Billie couldn’t argue with that, but for a different reason than what Altier was thinking. She didn’t have nearly enough money for a car. Last time she had driven one was before she left her parents’ house, over four years ago. She probably still had her driver’s license lying around somewhere…
To be controlled? What does he mean? Did the kid figure out that she was trying to trick him into calming down or-
Billie didn’t get a chance to finish that train of thought as Oswin suddenly leaned against her side. It took her all of her mental fortitude to hold herself back from jumping out of her seat right then and there. she only shuddered slightly, but mostly managed to keep her composure, at least on the outside. On the inside though, she was panicking, all her systems ringing alarms, overwhelmed by direct physical contact with another person… robot… whatever this kid was.
WHAT IS HE DOING? HAS HE GONE MAD? WHY ME?! I AM NOT-
I am not good enough for this
Her entire being wanted to push Oswin away, get up, run, and never appear anywhere near this diner, or even this town. She couldn’t afford to let someone be close to her, to let them think that they could rely on her. She didn’t deserve any of it. She deserved to be alone. That way nobody else would get hurt because of her.
Yet she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t bring herself to push this weird robotic kid away. At least not right now, while he was scared and needed someone to be with him. She could find a way to herself from him later, but right now, in this diner, they were in this together.
“Everything’s gonna be fine, kid.” Billie said quietly. Gathering all of her bravery, she slowly and tentatively reached out her free hand towards Oswin and awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, before rapidly pulling her hand away, immediately regretting her decision. It was definitely too much close human interaction for her to handle.
Only as her initial shock from this development went away, Billie noticed how heavy the kid was. She had to tense her core and leg muscles in order to prevent being into the wall. She sat in this position completely still, not a single muscle moving in her body, exactly like she would be if she was on the hunt, watching her prey… except now she was trying not to be squashed by a kid made of steel or something.
Ironically, Billie concluded that anything that would potentially come after this would be easier compared to the hell she was currently in. Tracking down some kind of monster was a dream job for her compared to having to be in a crowded place and having to interact with three people at the same time.
At this point she more or less accepted that they could get ambushed by the people who set this up at any moment. So she sat and waited for something to happen.
The sudden appearance of a voice in her ear caught Billie by surprise and caused her to instinctively reach her hand towards her ear, before she remembered she had put that communication device in it earlier. She wasn’t used to all this fancy tech. But at least, it helped to distract her from the fact that the fancy piece of tech in the form of Oswin was still clinging to her side.
Whoever’s talking certainly seems to know Pat’s food well. Billie wondered if she could recognize one of the joint’s many regulars in the owner of this voice. But without seeing his face, it was near impossible to tell.
For the first time since Billie sat at this table, her face showed clear determination as she looked between Altier and Gracie. This is what she came here for. This job would surely bring her closer to her goal. She was ready to risk everything she had for it.
She held her breath, waiting for what the voice had to say
He wasn’t surprised by a sudden voice, though it having that level of AI support definitely was one. Watered down is still better than most of the corporate’s enterprise stuff. How long until commercial grade version would come closer to their level? Those thoughts would need to wait - he had an important question to answer.
“That’s the questions isn’t it?” The voice replied, “I’ll gladly provide details; however considering the nature of this particular venture - I need commitment prior to disclosure.”
Allowing a moment for that statement to sink in, the voice continued “I know that’s not how things typically go with employment deals; and I wouldn’t blame you for walking away. But once I get a confirmation from each of you, I can proceed. Otherwise, those who wish to leave can do so at anytime; no questions asked. And as a show of goodwill …”
As the voice spoke, and image appeared directly in front of each of you that had an ear piece . It wasn’t being displayed or projected for the world to see - it was in your mind.
On the image, you each can see the login information for your bank accounts, the username and passwords automatically filled out.
As you watched, each of you received the promised $100 credits before the image disappeared once more from your minds.
“I went ahead and provided the promised funds. If you choose the walk away, you can keep them - again no questions asked, no strings attached.”
“So …” the voice said after a moment to allow each of you a chance to absorb what just occurred. “Are you in?”
The pressure from his body did not improve from the interaction, but something was… Different. As she whispered her minimal encouragement and lightly patted him on the shoulder for a brief moment, the human aspects he possessed became significantly more profound. He no longer felt like a block, tipping on its corner into her, but like an actual kid, suddenly finding the strength to go on in the face of horrific adversity.
