On the Run

11 - Vindicta

The morning sun broke through the slightly cracked dusty curtains that hung from their pole. Beams of light fell across Mia, who was still sprawled out on the relatively comfortable bed, wrapped up in the crisp warm sheets.

Mia twitched as she slept, flinching almost every time the image of her mother flashed in her mind as she dreamt. She struggled to wake herself, feeling as if that the cruel images had a harsh grasp on her and wouldn't let her go, like it was a part of some very cruel joke. Only in the brief dreams, she wasn't laughing. She was frightened and helpless, something which she hated feeling.

The irksome creak of a door being forced open startled her awake, her eyes blinking quickly as the light stabbed at her eyes. She threw her hand over her face, trying to block out the strong sunlight.

"Yes, understood. Addio," came the sound of Daniela's voice as she walked into the stale motel room.

Mia groaned slightly, letting out a cough as she sat herself up, feeling groggy and tired, the images of her mother still burning in the back of her mind. All she could think about was revisiting parts of her childhood last night with Lorenzo along with the photo she found back at the market. It was really bringing out memories of her mother more frequently and it was getting to her more and more.

"Sorry to wake you, Mia," Daniela then said as she slid the phone down into her pocket, "but I've just had a call from my contact."

"What's wrong?" Mia asked, a yawn escaping her mouth as she threw the covers off herself, the surprisingly warm air greeting her exposed skin.

"We've had to change where we're meeting," Daniela said. "He's meeting us outside of Craco instead."

Mia's head darted up to where Daniela was standing; paranoia and doubt began coursing through her veins. Her trust in this contact of Daniela's was quickly crumbling. There had been many times in the past where Mia had met with the wrong people who inevitably ended up shooting at her or sold her out.

"What if he's working for Orabella?" Mia asked, getting straight to the point. She could care less if the paranoia was obvious in her voice, but she knew that all it took was wrong move and they could be killed.

"I promise you, he's not," Daniela assured, "I've known him a long time. He used to be in the militare."

Mia took in a deep breath before letting it out. She didn't say anything, instead just giving Daniela a very cautious stare.

"You can trust me, Mia," Daniela then said, taking a step closer, "I'm on your side. Lo prometto."

Daniela then turned and headed for the door, allowing Mia to get ready alone. She shut the door as she left. Mia rubbed the back of her neck, closing her eyes for a second as she thought about the sudden change of plans.

If her contact really was in the military, then that could also mean that he's now a mercenary and will do anything for money, including hand them over or even kill them. She wandered over to her bag and rummaged through it until she pulled out another two magazines for her handgun, which was a jet-black Glock G29, something that the DIS had equipped her with on one of her very first missions and so she always kept it with her, for luck. Loading up one of the magazines, she internally decided that she'd be taking it, in case things did go south. She then began looking around for a spare set of clothes, as she thought of a backup plan that would get them out of Craco alive and well.

*

The air was cold and brisk as the fans hidden by vents whirred away. There was a clean smell to the place, the same smell that was often in hospitals. The floor was covered in white linoleum tiles and the walls were light grey, giving out even more hospital vibes that just the clean, soapy scent that lingered in the atmosphere.