Operation: One percent

Chapter 41

Margaret

This was bad.

Really, really bad.

 Ace was probably oblivious to the tattoo under his wrist, but I can notice that tattoo anywhere. I didn't know if I should tell him about it, and if I did, I don't know if he would trust me. If I could figure out his nickname somehow, I might know how much of a danger he was.

He said that the currency of the credit is not something that is being used here, so I wonder since when did he start living here? It seemed that everyone knew him, so I suppose it might be a while. But regardless, I doubt he would refuse money.

And what was that move with the women?

I just have a feeling that he cannot be trusted. Too many thoughts were spinning in my head, and I wondered if I could even sleep. I started shaking, and it was definitely not from hunger.

My thoughts went back to Maryam. How was she doing?

Is she somewhere safe?

Is she an assassin or a bounty hunter? How did she survive that night, and what did I exactly see?

She must have been frightened out of her mind when she woke up. Visions of her screeches calling me, and me not being there to soothe her, made my blood run cold. All of a sudden, a memory of the first man I killed started flashing. His soul leaving him and coursing my name.

I blink and his lifeless eyes are replaced by Maryam's.

Cold sweat started rolling down my spine, and I couldn't seem to gasp for air strongly enough. I fell on my knees, keeping my hands close to me, as they were shaking so much, and they were now covered in blood and acid.

Warm hands were soothing my back now.

„Steady Margaret. Breathe."

At first, the words were blurred by the loud beeping sound in my ears but that person just calmly repeated the same words.

„Breathe Margaret. You are safe. Everything is okay."

„My pills...I need... my pills."With all the strength I mustered.

„Medication pills?"
„Antidepressants.Please..."

„No! You are stronger than that!" A gentle and firm female voice spoke to me.

„I can't. The pain... I can't handle it!"

„Yes, you can Margaret! I know you can!"

I ran towards the bathroom and barely held my vomit until I could reach the toilet. As I let the fluid unleash, someone was holding my hair back, and I felt light patting on my back. I must have neglected the pills.

„That's right. Let it out. I am holding you."

She was not patting my nape with a wet hand. Not this again. 

„Don't...go there.!"

„I got you, just relax please."

I was too weak to protest further, as when I was done, my face was washed by another hand, and my arm was sloped over somebodies shoulder.

„I am going to get you to bed okay?.."

„No! I will be fine."

Now my vision adjusted, and I could see that the person sitting next to me was the girl from before, Anna.

„I will go get you some tea okay? I will not leave you."
The room was less dizzy now, and exhaustion was washing over me.

I was fighting the urge to fall asleep, and now I was staring at one dot.
„Are you feeling better?"

True to her promise, she really did come back with tea.

„Yes, thank you."

She smiled lovingly and pressed the hot cup against my lips.

„Its optimal temperature. Drink, it's going to help you."

A lovely peppermint aroma started to caress my sinuses, but I knew the craft of poison too well. I just took the cup from her and warmed my hands against it. 

„You are a kind person Anna. Thank you."
„You are welcome. I was knocking on your door, but I could hear you gasping and crying, so I decided to check on you. I am sorry I entered uninvited."

I nodded and kept on faking drinking the tea, while she was looking at me cautiously, worryingly.

„I know a withdrawal when I see one, but I wanted to be sure so I asked you just in case."

She proceeded to talk, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

„You see all of this?" She waved her hand over the sight of the window, however, her demeanor was not as kind as before.

„It is a refuge for people, a sanctuary. Jett took me in when I was a teen, running away from the bounty hunters. They killed my entire family because the target was my father. At the time, I couldn't really understand what was happening, but all I remember was the red blood splattered on the walls. I only escaped because I was hiding under the bed, and their screams still haunt me to this day. After a while, Jett explained what happened and why and all I could do was punch the walls so hard that my knuckles bled." She grazed the knuckles with her thumb, reminiscing.

„The reason why credits and the post-off system are not here is that we have our own, but not in the way that is in the Rintalis. I am not even sure how your system above can't reach us, but all I know here is that its purpose is to simulate the outside world the best it can, and somehow it acts like a shield from the..." thing" above."

I nodded in silence, and I felt remorseful about her family. All I wanted to do was hug her, and pat her on the head.

„At the beginning, there were only 10 of us, and after a while, now we are possibly counting around 500 people here. As they came, I learned more about the world above, how they are coping with the system, the anti-depressants, and hired assassins."

She finally turned around and changed to a determined expression.

„I owe Jet my life, and I will protect him at all costs."

I put the tea down on the cupboard, and I met her gaze with understanding. She didn't come here to help. She came here to monitor me and issue a warning, and if they wanted me dead, they would have done it already. Maybe it was curiosity about us that kept me alive. Cursed weak body of mine.

She definitely knows that I am an assassin, and she wanted me to know that.

„I am very sorry to hear about your family, and I know what it's like to.... lose someone"

All those years my daughter was dead to me, so it technically was the truth.

„But then again, I too have also found someone I need to protect, and so I... will protect him at any costs."

If Ace heard this, I would have never heard the end of it and I can only imagine the smugness on his face that would come with it, but inexplicably, that made me smile inside. However, I realized maybe I unintentionally threatened her.

„I was a mother once, and if your mother was alive, I know that she would be proud of you. I am sure she would be happy to see you have someone important to you."
Did I bury my daughter in my mind? Somewhere in my subconsciousness, she is still in the realm of souls, only met in dreams. Can I really get her back?

She looked at me with a somber look on her face, and walked to the door, reaching for the handle.

„If you need anything, I will be downstairs."
I need to regain my strength, but more than that, I need to calm my mind, somehow.