No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 39: Star

          The room is quiet but my mind is still going. That man's visit, Najee's reaction. Something was off about him. I thought maybe I was distracting him but the longer we talked the more I could see that I'm on his mind the same way he's on mine, but that's not what has him distracted. Something is distracting him from this mission and if he can't get it under control then he's going to be out. He'll have to do something else for this mission if he can't hold his cover. I turn onto my side and stare at the wall. "Go to sleep, Star." I order myself "there's a big day tomorrow."

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Keller put together my second outfit when she checked in yesterday, another pencil skirt and a patterned loose blouse this time. I hate the way I feel dressed like this but I have work to do. I need to do more than push paper today.

I need to figure out which ones are Idios. First, I need to check on Najee. Maybe he'll be ready to tell me what's going on with him.

I grab the small cross body bag Keller also picked out and threw it over my shoulder before I hurried down the hall. It's easier for me to find Najee than him me. I could be looking for a snack, there's no reason he should be in my office or near my room.

I turn the corner and freeze mid-step when I catch sight of someone about to run into me, except he doesn't. I look up to see Najee looking a bit sheepish.

"Najee?" I ask wondering why he's here.

"You don't feed yourself." His eyes drop to a small tray in his hand. He's not in his chef's uniform, he's wearing the same kind of suit Kader has on for his butler cover.

"Thanks." I take the food from him and lead him to the window seat, the curtains are big enough to hide us.

"Eat." Najee orders sounding more like himself. I do as I'm told and bite into the jelly covered toast.

"You ready to tell me what's wrong with you?" I ask.

He shakes his head "not yet, but I did figure out why you were angry at me."

"Now's not really the time for this." I try to stand, I don't want to talk about this.

"Wait," Najee catches my hand. I feel uncomfortable and annoyed that he would pick now to talk about this and that it took him this long to figure it out, even if I know it's not his fault.

"Not now." I snap at him.

"Fine." Najee stands and pushes me against the wall. "It was me." He says before pressing his lips to mine. I freeze with the sensation. Najee's hands feel like his, this feels like him. He pulls away just as abruptly as he had started. His face is red but he meets my eyes "it was me then and it's me now. Thierry tried to take over but he only managed for a second and it was after I already kissed you and the second he did I pushed him back down, Star, I swear." Desperation is clear in his eyes. He needs me to believe him.

"Okay." I say.

"Okay?" He asks.

"I believe you."

"You do?" He's surprised.

"Do I have a reason not to?" I ask him.

"No!" He exclaims, "of course not."

"Now get back to your post before you get caught and blow both of our covers." I tell him sternly.

He nods "got it." He hesitates and jabs a finger at the plate I left on the window seat "eat that."

"Got it." I tell him. He gives my hand a squeeze and I grab my plate from the seat before I head back to my room. Something is still wrong with him. I think as I close my door.

Paperwork is easy, following directions. It was the only thing I was good at in school, aside from getting into fights. I wasn't smart but I had straight A's, school doesn't teach you how to be smart or how to survive life. This job doesn't teach you how to run anything. There's no satisfaction in it, at least not for me. The security guards watch me, they're smirking and thanking God that this isn't their job.

The security here is terrible. They're distracted, they're checking their slates and their arm screens trying to pass the time. Every time they do look around they look in all the wrong places. If someone is going to attack the white house, they're not going to come running down the hall. I'd tear a hole into anyone of my team if they were watching someone like this.

I file the papers, I glance at the president through the open door of my temporary adjoining office. Somethings got everyone on edge because they wanted to keep an eye on me for this paper work.

"Ms. Wilgerson." He beckons me over. I push away from my desk and catch the guards slide a glance at me.

"Yes sir." I stand beside the president, blonde hair piece, square jaw. My least favorite president. He hands me a paper "make a copy for my desk as well as a copy for yours and a copy online." He doesn't spare so much as a glance.

"Right away, sir." I take my seat and scan the paper on and file the original in its proper folder to take to my office later. I print two copies off. I stopped reading the titles a while ago but this one catches my eye.

"Isolate Abnormalities" I freeze and slide a glance toward him but he doesn't pay me any attention.

That doesn't sound good I think of Philips comment earlier about new rules for us but this sounds worse. I slip the copy into my bag to look at later.

There's a lot wrong here, I know that already as I pace back and forth across my room still dressed in my work outfit. The way the guards are so lax, the way the president is so quiet about everything. I can feel the tension.

I've also spotted a few abnorms here. Not the Idios but just a few harmless abnorms trying to make a living and hide who they are. They shouldn't have to hide it but that's not the kind of world we live in. If it was, I'd have more options.

When I leave here, when I can't be Star anymore, I'll have to avoid as many people as possible. I can't risk being caught because then I'll have to leave again, start over again. I hate starting over.

"I'm missing something." I mumble to myself "It's right here and I just can't see it, I'm getting in my own way." I want to hit something, I haven't wanted to hit something this badly in a while but this is getting to me, my final mission and I can't even figure out which ones are the bad guys.

"Relax." I snap at myself "just... relax." I try to take a few deep breaths but that only serves to make me angrier. "you're never going to solve anything if you're too busy having a temper tantrum-" I freeze and smirk at myself.

That was the first time I saw Kader get angry, it was also my first mission, my first time being a leader and I kept messing up. I almost lost it every other minute. It was the most frustrating experience of my life but Kader was paired with me and his jokes weren't doing anything but annoying me further. I glance at my door, I don't want to be alone right now. I need someone to help me think.