Chapter 10: Done with Treats

ISOBEL

Isobel has been driving for an hour and she senses her lips drying up. She takes a glance at the van's compartment and all she discovers is a pack of chewing gum, a gun, and bullets. Isobel scoffs out her frustration at the disappointing predicament. They have a lot of kilometers to cover and she wants to reach her place before nightfall when everyone goes home and no one will be able to help her carry Eve's things inside the Villa.

Eve remains tight-lipped sitting at the back. She doesn't know where the woman is bringing her and she's frightened to ask. Their conversation keep rolling inside her mind. She's never put in peril since she begins working under Carolyn. The hit she brings to herself before to trap Villanelle is not counted and Carolyn agrees because it will get the woman to go working for them but maybe that is not what she thought it is. The attempts to kill Villanelle after their work is done continues. When everyone is being murdered by the Twelve including their favorite assassin, what is it with her that the organization does not bother to consider a liability? She should be thankful to be alive but the theory is suspicious enough to question.

The Twelve needs her.

Isobel parks the car in front of a small diner near the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Two Point is a Thai restaurant with a cozy construction. The wood furnishings make the place relaxing to dine in whatever mood you are into. The frames that decorate the wall predict it's Asian culture mixed with the atmosphere of London. It's only the two of them sitting on the opposite side of the table for four people.

"How long have you been working for the Twelve?" Eve asks scanning the place before saying her question.

"Five years," Isobel answers while scouring the menu for dishes they can order.

"Do you know Villanelle before she started?" Eve stresses on gaining more information about the killer's past. Eve believes it's the key to understanding the true Oksana.

"I'm the one who agrees to take Oksana instead of Nadia from prison." Isobel gloats at her participation to find the woman.

"Have the two of you worked together?" Eve oddly solicits information. Her curiosity is not only of who Isobel is but what is her connection to the Villanelle.

Isobel lifts her eyebrow. A hint of jealousy is what she perceives when Eve raises the question. She replies, "No. She was still training under Dasha when I left. I only came back six months ago."

"You left The Twelve? How?" Eve's eyes go wide at the news. If the woman can get out of The Twelve alive, how come Konstantin is extremely afraid to leave the organization.

"Under special circumstances." Isobel retorts. She knows Eve understands what she means by the conditions.

"Circumstances? You mean they try to kill you and you survive?" Eve clarifies Isobel's answers. The Twelve will only let you go if you withstand an onslaught.

"Yes. But I did not survive on my own. Konstantin helped me." Isobel says, conveying the handler's participation to her survival.

"Is that why you are helping him get away?" Eve asks. Unaware that she reveals the information Isobel is waiting to take a grasp. How deep Eve is at the present predicament is going to give the woman an idea on how to pursue her agenda.

"Yes, and I heard Villanelle is coming too," Isobel taunts Eve with a mischievous smirk on her rims. She feels the woman's animosity whenever she mentions Villanelle.

"No, she isn't." Eve counters with a smug on her face. Villanelle announces not coming with Konstantin when they were at Paul's house.

"That's good news. Maybe this time, she and I can work together." Isobel retorts, trying to mimic the smugness that Eve has commented about the woman.

"Did you and Villanelle had sex?" Eve questions her without hesitation. The frankness is surprising but Isobel likes the demeanor.

The woman glares straight into Eve's eyes, grins, and answers, "Yes."

BITTER PILL

Bear has been chewing Tangfastic since he slumps at his chair in front of his laptop. He starts gathering information from the diplomat's social account. The man is a public figure and information about him should be easy but websites won't show up or connect to articles about him. His death is fabricated into an aneurysm and he bit his tongue off at a seizure. There is no news of any investigation after.

Bear reaches for another piece. His fingers scourge for the treat but he senses nothing. The package is empty. He eats it all without knowing.

"I need more Tangfastic," Bear says standing up from his chair and looking at his drawers for a hidden pack of gummies.

"You had two packs in one sitting," Jamie comments as he sees the man scouring his drawers like a bear searching for food in the trash.

"I need to buy more." Bear retorts anxiously searching for his wallet to get some money. Working without his favorite goodies is a great load of a dilemma for him.

"What are you working at that makes you so tense?" Jamie asks holding the man in his shoulder and guiding him back to his chair. He pops up the monitor so Bear can guide him to it.

"The Chinese government attaché's information won't show up. It keeps getting blocked. I might try hacking it up later after I buy my Tangfastic at the store." Bear answers. The computer-savvy investigators in Bitter Pill can not accomplish his work fast will be a bit of a problem.

"Beijing Police Department." Jamie reads and stifles at the sight of Bear's work. "Bear, you are trespassing at the Great Wall of China," Jamie exclaims.

"It's called the Great Firewall of China. It sensors every information that comes in and out of the country excerpts from Hong Kong and Macau." Bear corrects Jamie's words. He perfectly knows what the firewall does and what it can do.

"If they know we are hacking police information. We'll all be dead for sure." Jamie says warning Bear of the predicament.

"But aren't we hired by the MI6?" Bear reasons. His forehead wrinkles in confusion on why is Jamie scared to use the power of a government agency that hired them to do investigative work.

"We are paid but not officially connected. Do you think Caroline would waltz in here to ask us to do a measly work for the MI6 with an official paper to sign in?" Jamie explains the informal nature of their job. His tone of voice is high full of doubt.

"What do you mean?" Bear's confusion deepens as Jamie adds more issues. He scratches his head as a gesture of finding an answer to his boss's theory about the agency and Carolyn.

"Eve says that Carolyn killed someone from the Twelve. I get the feeling she only did that to cover something up." Jamie clarifies his story. The suspicion he has against the woman is evident.

"Carolyn kills a member of the twelve because she's part of the organization? Doesn't sound right to me." Bear says. The connection is lost to him. It is too complicated to think.

"I don't have any evidence and it might only be a hunch but if we do something to help her we are helping an organization that kills innocent lives," Jamie rationalizes his assumption.

"But you said yes to her?" Bear begs for a reason.

"Yes." Jamie acknowledges his wrongful choice but his mere interest is the payment they will receive from the woman.

"So what are we going to do?" Bear asks the head of Bitter Pill for advice.

"We'll wait for Eve but in the meantime, do nothing," Jamie answers scratching the trimmed white beard on his chin hoping he's doing the right thing.

"Nothing???" Bear echoes the man's last word.

"Nothing," Bear finally declares and goes back inside his office.