Snatched (1) {COMPLETED}

11| A Perfect Target

Chapter 11: A Perfect Target

Joi finished the stack of paperwork after hours of torture. Her hand hurt from writing reports as she tapped the small pan on the desk before setting it to the side. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, exhausted. She checked the time.

1:27 am

She pushed the chair back, making it screech in the process. She winced and rubbed her eyes once again just as a loud beeping sound came from her laptop. She sighed, frustrated, as she sat back down in her desk chair and flipped the top open.

Her boss’s name flashed across the screen and she was immediately awake and ready for the call. She only called when something important had happened. Good or bad.

Joi slid her mouse across the pad and clicked ‘answer’. An older woman’s angry and stressed face came up on the screen and scowled at Joi.

Joi gulped before she spoke, “Good...morning?”

Her boss scoffed and leaned back in her chair, “I need to speak to you.”

Obviously… Joi thought as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Why are you calling so late, ma’am?’ she asked.

“I’ve been looking through Black Island’s cameras and have found three students roaming the halls of the buildings in the past two days. Two days!” she was raising her voice. She was angry.

Joi’s eyes widened and she gulped a second time, “Wha-well...I had no idea-I have been so busy with training and-”

“Stop!” the boss stopped her, holding up her hand, “There are no excuses! If these kids find out anything, our plan to attack Treedon will go down the drain. We can’t afford that.”

“They're just kids!” Joi said, trying to say something, anything, to defend herself. “They have only been training for nearly 4 weeks now. They won’t do any harm against the Coast-”

“Enough!” her boss yelled, slamming her fist onto the table, making her jump, “I want them sent here, soon.”

“You want me to send them to the Coast now?” Joi asked, incredulous. She couldn't believe the boss wanted the kids already. She had to be kidding…

“Yes. They can complete their training here. I can’t risk the plan when we are so close to victory.”

Joi knew to not argue. It never ended well,  so she just nodded, agreeing with her.

“Good,” The boss said, leaning back into the chair once again, “Now next order of business. Do you know these kids?” Her boss held up two photos with a dome like effect, showing that they were screenshots on camera footage.

The first had a date from 2 days before with two faces.

Mason Thigs and Phoebe Miller.

Joi glared at the photo, knowing full well that Phoebe was thrown into a cell in the basement. Someone must have let her out.

After seeing the first photo, the second didn’t faze her. It was dated the day before and had Steven Bog and the one and only Phoebe Miller standing by the door where the other Bog children were living.

“I think I know what has happened,” Joi said, resting the head on her clenched hands, “That kid,” she pointed the the photo with Steven, “is Steven. The one who is, supposedly, on our side. But several days ago, a guard found him telling that Phoebe girl everything about us. I had the guard put her in the basement but someone must have let her out. I’m guessing it was Mason Thigs.” Again, she gestured to him.

The boss was fuming with anger, “How could you let this happen! This boy has ruined everything! There is no doubt that those two have told the rest. We have no other choice but to bring them here early.”

Joi nodded, not fully liking the idea, but agreed anyway, “But, I have an idea that could slow down their little plan.” She opened a new app on her computer and looked at the girls’ room cameras. There, lying peacefully, was Phoebe Miller.

A perfect target.

“I gotta go, boss. I have a plan,” Joi got up and rummaged through her shelves until her hand came out with a black bottle. She smiled-victorious-and sat back down in her chair.

“This will work, Mrs. Gardner,” she said, holding up the tube confidently.

“It better.”

Joi was about to stand up until Mrs. Gardner’s digital voice broke through the room again, “Oh, Joi?”

Joi turned back around to look at her fully, “Yes?”

“Under no circumstances should any of those kids find out that their mayor is working with you. I worked hard to get in that position for our plan. It they find out now, there’s no going back. They trusted me and the only one that thought something was off about me was Phoebe, so I had to send her here before she found out anything. No one can find out."

Joi nodded, “I can make sure of that, boss.”

“Good.”

Joi shut her laptop and walked out the door with the black bottle firmly in her hand.

-------

Joi quickly made her way down the dark, sad halls of the building. She walked lightly, not wanting to alert any guards of her presence. If they found out what she was about to do, they wouldn’t trust her.

And like she said before, they couldn’t afford to fail this late in the game.

She arrived at her destination in front of a large, wooden door. She reached into her pocket and searched until her fingers caught hold of the cold silver. She pulled the small key out and looked around her. No lights were on. No one was up.

Hopefully.

She popped the key in the hole and tisted it slowly until in clicked. She turned the doorknob and peeked inside, peering at the five girls, sound asleep.

Perfect.

She walked the short distance to young Phoebe Miller’s bed and glanced at her bedside table. Just the two books they were provided and a water bottle, halfway full. Joi couldn't hold back her smile as she picked up the flimsy, plastic water bottle. She used two fingers, making sure it made no sound, and turned the lid until it came off.

Setting the bottle back down, she grabbed the black container she brought from her office and screwed the top off. She connected the tops of the two bottles together and tilted the black one. She watched the clear liquid pour and mix with the water, changing the pure substance to a dangerous one.

She quickly glanced at Phoebe as she mumbled unintelligibly while adjusting her position. Joi didn’t move a muscle until Phoebe let out a sigh and went back into a deep sleep.

Joi screwed the lids back on each bottle and quickly exited the room, leaving no trace behind, and feeling no guilt.