Was it enough for him to get out of the dreading position he was in? No, and it also wasn’t enough to convince him to stop leaning on her. But something was different, more… real.
“Didn’t realize I could fast track that…” He muttered, something lacking in his voice that killed the delivery. But Billie’s words had clearly made a difference, as his voice no longer hugged the precipice of terror as it once had. There was enough poorly emulated grownup sarcasm present in his voice to make it clear he was starting to come around to things.
Oswin jolted, looking to the side as if he expected whoever was speaking to be right next to his ear. But as it became apparent there was no one, his position change reminded him he was aggressively leaning into Billie for no good reason, and as much as he appreciated having the support, he almost remorsefully tore himself away into a slouched, uncertain sitting position.
His mouth opened to say sorry. The shaker in the middle of the table made him change his mind.
As Altier and the voice continued to deliberate, Oswin suddenly notice Billie’s face glowing like magmatic rock. It had a delicate sharpness that had not been there previously. It wasn’t just that she was suddenly so determined all of a sudden, the only thing mentioned being the prospect of a job, but her eyes held a level of control over the proceedings.
To some degree, however much it truly was, she was in charge here. There was something she truly wanted out of these proceedings, and as far as Oswin could tell, taking the job was it. Almost as much as her comforting words and supportive presence, Billie’s newfound determination brought life back into his bearing, and his back slowly straightened out with her goal now clearly visible.
Repay what you owe. She just stuck up for me… Now I have to stick up for her. That’s the most fair it can be… I’m getting her that job no matter what.
For a moment, the image seemed to be a projection into the mechanical body that housed him. But Oswin quickly realized this was no digital page he was mentally viewing; this screen was being broadcasted directly into his mind.
“wh- HEY!!” Oswin suddenly straightened the rest of the way, gripping the table with his hands as his mind finally caught up to what was happening. “You can’t just- That’s MY account! What gives you the right to add…”
“…Money… to… oh.”
He pulled his fingers off the table, something of the guilty expression from before returning to his features. It seemed awful silly to complain about somebody hacking your bank account just to give you money, and he paid no further thought to the disturbing security risk still existing in spite of the cash he received. “I just thought… Sorry.”
Oswin thought for a moment.
…Before deciding thinking was for dweebs and chumps and he would be much better off acting on instinct than deliberating over what he should do. Billie’s determination had already influenced his choice before the fellow had said anything about the deal itself.
“I’m in if she’s in.” He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, unintentionally crossing his ankles as well. Despite the limited time he had to dwell on it, he had already decided his overly expensive mechanical body with its additional arms and raw strength was more than sufficient as a bargaining chip, and if she decided any skepticism was worth inquiring further with the mysterious fellow, Oswin’s participation hinging entirely on hers would be enough to make this ominous voice agree to whatever she demanded.
Seriously, what is the award for being smart and capable? I think I deserve at least FIVE of those now. Actually better get a tab going; I’ll be earning a few more of those pretty soon.
“Consider me counted,” Altier answered with little hesitation.
No sooner had he agreed did the former mental projection really kick in. Yes, he had lost accounts before and with so many data breaches the idea of his account being compromised wasn’t surprising. Seeing things directly in his mind, however? That was new. Not even Big Pharma and their tests put things in his brain.
At least, not in that way. Did the ear piece inject a neuro-chip? Did this voice permit them to walk away because said chip could replace their memories? Altier tried to push the flooding questions out of his mind.
You know what they say about asking questions. It’s like eating beans. The more you ask, the more you leak.
Billie briefly looked over at Oswin as he moved away from her. While relieved by this, she still couldn’t help but check if he was doing fine. As far as she could tell, he looked like he was holding up a bit better now. Did she actually manage to help him calm down or did he lean away because he finally realized how repulsed he was by her?
Billie leaned towards the latter, but deep inside she was hoping that it was the former that had actually happened, even if it was extremely unrealistic. Either way, she certainly got her personal space back.
Billie couldn’t help but wonder, Isn’t that counter-intuitive? They’re asking us for confirmation of our commitment before explaining the nature of the job. How can we decide if we want the job or not if we don’t know what it is?
The only explanation for such an arrangement that Billie could reasonably come up with was that the details of the job were so bad that nobody in their right mind would agree to take it if they had the choice to back out. Which is why they were taking away that choice before disclosing any details. What would happen if someone tried to run away after accepting the job? What would these people do to them? Billie would certainly prefer to not know the answer to that question.
