Thirty-four: Bait

Outside the interview room, Eleanor was talking with Boss in his office. They stood, stretching, when they saw us, having obviously been waiting for the agents to finish their interrogation. And it was an interrogation or that was the most intense interview I had ever experienced. The drying sweat made me shiver with cold.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Mr Cooper said, he and Mr Raring shaking hands with Eleanor and the Boss. "We're sorry to have had to keep you so late. We'd better escort you all home or you won't get past the security points or patrols. Jean can sit in our car. We'll send her back to the Compound. Did both of you drive? Very well."

The agents trailed both Eleanor and the Boss to each of their houses, doing the explanations when we were stopped at the checkpoints and one army patrol, showing their badges. Boss lived outside the city and it was a long drive to his place from Eleanor's apartment in the city. I fell asleep in the car on the way back, smelling the stale donuts and wishing the agents had thought to feed me. Weren't they hungry? Perhaps there was nowhere to go and buy food this late at night anymore.

There was a phone call and the men in the front seat lowered their voices. I more felt than heard them turning around to look at me several times. I could only pick up a few words and didn't understand what they meant.

"Yes, she's here with us," Mr Cooper said.

A long silence, while he and Mr Raring took turns to murmur to whoever was on the phone. Mr Raring seemed strongly against whatever they were talking about whereas Mr Cooper insisted it would be fine and was more blasé about the whole thing. I didn't know what they were talking about but I had a strong, uncomfortable feeling it involved me. After they hung up the phone, the two agents had a small argument.

Mr Raring advocated for the safety of innocent civilians. Mr Cooper on the other hand, said something that made me begin to fear for my life.

"Sometimes the sacrifice of one is needed for the good of the majority."

I couldn't go back to sleep after that or thought I wouldn't be able to. Yet the next thing I knew was Mr Cooper shaking me harder than necessary to wake me up. He was obviously very excited. Mr Raring pushed him away from me and sheltered me from Mr Cooper's over enthusiasm.

"Jean," Mr Raring crouched down to my eye level.

I could barely see him in the dim light. The closest street lights seemed like stars, they were so far away. There was the smell of rust, oil and petrol. The scent of water and mildew. From the way the air flowed and sounds bounced oddly, I made a stab in the dark. Either we had arrived at a factory or a warehouse. There was the distant sound of clanking chains in the wind.

"Jean, are you listening?" Mr Raring asked, patting my shoulder and bringing my attention back.

"Huh? Sorry?"

"I honestly don't see the point in explaining anything to her," Mr Cooper grumbled in my hearing. "All she has to do is sit in a locked room. She'll be safe. She'll be fine. If the Boskies are really interested in her, they'll come when they get the message. If not, it's only one night and no harm done."

"Jean, it might get a bit dangerous later," Mr Raring held both my hands in his and tried to rub some warmth back into them. "If anything happens, curl up in a corner and stay there. Keep yourself safe and out of sight. We'll come and find you later."

Somehow I doubted that I just happened to have been brought along on an impromptu adventure.

Bait. I was being used as bait.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I slowly turned in the direction I felt the intense gaze coming from.

"What?" Mr Raring asked me.

"You're using me as bait," I whispered. "I think your prey has arrived."

"Quick," Mr Raring hissed, pulling me up. "Follow me. Our people aren't in position yet."

"How do you know there's anyone there?" Mr Cooper snorted.

"When you've been watched and schemed against intensively for the last few months, you get very sensitive to the feeling of being watched," I gasped while I ran between the two men. "Especially when they want to assassinate or kidnap you."

"You've noticed?" Mr Raring asked.

"It was hard not to," I said. "Not when the government agents following me were obviously being distracted or waylaid. I have to be honest. The Boskies are much better at this than most of your agents. Some of the agents have wanted to kill me too. I don't feel very safe anywhere these days. It'd be too easy to kill someone like me. Sometimes I don't know how I'm still alive. Sometimes I don't know whether that Bosky soldier that keeps stalking me is a harbinger of doom or an angel. His appearance always seems to avert a near death experience but also gets me into even deeper trouble."

"He's the one we're trying to catch," Mr Cooper snorted at me. "He's the leader of the invasion force."

"He's what?" I felt shocked and my legs refused to work for a moment.

I was pulled back into a run.

"It's true," said Mr Raring's dry voice in my ear. "He's the leader of the Boskies. We don't know why he's so interested in you and playing with our opinions of you. We were hoping you would know."

"I wish," I replied in astonishment. "Please tell me if you ever find out."

"We're here," Mr Cooper said, opening a big metal door. He pushed me inside. "Stay put."

"Stay in a corner and out of sight of the window," Mr Raring advised. "You'll be safest there. The walls should be thick enough to keep you safe. Stay low to the ground. We'll be back."