Tiptoe higher

Marisol

"I leave for three days and this happens?"

Marisol was frustrated. Exasperated. Annoyed. This was ridiculous.

Standing across from her, Jaime look understandably worried. "Ma'am, it's a simple little thing, really-"

"I thought I told you not to mess with the rebellion when I was gone!" Marisol was not in the habit of interrupting people, but she did have limits. Coming home to such a mess was one of them.

"The rebellion had nothing to do with us!" Jaime insisted. "The League unlawfully practicing human experimentation on children, children which the rebellion captured. We simply found out about the plot and tried to rescue the poor things."

Marisol raised a eyebrow. Jaime, doing something out of the good of his own heart? Sure. That was likely.

"And now where are they?"

"The children? Ah...the rebellion got them ma'am."

"All of them?"

Jaime swallowed.

"Yes."

Marisol sighed and closed her eyes. "You're telling me you failed."

"Unfortunately."

"Fantastic." She paused, letting him sweat for a moment and then got up.

"If these children are as powerful and as dangerous as you say we need to get them back. That is the job of the Inextorables, understood? No failures this time."

"Yes, ma'am." Jaime agreed. "Oh, and one more thing. We caught a rebel, one of the scientists. He may have information on where they're hiding the children."

Marisol sighed once more. "And I suppose Lia wants permission to interrogate him? It's granted. Anything else?"

"No ma'am." Said Jaime, and he left.

As he did so, Marisol collapsed in her chair, sighed, and started on some more paper work. She had no idea that she had just signed her own death warrant.