Seeing the screen pop up directly in front of her, Billie instinctively raised her hand to touch it, but her fingers came in contact with nothing but air, and her arm appeared behind the image, not in front of it. The image was inside her mind.
She didn’t have the chance to process the unnerving implications of this development because she immediately found that the things shown in the image were almost as concerning. It was her full bank information: name, password and everything. What are they gonna do with-
Billie watched in surprise as her balance went up from 3.42 dollars to 103.42.
Huh.
To the credit of whoever was in charge of all this, the ruse was clever. They gave us a choice to back out and didn’t provide us with any details of the job, all the while bribing us with money and indirectly blackmailing us by showing that they know our bank information. Nobody’s going to refuse the job after a display like this, and then they can do whatever they want to us.
Billie weighed her options. There was no guarantee that they’d let her go if she decided to back out. If they knew her bank details and could hack into her brain, there was nothing that they couldn’t do to her. Heck, if they were in her head, they could probably read these thoughts she was having at this very moment. If she accepted the job, she’d have no choice but to answer to the whims of whoever was in charge of this, however, if this job was indeed what she thought it was, it could bring her closer to her goal. But once again, there was no guarantee that they’d let her go after she completed the job. The whole operation was shaping up to be shady and the risks were extremely high, but Billie had absolutely nothing to lose. There was no reason for her to refuse.
As Billie opened her mouth to say that she accepted the job, she was suddenly cut off by Oswin. When the meaning of his words set in, she glanced at him in utter disbelief.
“What are you-”
What was he doing? Billie couldn’t rationally explain his reasoning behind his statement. What was he getting out of it? Did he think that she was getting something out of it? Nothing made sense.
And he was just a naive child. He clearly was completely oblivious to how scummy this whole arrangement was and had no idea what was really going on. He had no grasp of the weight of the situation. He didn’t seem to have any personal reason to participate in this, so the best decision for him would be to refuse, walk away. But now, thanks to his decision, whether he was joining or not solely dependent on her.
She was given a choice: to accept and get a chance of getting closer to achieving her goal or to refuse and save this innocent kid from this scummy, dangerous endeavor that he was certainly not prepared for.
It all boiled down to potentially making progress in her pursuit of the thing she had been hell-bent on for the past four years or saving this random person she had just met from making a bad decision. Now that she put it that way, the choice seemed quite obvious
It was this metallic kid’s own decision to put his fate in her hands. And she would do anything to get a chance to avenge that kid from four years ago by taking down that thing. And this job could bring her closer to that. Finally, there was no guarantee that organizers were letting them go if they refused. She had to accept.
He slowly turned towards her, his eyes radiating self-confidence, only to fall into concern at her expression. Was there something wrong that he said, that messed up her plans? Did she not want him involved? Was he unclear with what he was doing?
As her eyes eventually turned back towards the table, Oswin stared at her for a moment longer before locking onto the shaker once more. Whoever this was clearly communicated something grave about the whole scenario that he simply wasn’t picking up on, and that Billie very much was. I hope I’m doing the right thing here.
Her words caught his attention once more, and as his eyes landed on her some of that determination from before shone through her skin, cutting through the gloom over his heart. Whatever kind of goal or aspirations she held here, the confidence by which she pursued them was nothing short of admirable.
If Billie was paying any attention to him, she might notice him fully smile at her decision before turning back to the table, the same big grin smeared across his features. I bet this is gonna be SO much fun. Do any of these people have any video games? I hope the drive to wherever this job takes place at isn’t horribly long or bumpy. If I have to lie in the back of another vehicle and go over potholes, I might be at risk of another lawsuit threat for beating up the interior of a car.
Being legally dead has some advantages, now that I think about it.
No sooner did Billie agree, bringing the confirmed count to three; when the light on the shaker flashed red for a brief moment, the sounds of the diner flooding back in at the usual volume. For a brief moment, the light pulsed red before once again returning to its original pale blue.
With a sigh, the voice continued. “My apologies, looks like there is now a fifth member to this meeting. I’m going to assume that this is your method of confirming your interest in the job?”
Silence …
The. For a brief moment, there is a quiet static filled tone that comes across the earpieces.
“That’s four,” the male voice finally responds. “That just leaves Gracie. What do you say kid, are you up to this?” The voice questioned.
Just as the question was asked, Cass arrives at the table carrying a serving tray with your meal items; all in takeout bags.
“I figured you’ll all need to be able to eat on the run, regardless of your decision about his offer.” She said, placing a bag in front of each of you.
