Playing With The Puppet Master

9

The next day, I sat in the dining room adjoined to the kitchen and worked out some ways to place explosives on the stronghold. This was a very basic drawn up map of the exterior. I had yet to recon the area and get the information I really needed. That was going to be a few days on its own. My hand trailed to the oversized bar of chocolate that Duke gave me yesterday. I snapped off a piece and tapped my pencil against the mapping I had. The chocolate popped in my mouth a moment later and swirled against my tongue.

"Morgan!" The shrill of Angie's voice caught my attention. I glanced upward and Angie sat on the edge of the table. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out what I can about the stronghold before I do my own recon. I just wanted to see if I could figure anything out before I left."

"When do you leave for that?"

"Tomorrow, more than likely. I just wanted a day of rest before I headed out." The doll walked across the table and plopped down beside me on the map paper. I broke off another piece of chocolate and handed it to the doll. She took it with glee and munched down on it. The two of us sat there for a while and ate chocolate while I drew up an idea of how to get in. After a few hours, I pushed myself away from the table and folded up the map. It slid into my pocket as I rubbed the fatigue from my eyes.

"Are you okay? You look really tired."

"Everyone gets tired when they have a deadline to meet," I replied.

"Are you going to take a break?"

"I am."

"Are you going to the library?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just cause." I stared at the doll, and she stared back at me. After a moment, I nodded.

"Yeah, I am after I make some hot tea." Angie only nodded in reply. I grabbed the rest of my chocolate and walked into the kitchen. Jordan was not here which was a rarity. I looked around the kitchen for anything that resembled tea. When I found the tea, I boiled a kettle and steeped the bags in. I planned on drinking the whole kettle throughout the evening. I decided on using raspberry pomegranate tea. I have learned to love it because it was the number one type of tea in the house. I grabbed the honey and sweetened it. A tray with a kettle, cup, and extra honey just in case. I carried it up to the library upstairs and barricaded myself into the library. I made sure to shut the door and relaxed onto the couch. The tray settled down on the desk nearby and I aimed for a book. For a little while I stayed there and relaxed into the book. It took my attention almost immediately.

"Y-You're in here?" My head shot up a moment later. Mabel stood there in complete shock. My brows furrowed as I nodded.

"And is that a problem?" Mabel only looked into the hallway before she barricaded the both of us in the library. I set the book aside as my full attention went to her. She leaned against the door. My eyes trailed over her. Her face was redder than a cherry and blonde hair disheveled. "God, you look terrible."

"Oh, shut up."

"What are you doing-,"

"Mabel!" The door budged by the slam it took. Punches pounded against the door and my eyes widened.

"P-P-Please calm her down," Mabel pleaded. I gulped as she dived from the door and behind it entirely. The door slammed open and hit the maid behind it with a force that defied physics. A furious Donna strode in. Her eye fell on me. A whirlwind of emotions flew across her face.

"Where. Is. Mabel." Each word was like a bullet that hit dead in the chest. I stared at her bewildered. I took in a deep breath as my eye trailed to the hallway. "I could have sworn she ran into this room." She almost turned around before I sighed and stood. I decided that whatever this was, I wanted nothing to do with it. When I tried to walk past her, she used herself as a fence and trapped me in. I stared at her wide eyed after a moment. Her attention focused solely on me for a long moment before she stood a bit straighter. "Mabel told me that you saw...well...the other night." Blush crept across her cheeks as she spoke. I raised a brow.