The Visionaries

5

'As we rode to the Crystal Manor, I couldn't stop thinking about the mission. Obviously, I'm nervous. We've been through way, way worse. We arrive and park at a distance. There she is, risking her ass by helping us here. But we wouldn't ask for a better leader. Besides her is a dark skinned girl, tall and skinny. Her hair is in butterfly locs and she has on red lipstick.

"Guys, this is Mirelle, our contact within Crystal Manor. She's Choctaw Freedmen and she's also with the Black Native Coalition." Maddie said.

"Nice to meet you." I say. Everyone follows suit.

"Hey, I hope our prospective groups can partner up more." Mirelle said.

"I hope so too." Maddie said. "I'll leave you guys be. Good luck." She walks off.

We stare back at Mirelle. "So what do you want us to do?"

"Well, follow me." she said. She got on her own motorcycle and turned it on. We hopped back on ours and followed her to a rundown building. She looked both ways and entered. We followed suit. She sits down on the floor with a small device and presses a button on the side. A giant hologram of the Crystal Manor appeared. She touches it and it turns into the floor plans of the Manor.

"Wow, how did you get access to these?" Aaron asked.

"I'm a housekeeper there. Everything my ancestors did just for me to end up the same." Mirelle said. "But hopefully everything will end soon."

"So what's your plan?" I ask.

"My plan?" Mirelle said. "You guys want my input on this?"

"You know the building better than any of us. And their patterns." Aaron said.

"Also if we want this alliance to work, we have to work together. I'm sure it would make Maddie and your leader happy." Dany says.

"I might have one."

The uniform was hideous and this wig was bothering the hell of me but we need to trust Mirelle on this one.

"Can I get out? It stinks in here." Norrin says.

"No, you can't." Mirelle says. She scans a card and a room opens. There's clothes everywhere and it stinks of alcohol.

"Gross, guess money doesn't buy you cleaning skills." I say. I notice that there's an official card on the nightstand next to a bunch of empty Marlboro Lights boxes. I quickly grab it and grab the mini copier, watching it print out an exact replica of the card.

"Can I get out?" Norrin says in a whinier voice.

"Fine. Just make yourself useful." I say. Norrin leaps out.

"Actually I would rather get back in the dirty clothes bin." they say. I notice something else in their nightstand. It's a manila folder. It's information about us. So far they know our genders and have a few suspected ILM members up there of being us.

"Shit, they misgendered me." Norrin said. I jump up, startled and drop the papers.

"God fucking damnit." the papers just went everywhere. "Shit, you scared me!"

"Sorry." they respond. Mirelle comes back from the bathroom, looking horrified.

"Well, I figured out the smell." she said.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You might want to look at it yourselves." she motions to the bathroom. I walk up there first. Yep, it's a dead body. Looks like he blew his own brains out. There's blood and bits of brain everywhere. Or I don't know, maybe someone got to him first.

"Oh my god." I say. "We should get out of here."

We photograph the papers with the burner phone, let Norrin back in the dirty laundry and wipe down the door knob of the bathroom. We leave. That was gross but not the worst thing I've seen.

"I look stupid in this hat." Dany said, trying to adjust the chef hat on her head.

"How do you think I feel?" Aaron's head was itching from the hairnet.

"No comment." Bree said. "I wonder if they found anything yet."

"Same." Dany pushed the cart of food. "You do the first delivery." She handed the stolen card to Aaron.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah, really." Dany handed him the order. "It says the room number, the person and the meal."

"Fine. But you do the next one." Aaron knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a voice asked. It was a girl.

"Food service." Aaron said. "You got the chicken marsala and mushroom risotto for Jennifer Dawson and um......spaghetti alla puttanesca for Mr. Doe?"

The door opened. It was a tall blonde woman with a younger man. No comment. There was a table set with silverware and wine glasses. She took the plates from his hands and then handed him a ten dollar bill.

"For the service. You guys were fast." she shut the door behind her.

"That was.....off." Dany said.

"No comment, let's keep going." Aaron said.

They walked away and reached another room. Dany knocked on the door.

"Food service." she said. No answer. She knocked louder. "Food service."

"Leave it by the door." the voice, a man said, in a good tone.

"It's vegetarian chili and tortilla chips." Dany said. She set it down. They started to walk away.

"Wait, you're new, aren't you? What's your name?"

"Shit." Dany said. Aaron and Bree looked at her.

"Daisy." Dany said.

"Hmm, nice to meet you, Daisy." the man said.

They walked away as quickly as possible. They came across Mirelle, Norrin, and Alma.

"You guys look like you've seen a ghost, what happened?" Dany asked.

"We....found a dead body." Norrin said. "We also got his ID and a folder of stuff they know about us. What did you guys find?"

"Nothing, every room we've been in didn't let us in. We should probably get to the second part of this mission." Aaron said.

"Alright, then. You know the deal." I say. Norrin and Aaron nodded.

"I guess this is where we part ways. I don't want to pay the consequences of your actions." Mirelle said.

I worry about her. I know exactly what she means.

"Take care. You're a good woman, Mirelle." I say.

She smiles and walks away. Guess it's on to the real thing.