Looking to Billie, she placed a cardboard container with six beers. “Pat said that she remembered this was your favorite brand from when you used to work here.” She said with a smile. “I wish some of my employers would remember things like that about me.”
“I heard that.” The male voice responded.
“Oh, so you are paying attention?” She replied, placing a bag filled with what looked like protein bars in front of Oswin. The branding labeled as “Lazarus”.
“Then maybe we can discuss some changes to my pay.” She said with a wink, placing Altier’s coffee in front of him in a metal thermos, engraved with the words “self heating” along the side.
For Gracie, she placed a bag in front of her with her meal, and several cookies of different varieties. “Sorry about that,” she said “I didn’t remember if you told me which kind you wanted.”
Then standing, she looked around the table and took mental note of everything.
“Did I forget anything she asked?”
The voice over the ear pieces responded, “We’re waiting on one more confirmation. And about your pay, I’m willing to make that modification you asked for; but I need you to make one more stop before you leave today.”
Looking at her watch, she sighed. “Better make it quick, I have an appointment.” She replied. Before looking at the group once more. “So, who are we waiting on?” She asked.
What kind of job…?
She raised an eyebrow.
Her hands stopped tapping.
“Well. Uuuh…” CrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrapCrapcrap! How does he know that? Why’d I forget my PASSWORRRD!?
She shrank slightly at the sight, wo
A bead of sweat trickled down Gracie’s scalp. SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!SHOULD I?SHOULD I NOT?!WHAT. SHOULD. I DOOOOOO?
Her gaze switched between the all powerful salt shaker and Billie, back and forth…
“Uuuhh.” She rubbed her chin. I mean….why not? Pay might be nice, I’ve got nothing else to do.
“That…that would be me. I guess I’m in…I don’t have anything else. I’m in, as long as you’re not objecting to explosives.”
She fought down a shiver. I really hope this won’t be too bad…please don’t be bad…
“That’s what I like to hear,” the voice said, slight excitement in his voice. “Down to business then. I’m sure you’re all aware of the rumored missing persons as of late.” The voice waited a moment to give everyone time to process the question.
“They’re not just rumors; they have been confirmed and the local authorities have tried their best to sweep it under the rug.”
Upon saying this, you all feel a slight knowing in your mind, almost like a mental nudge that catches your attention. Following it, you see the local cops (L.E.O.s) sitting at their booth. Then, for a moment, you each see another image in your mind - it’s live footage from the security camera in the corner of the diner; giving you a bird’s eye view of their table. On the table are several files, and one in particular catches the eye of Altier. On it is an image of a woman that has recently been reported missing. After a couple of seconds, the image goes away.
“I have a client that is in need of answers as to why this is happening. Typically,” the voice continued; some annoyance in his voice, “I’d have my other … contractors, take point on this.”
Cass responded to the implied question. “Contractors works for me.” She said, glancing over at Oswin, some concern on her face for the boy.
“Anyway,” the voice continued; “consider this your first official assignment. We need those files. Cass, will you do the honors of helping the team along?”
Looking over at Gracie, Cass raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. “Funny you should say that.” She said, pulling a small rectangular device from her pocket (no bigger than a Zipo Lighter) and held it for a second.
“I got you Bynari.” She replied. Then reaching over and touching Oswin’s shoulder to reassure him she smiled. “First one is always on the house.” She said, the spice shaker suddenly “powering” off as she spoke; allowing the sounds of the world the flood back into their once private space.
Pressing a button on the device, the diner shook.
An explosion ripped through the alleyway near an abandoned warehouse two blocks over. A massive fireball filled the sky, followed by a pillar of black smoke. The distinct roar of an angry gas main filled the room, tongues of fire reflecting off the cinder block walls of the warehouse.
The sudden jolt of the shockwave knocked wait staff off their feet and patrons to the floor, the sounds of dishes shattering and dropped silverware added to the cacophony.
The sudden detonation drew the attention of the police, who out of instinct ran from diner to see what the cause was.
Looking back at Gracie, Cass tosses her the device. “I think this is the real cookie you were wanting anyway.” She said with a smile. Taking off her apron, she laid it on the table next to the booth and started to leave. “I’m sure I’ll see you all around.” she said, “And good luck.”
After a moment, the male voice spoke again in your ears. “Do what you need to do, I’ll leave the rest to your discretion. But get those files, and Do Not get caught.” It warned.
