Chapter 8 ~ Intimacy

She sat in the air vent absorbing this new information. Her mind couldn't help but wander back. After her and Handyman finished their training they had one last weekend before they would be given an assignment. They decided to go out together, celebrating. Handyman had always seemed cold, and Noel figured he simply had nobody else to celebrate with. It suited her fine, she was alone herself.

They picked a local dance club that was large and always busy. Knowing it would be the last time she could let her guard down a little, she really went loose. After hours of drinking and dancing she was feeling mighty fine and a little unsteady. Handyman turned out to be a rather nice dancer, and he held his liquor better than she did. Dancing up against him, she let him steady her. Swaying to the rhythm of the music was intoxicating itself. It seemed only natural when he bent to kiss her.

When they had enough of the noise they took a cab to her apartment. They stripped quickly taking each other in a rush of hunger neither of them could explain. Lying on the bed together after it was over she looked at him closer. He looked so normal there beside her. Not cold and detached like he usually was.

"Tell me your name, your real name."

"Why does it matter?" he asked

She rolled onto him looking him in the eyes. "Because I want to know."

"Jason."

"Well Jason, we still have half the night. What do you say we do this again, but take things much slower this time?"

Chapter 7 ~ Enter Handyman

The lab below was bathed in blue fluorescent light – essentially cool for maintaining the composition of The Corporation’s premium range of pharmaceuticals. Noel knew Ms. Friday made a 4 o’clock call to check on her babies and, with only an armed guard on the outside, Noel would get no interference when she dropped in.

At a few minutes to four Noel heard the distinct echo of Ms. Friday’s wedges on the steel runners. She’d already wriggled back into her clothes, used the doctor’s comb to jostle the maintenance cover out of its frame (handy weapon she thought) and now braced herself for an attack.

The door slid open and in stepped Ms. Friday….with Handyman on her arm. Noel gasped and jerked out of view. This was unexpected – Ms. Friday always did her rounds unaccompanied.

“That wily bitch has finished off Scramton and I’m not sure what her next move is. If she’s in the compound, I want you to find her and string her up for a slow death.” Ms. Friday’s voice trailed off as the two moved towards the tube-filled cabinets. Noel took a deep breath and remembered...

Handyman did a lot of Ms. Friday’s dirty work. He had a way with blades, especially the serrated type, and could target an inch of vulnerable flesh at 200 paces. The two were thick as thieves but make no mistake - Ms. Friday was both master and mind of the pair. Handyman and Noel had trained together but Ms. Friday never allowed them any contact once they’d been activated. Handyman was like ice and wood with nails in between – he never showed a glimmer of emotion. Except once…

Chapter 6 ~ The Early Days

The dark was still inpenetrable. How long had she been sitting there? Four hours? Maybe five? The waiting game. How she loved to play.

Ms. Friday had a routine, and it would be her downfall. Noel just had to wait for exactly the right moment.

Even with her patience, the air vent was starting to feel cramped and stuffy - probably because her small, muscular frame was actually blocking all air flow through it. But this was the only way. At least she had removed her clothes before settling in. Sweating wasn't her style.

Waiting gave Noel time to think and process the evening's events. When had Ms. Friday turned? And more importantly, why?

Noel thought back to when they had met. Noel was 14, living on the street and getting high on anything she could lay her hands on. Ms. Friday was the dealer's girlfriend. She knew her as 'Louisa' back then - a quiet, unassuming girl who watched the drug scenes unfold around her. Always watching, never partaking.

It was only years later that Noel realised Louisa had had the plan all along. One day the dealer showed up dead, stabbed in the eyes, throat, chest and crotch - 27 times in total. This had been personal.

Louisa and all his money was gone. And so was Noel.

The story continues here...

Chapter 5 - Saturday Mourning Part 2

The bitch! Noel thought as she quickly navigated the corridors. She had given The Corporation the best part of ten years' service and this was how Friday sought to repay her. Betrayal was nothing new to her, but this time it stung.

Noel snaked her way through the maze. There had to be an InfoPod somewhere, which would indicate where she was, and more importantly where to locate Ms. Friday. Undoubtedly her wrist chip and access codes would have been disabled by the See.

Checking that there were no cameras and no guards, Noel stopped briefly to remove her right shoe (standard issue) and unclipped the heel to reveal a Multi-Access Chip (not so standard issue). She had savagely dug the chip from a Seer's skull before dumping her body in an incinerator two years previously. It had been when she had first got wind that things were not as they seemed in the corporation.

Still the chip would be of no use to her without the InfoPod or an I-Station. She retrieved the chip from the well of the heel, snapped it back and slipped the shoe back on.

After rounding several corners unsuccessfully she finally chanced upon an I-Station. She brushed the chip across the access screen. "Bingo..." she whispered, a smile curling the corners of her mouth.

Noel found Ms Friday's location with ease. Payback was going to be beautiful.

Chapter 6