and enhanced her senses. The technique drained her reservoir at a visible rate, but the payoff was worth the expenditure. The sound drew closer. Now! In a blur of motion, Callie darted out around the corner. With her momentum, Callie swept the woman's legs from under her just as she was taking a step. The smaller woman crashed towards the ground but, as expected, rolled, observing the impact. Callie didn't let up, springing towards the woman, striking her in the gut.

The woman to startled from the suddenness of the attack was still of balance and gasped, the breath leaving her. The woman balanced on her knees with one hand while the other darted for a weapon. Callie lept forwards kicking out her supporting arm and leaping onto the woman's back. She placed the razor edge of her knife to the back of the shorter woman's neck, while wrenching one arm behind her back. Callie forced the woman's chest to the floor, not allowing her any leverage.

" Why are you following me?" Asked Callie. The woman's panicked struggle ceased as Callie's knife drew blood on her neck.

" I wasn't following you." Gasped the woman, breathing hard, her body tense.

" Right, and I am a cat." Said Callie.

"What's a cat?" asked the woman, grunting as Callie wrenched her arm behind her back painfully.

" Why are you following me? Keep in mind that not answering might result in a painful death." Said Callie. The woman's tense body moved slightly and blood dripped from the small cut Callie's knife made on her neck. The blood trickled down the reflective steel blade before dripping onto the white linoleum.

" I work for your boss." gasped the woman.

" Really? Then call him right now, tell him to call me." Order Callie pulling the woman's arm, none too gently behind her back. The woman gasped.

"Ouch! No need to hurt me!" hissed the woman. Callie's knee held the woman down firmly, but she noticed small metal plates sliding into her free hand to form a small green hand-held device. Callie waited as the screen lit up.

" Hey, boss. We have a problem. Your partner caught me following her. She won't let me go until you call her." Said the woman.

Callie couldn't hear the other side of the conversation. The captive woman's skill at lying was either masterful or she was really talking to Dustin. They waited one long minute, and the elevator chimed, startling Callie. A man stepped out, his gun raised at Callie.

Twisting the woman's wrist hard, Callie noticed the man's comm was still on.

" Stop, another step forward and your partner will receive a knife for her trouble." Said Callie. She gritted her teeth. Of course, the woman was going to call for backup.

The somewhat familiar man paused. He clutched his pistol in a steady grip; the muzzle pointed right at Callie's forehead. Not wanting her head to turn into a canoe, Callie tapped her reservoir and her thin barrier shimmered with green energy.

" Let her go!" said the man, his face creased with worry. The way the man looked at Callie's captive spoke stronger than words. These two were a couple.

"First tell me why your girlfriend was following me?" Said Callie. She watched the man's expression intently while also keeping the woman's arm in an iron grip. Callie tired of referring to them by he and she decided to call the man Terrance and the woman Matilda.

" We are being payed to follow you." Said Terrance, glancing from his sights at the woman on the floor.

"Now listen carefully Terrance, if you don't tell me who is paying you to follow me, then your girlfriend Matilda here is going to find out how sharp my knife is." Said Callie. The newly named Matilda yelped as Callie's knife cut the skin, blood leaking onto the floor.

When the man sealed his lips in a white line, Callie let out a sigh. This hard ass act was getting tiresome. She focused on her comm, and a with a few mental clicks she sent a message to Dustin. She even sent a picture of the side of her Prone captives face to him to make sure.

Callie's comm buzzed several seconds later. And a beeping message from Dustin appeared.

" Hey Callie, can you stop hurting my employee?" Said Dustin.

" So Terrance and Matilda are yours?" Asked Callie.

" That's not their names. But yeah, they work for me." Said Dustin.

Callie let out a sigh and glanced up at Terrance.

" Alright, put the gun down and I'll let her go. We work for the same people." Said Callie.

" Don't trust her, she is trying to trick you." Said Matilda, struggling from under Callies knee.

When the man hesitated, Callie moved her knife from Matilda's neck. She pulled the prone woman up, careful to keep Matilda between herself and Terrance.

She kept a grip on the woman's arm held in a chicken wing.

Callie wiped her knife on the woman's sleeve, cleaning off the blood before sheathing the weapon.

"See, she is just fine now. You can put down the gun." Said Callie, glaring the man down.

" Not until you let her go." Demanded Terrance.

" Now that is a trap. If I let her go, then you don't have to put down the gun." Said Callie. This was getting them nowhere. Terrance grimaced and lowered his gun, putting it back in his belt.

Callie released her prisoner and the woman stagger forward. Terrance caught the woman glaring at Callie.

" See, wasn't that easy? Now, if you will excuse me, I must be on my way." Said Callie, retreating down the hallway. She rushed down the maintenance hall, losing her babysitters in the maze of hallways.

The confrontation had been necessary. She needed to escape them before she met with Warren. She took random hallways, stairs, and elevators until she was sure they were long gone. Callie pulled up the city plans again on her comm. The three d image floated in front of her showing the way. With miles of hallways, pipes, elevators, and stars beneath the city, Callie was certain she had lost them. Only with the gps on her comm could she navigate the hallways. The security on the city's underground maps was so pathetic it had only taken her a minute to hack in. She zoomed out with her comm. There were over a hundred different floors underground beneath the city looking like an absurd ant hill that was fossilized with copper.

A beacon ahead of her pinged on Callie's holographic map, signalling that she had arrived. To accent from the depths, there were stairs or an elevator. Callie took the stairs. She figured if someone was waiting for her, they would watch the elevator, not the stairs, as no one willingly would put them self through fifty flights of stairs.

She accented the stairs quietly, her gun drawn. This was a meeting with Warren, but who knew if Villus was waiting instead. One floor below surface designated minus one was her rendezvous. She slipped out of the stairwell. Her casual blue pants and white shirt were soaked in sweat, but that was mostly hidden by the dark colour of her pants and the thin black jacket hiding her knife and shoulder holster. She grimaced as the stench of sweat washed over her. Now all she needed to do was wait for Warren.