Called it. I mean, I guess I didn’t call it, I thought offhandedly once, but still, CALLED IT.
Gracie continued to listen closely.
But that’s not the case now, so you decided to see what else you could get.
She rapped her fingers against the table.
She whistled, catching the object. Oooh…
She scanned the object, a grin coming to her face.
“Someone knows how to spoil me. Now this…I’m going to have some fun with this.”
She tucked it into her pocket, patting it.
“So. I guess we should just grab em and dash?”
She grasped the cookie bag.
Oswin jolted at the sudden return to reality, looking about as he was reminded that the rest of the world existed. The noise disappeared once again, and then there was something else more interesting… And more concerning.
“Who…” Oswin stared at the shaker, one hand threatening a possible return to his collar. It wasn’t like I heard a voice just then, I heard… Thought. Like, a- a computation. My brain heard it faster than I did.
He tightened the servos in his legs. NO. I am NOT leaning back into Billie right now. I just helped her out; I’m not about to collapse onto her side again. It’s not happening.
…
He slowly began to tip in her direction…
He frowned internally, both thankful that Cass had arrived and ruined the motion and upset that Cass had arrived and ruined the motion. I could really use a hug right now. This was supposed to start being cool and stuff, not… creepy.
Ugh, beer. Oswin frowned at the bottles for a brief moment. Who exactly ordered the-
It did not matter that Billie had ordered beer in his presence at least twice in the last few minutes. It took her actually receiving the beer directly in front of her at the booth to get it across that she had ordered the beer. He immediately wiped the expression from his face and snapped his head back towards the table, hoping he had not accidentally offended her for her tastes.
Beer. Yuck.
…How am I supposed to eat these…?
Oswin opened the bag and looked with some dismay at the contents. They sure looked tasty, but with no ability to consume them it seemed like a waste to give them to him. That’s an awful lot of them, too… Maybe I’m not meant to eat them? Ooh wait, maybe they’re secret spy devices or explosives or something! Maybe you can use them as tracking devices or- or maybe they can melt through solid steel doors, any kind of metal! Any kind of-
He quickly closed the bag, trying to hide how wide his eyes were by not drawing any more attention to his actions. Please let that not be what these are…
Self-heating?
Oswin spent the next several seconds of conversation trying to envision a water heater buried inside the bottom of the cup to no avail, with any design or concept he could think of proving far too ridiculous to be remotely real. But then how on earth do they-
Not having the image appearing in the mechanical mind he possessed and instead directly materializing in his conscious was just as unsettling then as it had been earlier. As soon as his consciousness had returned to the forefront of the ongoing conversation, he finally gave in and began fiddling with his collar once more.
Oswin looked up at Cass, half-pleading and half-confused. What did she mean by this? Was there something she would have preferred he avoided or got away from? Was… was he a contractor now?
To be completely honest, I don’t want to be any kind of a tractor.
As she did this, Oswin looked about for any fire alarms in the restaurant, hoping to spy one in a convenient location he could pull. That’d serve as a good distraction, I think, except… How am I not going to get caught? The police officers are right there. And the cameras are clearly running.
Oswin once again looked up at her with some confusion mingled with the child-like curiosity present in his artificial pupils, and once again he did not have very long to look. The noises of the diner suddenly returned with little subtlety, prompting yet another jolt from him.
I was kind of hoping maybe that shaker could be used on them to confuse them for a few minutes, or something…
The shock of the explosion moved Oswin not at all, providing a nice and steady support in case Billie threatened to fly into the aisle. It took him a second to realize exactly what that noise had been, and his eyes widened in shock at the pillar of black smoke which rolled off the wall of the building.
“My lands.” He whispered, too overwhelmed to think of anything else to say in response to the incident. Please tell me we’re not going to be privy to any more violent explosions today… or ever.
As the police left, along with the ever-brave Chief Presley, Oswin carefully studied the entrance way of the building for any kind of fire alarm which could be easily accessed. And if there is, I better think of a good way to fiddle with it without getting caught…
Oswin did not take the time to process how Gracie had been given the evil device that causes wicked smoke pillars to appear at random, the chaos in the restaurant taking most of his attention.
“I have something to grab on the way out,” Oswin swiftly stepped around to the front of the table, the bag in one hand and the other resting on the table itself. His face was doing the best it could to not look horrified. “W-Who’s going to grab the papers?”
