No Man's Land

12- A Tea and a Chat, Minus the Tea

Jana *****

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'Jana, please, you've got to give it a rest. Take the time off that they're offering, or they just might make it more permanent.'

"This was our second flight of the day. We had been coming from Rijeka, Croatia. We were just double checking the work and cleanup from an earlier operation." I started.

'Look Collin, I'm more likely to stress about it if I have nothing to do. And I told you- I'm fine!"

"The operation hadn't exactly gone in our favor, and we were walking on thin ice so we were just sent to make sure that things had been. . . cleaned up properly."

"You mean you guys did something less than legal." Parker added. I almost wanted to groan at how quickly my secrecy was being blown away.

"I'm not going to answer that. Anyways, we were supposed to be heading back to DC, from where we would go to Langley to get some other things settled. In the airport I got a call about a potential security breach, but I've received false alarms before." I paused, brushing a loose strand of hair from my face. "I guess it was true this time."

'Mrs. *****, you're going to be staying here for the next few weeks while we asses and eliminate the threat. All entrances and exits are fingerprint locked, and we have eyes in every corner. We recommend you stay inside and keep a low profile.'

"You think that you are being targeted." Parker said slowly. I looked up, jaw clenched. He cocked his head to the side, slightly. "You're not used to letting people read you, I assume."

I sat up straighter, still balanced on the log. "I suppose only a few people know what to make of me."

He held her against his chest, her breaths coming uneven. 'It's okay, it's over. You did the right thing.' For once her stone cold eyes were watering.

"Your assignment that went wrong was related to the 840 Global Conference." Parker said flatly. I reeled back, my hand flying to my thigh where my knife was strapped. Parker flinched, eyes locked on my hand which hovered over the exposed sheath.

She wiped ash off her forehead, staring back at the burning building in shock. 'Snap out of it, hálfviti! Do your job and make sure we didn't lose anyone." 

"It seems you were lying about not wanting sensitive information." I hissed, forcing my hand away from my knife. Parker frowned.

"I've overstepped. Just tell me what you take those pills for so that I can cross you off the suspect list." Oh, it would only give him more the reason to think it was me.

"You're almost certainly going to assume it was me, Parker."

"Just say it, Jana. I'm tired of this cat and mouse game."

"Bold of you to assume I'm the mouse." I smiled slightly, my hand drifting to my pocket. I took a slight breath in and drew out the orange pill bottle. "Paroxetine Hydrochloride. It's what killed the pilot- I've been informed." This time it was Parker's hand that drifted to his side- to the holstered gun. 

"Jana, what did you do." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. I clenched my jaw as I counted the pills over and over again.

"I did nothing, Parker. Think about it. I need these. Why would I waste them on killing a pilot? You seriously think I would strand myself on an island without a source of medication? On purpose?"

"How long have you been taking them," he asked, obviously trying to think it out. "How many a day."

"Two a day, every day, last three months." I muttered. If I had to give up information, it would be my own and only my own. Better to distract him with that than let him catch on to my operation.

"You're crashing, then. You don't have enough so you're cutting your doses and that's  offsetting your immune system. That's why you're getting migraines." 

Her ears rang as the shouting continued to echo. She ignored her superior as he barked orders at her, still staggering back from the explosion. Her phone was ringing like mad.

"Yeah, I worked that out." He still hadn't asked what I took them for, specifically.

"And you realise I have no reason to think you didn't do this, correct?"

"I kept my pills in my carry on. They could have easily been stolen at any point. I didn't realise that five were missing until after the plane crashed. Pills would have to have been administered around 20 minutes beforehand, with around a five minute window either way. You may not take my word for it, but ask anyone and you'll know that I was in my seat the entire time."

She found him on the ground, nose bloody. She crouched down, joints aching in protest, and touched her palm to his cheek. She shook his shoulders until the life blinked back into him.

"And you're sure you don't want to revise anything you just said?" Parker asked, raising his eyebrows. I let out a breath and looked him straight in the eyes.

"Nothing is ever black and white, Parker. There are things I'm guilty for and others for which I'm innocent. You need to widen your scope. It could have been anyone. Several people. A stewardess, the flight engineer, a passenger, an agent. We're all suspects- including you. And before you get caught up in a wild goose chase, why don't you take a step back and consider motive," I flexed my fingers, examining my nails. "Why wait for the who when the why can tell you exactly that? It might just be me, but I'm pretty sure I'd need a damn good reason to want to blow up a plane."

"Then tell me, Jana, for what reason might I person want to hurt you?" Parker asked, slightly tilting his head to the side. It was a trick used to lower tension. I snorted, cracking a smile.

Preventing a hit on the Swedish ambassador.

Shooting down a chief officer in Yemen.

Surpassing the people who had been in the agency for decades in a matter of months.

"I'm afraid that's one of those questions that would be better reversed. There are certainly a lot of people who don't like me. Not to mention the opportunity to take out a CIA operative in itself might sound pretty alluring, so really, who doesn't want to kill me?" Parker shook his head, adjusting how he was sitting.

"You're deflecting again. Does it have something to do with the Croatian Conference?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Parker." I said, getting tired of having to say that same answer time and time again. But, just slightly, I nodded my head. Parker's eyes flashed surprise for just a moment before he stifled his reaction.

"In that case we have nothing left to discuss. Thanks for the chat, Jana."

"Anytime."

Hey hey hey so sorry for being a couple days late school has been heck-tic. u get it? no. ok. anyways the reads are starting to come in faster and that's making me happy so keep sharing w/ your friends and have a happy december also sorry this chapter will make more sense later k byeee <3

-K