Shane (The End – Chapter 2 – Part 1)

(If you’ve missed the beginning of The End, start with this link)

 

She opened her eyes, only to close them again. The daylight hurt. That would teach her to fall asleep with the shutters open. The alarm clock read 10:23. How long would she last if she kept this up? Less than five hours of sleep a night – well, morning. That was not sustainable.

She sighed a little too emphatically, pushed back the sheets, and put her feet on the floor. She stood up, stretched again, and noticed that she was wearing her burgundy satin nightgown. She had no memory of putting it on, but that meant she hadn’t fallen asleep with her clothes on. That had to count for something.

She spent the next minute staring at the back of a book she had never read, gathering dust on the shelf. Then she finally made her way to the bathroom. The mirror showed her exactly what she had feared. The mascara around her eyes and on her cheeks surely made interesting patterns. It also made her look like the old, tired whore she sometimes crossed paths with on the street at night.

“My dear, she said to herself as she grabbed the makeup remover, it is time for you to stop this bullshit. You could find a boyfriend. A real one.”

A face wash, a shower, an aspirin, some clothes, and another sigh later, she returned to the living room. She put her right foot on a wobbly barstool and grabbed the mini-holster from the nightstand. She looped it around her thigh through her slit skirt. She was tightening the metal clasps on her boots when the phone rang.

Shane answered it, leaning against the green-gray wall she never bothered to repaint.

“Hello, my beautiful brunette.” A warm, sensual voice greeted her.
“Hello, sweetheart. To what do I owe this call?”
“The five calls you didn’t return last night.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was out. My phone was off.”
“Work or pleasure?”
“Both. A very pleasant evening. I would have liked to finish the night with him, but he was my job.”
“I see. Do you know why I’m calling you?”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t.”
“I was afraid of that. Better to talk in person. It’s a good thing I’m downstairs. Are you going to let me in or what? I’ll have some green tea.”

The water started to boil. Shane was happy to see her old friend, let alone learn the reason for her impromptu visit.

“You know very well that I don’t want to work for the Taulier anymore. That’s the obvious reason why he no longer has access to my encrypted line.”
“Yes, he knows that. He also asked me to remind you of Naples.”
“Naples…”
“Yes, Naples, the one in Italy. What happened there?”
“Many things happened in Naples. Including a great debt. I’m not talking about money.”
“Ah. So that’s why…”
“I guess so. What else did he say?”
“Not much, except that we’re due at HQ in two days.”
“Two days? I see… And what do you mean ‘we’ are expected? You too?”
“Yes, you, me, and most of the rest, I think.”
“Wow, that sounds serious. Do you know what it is?”
“No, just that it sounds very serious indeed.”
“Well, look, not that I want to kick you out since you just got here, but…”
“No problem, let’s not waste any time. That’s why I was downstairs waiting for you to wake up. Thanks for the tea.”
“Thank you. Take care of yourself. See you in two days.”
“Yes, you too, take care. I mean it. I have a funny feeling.”

They hugged.

Shane closed the door behind her old friend and wondered which suitcase to choose. Was it just to go to HQ? Probably not. Field work had to be part of this. Should she bring her own equipment or would she be provided with some for whatever mission it was going to be? Lack of sleep wasn’t the only reason she was having trouble thinking straight. Margaret’s last sentence kept echoing in her head. When her friend had a funny feeling, it was never a good sign. Never.

For a moment, she considered not going. Why not just ignore the Taulier’s request? She had vowed never to see most of these people again. Couldn’t she just disappear for a while? She let out another emphatic sigh, but this time it came from the bottom of her heart. There were some fates you could not escape.

After a while, she managed to close her suitcase. She put on her sunglasses and went down to the garbage-filled street. Ignoring the beggars’ pleas, she walked down the avenue toward the train station. She stopped for a second. Did she lock the front door? It was too late to check.

 

 

(to be continued)