He could not help but look at Altier as he spoke. My plan will work better if Billie’s available man, please volunteer…
Seeing Oswin’s gleeful face in the corner of her eye, Billie looked over at him with concern. What’s he so happy about? The kid was clearly oblivious to the weight of this whole situation and had no idea what was really going on. She shamefully tore her eyes away from him. She couldn’t help but feel a great deal of pity for this innocent kid who had no clue what he was dealing with.
This strange interruption made Billie tense up. She was not a fan of the idea of someone joining this group without announcing their presence or showing their face. How could this extra person be trusted if there was literally nothing known about them?
Billie’s face turned bright red once again. It was not only because Cass just revealed the fact that she used to work here in front of everyone, especially Altier, but because it was such an act of kindness and care from Pat that Billie definitely didn’t deserve after everything that happened between them.
She wanted to thank Cass, ask her to pass her apologies for everything to Pat, but she was too flushed to speak. Words didn’t form into coherent sentences and no sounds left her mouth. All she could do was stare at the table directly in front of her. Due to this, she didn’t see what items were given to all the others.
Explosives.
Billie concluded that it kinda made sense actually. For someone as crazy-looking as this, it was par for the course to be fascinated with explosions. Sure.
Hearing these words served as confirmation that Billie had found the right job. If these missing persons cases were real like the voice was saying, they could be a potential lead in her four-year-long search. Billie’s past expression of grim determination returned to her face once again. This time it stayed on over the course of the information broker’s entire speech.
Billie squinted her eyes and adjusted her glasses, trying to make out the details of the documents, which didn’t help at all, considering that the image was displayed inside her head. Once again, this technology was too sophisticated for her to comprehend. The text was completely unreadable and she could only catch a small glimpse of what looked like a photo of a woman. She couldn’t make out any further details before the projection disappeared.
A question immediately appeared in Billie’s mind: why hire contractors for this job if they clearly had people who they could trust more, like Cass?
Immediately after, Billie realized that she already knew the most likely answer. They don’t want to risk their valuable people, and we are expendable.
The next couple of events came in quick succession. Billie’s mind didn’t have the time to process being flooded with the sounds of the busy diner as the sound removing device turned off, when a powerful explosion rang out outside. Making shivers crawl down her spine.
She had to once again remind herself: if they could hack into her bank account and her mind, there was nothing impossible for these people. She shuddered from this notion.
In spite of the ensuing panic that broke out all around the diner, the fact that the cops rushed out of the building, leaving the files unguarded, didn’t escape Billie’s attention. She immediately put it all together. The explosion was a distraction, and now it was on them to retrieve the files.
Before Billie could dwell on Cass’s decision to give this horrific device of destruction to Gracie, she was overcome with anxiety: the job started right now and there was no time for hesitation. One wrong step, and she could lose her chances to reach her goal forever.
After the man’s last words, Billie’s overstimulated mind immediately started frantically trying to come up with the further course of action. Every second was crucial, they needed to act fast.
“No”, Billie cut her off sharply. Acting carelessly and impulsively would certainly lead them to fumbling this mission, and she had personal reasons to prevent that. The files had to be acquired in a way that raised the least suspicion. They were given a great opportunity and they couldn’t waste it.
Billie’s eyes darted between the entrance, the pillar of smoke, the cops’ table and the panicked crowd. Suddenly, on a nearby table, she noticed the one of the aprons with the diner’s logo that all employees had to wear, which had been left there by Cass. That’s when an idea was born in her mind.
This plan would require a great deal of embarrassment on her side and the involvement and cooperation of everyone present at this table, but Billie could see it working if she played her cards right.
She answered to Oswin’s inquiry with a swift gesture of her hand, showing that she was going to do it.
“I’ll take care of the files. Uh, you keep these cops from seeing their table for as long as possible…”, she said as she glanced at all three of her accomplices in quick succession, “after I return, you’ll know when we can leave.”
Wasting no time, Billie stood up as she finishing her speech, snatched the apron from the table, and swiftly put it on overtop her clothes, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. She was hoping that nobody would notice her putting on the disguise in the chaos that enveloped the diner. In the apron, she easily passed off as one of the waitresses from the diner. It felt weird having to wear it again, but it would make what she was about to do look a lot less suspicious.
Billie’s heart was beating loudly in her ears. Her anxiety levels were through the roof, but she kept going, trying to best not to let her panicked state get the best of her.
She hurriedly walked up to the table with the files, making sure to position herself in such a way that she would be blocking as much of the table as possible from the point of view of the camera through which she had been looking at this table moments earlier. Unless interrupted, she pulled a napkin from her pocked and pretended to clean something on the table with one hand, while quietly pulling the files closer to her with the other, gathering them in a stack. If she was able, she then picked up whatever tableware was present and, as she turned to walk the counter, swiftly slid the documents down from the table and under her apron with her free hand.
Walking by the diner’s counter, Billie put the dishes on it and headed straight for the toilet. Now, the trickiest part was about to begin. She prayed that the others would buy her enough time for it.
The stern reply from Billie made Oswin jump in response, his fingers leaving the table and curling into a ball against his chest lest they get bitten off. It was clear she felt strongly about how this occurred, and to get in the way of whatever plan she concocted would be a bad idea.
It didn’t help that when she said You, Oswin could only assume she meant Him.
I have to keep the police officers busy… But how? How can I do anything if they’re busy trying to put out a fire?
Ohhh…
Oswin’s eyes glowed even brighter than before. Suddenly her plan seemed to be pure genius - he still had no idea what it even was, but this maneuver was brilliant. Pretending to be part of the wait staff was such a clever idea; too bad she wasn’t actually on the payroll at any point or it might have completed the ruse.
Suddenly filled with daring, Oswin turned back towards the table, his body racked with excitement. “Somebody get these for me,” He blurted out, almost shoving the bag into Althier’s arms before quickly making for the door of the restaurant. Please don’t anybody interrupt me, please don’t anybody interrupt me…
Altier says thanks with a smile, taking the thermos and bag. He opens the thermos and takes a quick swig of the stuff before closing it. Ain’t no way he was about to bolt from here without at least one large gulp.
The prospects of another unknown person joining didn’t really bother him. Unexpecteds were normal back in the corporate machine, they’d all be paid regardless. Besides, while needed, the money was more of a bonus.
It would have taken Altier a moment for that claim to really sink in. Would have, if not for the sudden mental image. A flashbang – quick, yet settled into the body long before knowing consciousness could take control.
His grip on the thermos tightened; finger tips crushed into a paling yellow, tendons showing themselves on the knuckles. Right leg stomped the ground. He turned his head away from the table, looking at the ground to swear something. Jaw clenched, he looked back at the gathered officers. Breathing increased.
Focus returned to Altier with that. The conscious, thinking focus that should help in problem solving. But why, even then, should he really care about either side of the story? They had their chance, now he was going to take his.
Food bag still in hand, Altier braced himself from being shook out of the booth by pushing his arm against its outer side. Right arm pressed against the table for something similar. If thoughts could have stayed in that moment, or soon after, perhaps Altier would have regretted joining a bombing. At least in future, when he could look back on this moment, the choice of that specific corner booth made a lot more sense.
When the shaking passed and Cass walked away, Altier stood up and got out of the booth. He stared at the direction of the files like he was in a western showdown. In that moment, his plan was no better than Gracie’s. He would have dashed in and snatched them up if not for the sudden, “NO!” from Billie.
You could almost hear the bones crack as his snapped into Billie’s direction. What was the drunk former waitress going to do that he could? More importantly, what could she do to stop him? He almost didn’t listen to what she had to say and started to move before she moved ahead of him and put on the apron.
“Oh,” Altier said in an almost apologetic tone. Though it was followed by quick and quiet, “Finally using brains over fists for once.”
Almost failing to grab the sudden extra bags shoved at him, Altier gave a sighing growl. It was awful, but he needed to trust some of them knew what they were doing. He started to walk towards the front of the building and then asked everyone in the dinner in a loud voice a question.
“Is everyone alright?! Check yourselves for glass! If fine, how about we get our keys and silence our cars?! Don’t need our cops more distracted!”
He said it with the sort of volume you’d expect in a mechanic shop. It could be mistaken for authority due to how loud and boisterous, yet clearly stated it all was. But Altier was doing his best to keep from screaming the words.
“I meant the food…”
She frowned.
“I didn’t have a game plan for the files, yet.”
She grabbed the cookies, stuffing a big chocolate chip one right in her gob. There was a quiet sound of her chewing, as she looked at Billie.
“Do…do you want me to create some more distractions?”
Altier’s voice cut through the chaos that followed the explosion. His tone commanding attention. Several patrons and waitstaff stopping what they were doing, and listened to his advice.
Pat walked from behind the counter, her apron covered in spilt coffee and what looked like eggs.
“Do as he says!” She shouted, while she rushed to help another regular who had fallen. Pointing to a waitress, she continued. “Amber, call 911 and let them know what happened.”
“Is anyone injured?” A staffer questioned.
Despite Altier’s commands, and Pat’s backing; several of the patrons and staff had moved to the windows, their phones out and recording the scene taking place outside.
All the while sounds of car alarms filled the air, barely drown out by the roar of flames.
Amber placed her hand on Billie’s shoulder as she moved past her and through the opening behind the counter. She didn’t speak to Billie, her focus on the phone hanging from the wall. Picking it up, she began to dial emergency services.
As Billie went behind the counter, Oswin exited the building, thanking Altier under his breath for stepping in to assist. Hopefully Gracie was doing her part as well.
The heat outside was utterly intolerable. Thirty degrees above what people were capable of handling, onlookers clung to every patch of shade they could, the asphalt burning hot enough to singe the skin if it happened to make contact. Yet despite all this, Oswin remained blissfully unaware that the temperature was anything beyond the usual.
The black smoke which billowed against the wall spoke to the seriousness of the explosion, and personified Oswin’s concern that whatever blew up might somehow lead back to the diner - especially if that noise he heard turned out to be a gas line after all. Hopefully he could impede without being impeding.
A quick glance at the door revealed his extra arms, along with a flat black case, were still very poorly hidden behind one of the bushes lining the front of the building. Their weight would make them hard to steal, but you never know…
Once again the chief caught his attention.
Their meeting in the past had been brief, and the Chief had not seemed impressed by his presence, but Oswin was in awe all the same. The status and position he carried seemed almost royal, and as he now stood calling orders and taking charge of the terrible situation unfolding before him, Oswin stood alone, halfway between the diner and the alleyway, wondering if it would be too great a liberty on his part to say anything to distract him.
Well, hopefully he remembers me well enough that if he suddenly decides to go back to the diner, he might at least nod in my direction for a second…
As Pat rushed past Billie, she quickly turned to face in a different direction to avoid being recognised by the woman. Beyond feeling too guilty to look her in the eyes, billie didn’t want to be seen wearing the attire of a waitress by someone who knew for certain that she didn’t work here anymore. She had no time to waste on answering inconvenient questions.
Luckily, the explosion was a good enough distraction and the diner’s owner didn’t pay any attention to her, instead prioritising ensuring the safety of the patrons.
In the background, Billie could hear the commanding voice of Altier, which rose above the surrounding noise, ordering people to turn off their car alarms. Billie thought, the less people there were to witness her actions, no matter how inconspicuous they may be, the better. If that could help reduce the number of prying eyes potentially looking in her direction, it was worth it.
Billie almost jumped in reaction to getting touched on her shoulder. Panicked thoughts immediately flooded her mind. Did someone from the staff recognise her? Did the cops already come back, saw that the documents were missing and somehow determined that she was the one who had them?
She spun around anticipating to see the angry face of Pat, Chief Presley or one of his subordinates, but instead was greeted by the visage of a waitress who didn’t seem interested in her at all and was simply trying to move past her. she realised that she was the one who Pat had ordered to call 911 moments earlier. Letting out a silent sigh of relief, Billie let the girl walk past her.
There was no point in preventing her from calling emergency services, as that would accomplish nothing and only raise suspicion. It would take some time for the firefighters, ambulances and more police to arrive, three minutes, give or take. Billie would need to wrap up her entire scheme in that time, or it would get exponentially harder with so many eyes on the area. If nothing interrupted her, it seemed doable.
Not wanting to let anything or anyone else get in her way, Billie hurriedly headed for the diner’s toilet, trying her best not to bump into any patrons who were rushing to the window of the diner in order to see what was going on outside as she went. If nothing interrupted her, as soon as she got to her destination, she entered one of the free stalls and locked the flimsy door. sitting down, she pulled out the documents and put them on her lap. She then took her phone out of her pocked and began taking pictures of every single page of the files. Billie didn’t waste any time on trying to read any of it, she tried to hold her phone as steady as she could, took a photo, checked if the text was legible or not, retook the photo if necessary, and moved onto the next page. This way, it would take her a quite a bit of time to get through all the pages, but she couldn’t risk even one of the pictures turning out bad. After all, she wasn’t planning on taking the original files with her.
“What a load of help ya’ll are,” Altier complained.
He then proceeded to walk around and help up anyone else that had fallen. And do general checks for glass or potential injuries, offering to help clean up if anyone had a broom.