Alex sat in the truck, parked a block away from Tatiana's mansion. It was night now - he'd waited all day for this, refusing to risk picking Lisa up in broad daylight. Too many eyes. Too many questions.
The street was quiet, lit only by occasional streetlamps and the glow from expensive houses. Alex drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the mansion's front gate.
'Come on. Where are you?'
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one sitting here wondering if this is all a trap."
Alex hoped June was right. After last night - after everything - he wanted to believe Tatiana would honor their deal. But trusting people who bought humans at auctions wasn't exactly his strong suit.
Then he saw movement at the gate.
Two figures emerged. One was clearly security - big guy in a black suit. The other was smaller, dressed in casual clothes that looked new. Dark jeans, a simple white blouse, a jacket.
Lisa Bonet.
Even from this distance, Alex could see her clearly under the streetlights. She was prettier than he'd expected. The video feed hadn't done her justice. Dark hair that fell past her shoulders, sharp features, and even though she'd just been held captive for days, she walked with her head up. Defiant.
'Damn. Tatiana wasn't a total bitch after all. She actually cleaned her up and gave her decent clothes.'
The security guard said something to Lisa, gestured toward the street, then turned and went back through the gate. Lisa stood there for a moment, looking around like she wasn't quite sure this was real.
Alex flashed his headlights once.
Lisa's head turned toward him. She hesitated, then started walking in his direction.
Alex got out of the truck as she approached. The illusion skill was off - it looked like a regular truck now. No point pretending anymore.
Lisa stopped a few feet away, her eyes wary. "You're Alex Mercer?"
"That's me."
"Tatiana said you'd be here. Said you're taking me somewhere safe." Her voice was cautious. "Why?"
"Because you need help. And I'm offering it."
Lisa's eyes narrowed. "Nobody helps for free. What do you want?"
Before Alex could answer, a notification appeared in his vision.
[Quest Complete: Rescue Lisa Bonet]
[Congratulations! Mission Successful!]
[Reward: 200,000 dollars]
[New Quest Assigned: Deliver the Package]
[Objective: Transport Lisa Bonet to her designated era - 1453 CE, Constantinople]
[Impact Deadline: 48 hours]
[Note: Once transported, assist subject in destination world until mission parameters are met]
[Reward: 100,000 dollars + Skill Upgrade]
Alex's eyes widened. 'What the fuck?'
"Hello? Are you listening to me?" Lisa waved her hand in front of his face.
Alex blinked, refocusing on her. "Sorry. Yeah. I'm listening."
"I asked what you want from me."
"Nothing. I just want to help you get somewhere safe."
Lisa crossed her arms. "Right. And where exactly is 'somewhere safe'?"
'1453 Constantinople, apparently,' Alex thought, still trying to process what he'd just read. 'How the hell am I supposed to deliver her to the fucking 1400s?'
"Your place," Alex said aloud. "I'll take you home."
"My apartment was ransacked weeks ago. It's not safe."
"Then a hotel. Anywhere you want to go."
Lisa studied him for a long moment. "Who are you? Really?"
"I'm someone who doesn't think people should be sold like property."
"That's not an answer."
'June, what the hell is this quest? How am I supposed to send her to 1453?'
'What transportation protocol?'
Alex's stomach dropped. 'You mean I have to hit her with the truck.'
'Are you out of your fucking mind?!'
Lisa was still staring at him, waiting for an answer. "Look, if you're not going to tell me who you are, at least tell me who sent you. Was it one of my sources? Marcus? The guy from the Times?"
Alex ran a hand through his hair. "I'm... I work with people who extract individuals from dangerous situations."
"Like a cop?"
"Something like that. Undercover."
Lisa's eyebrow raised. "Undercover. Right. And you just happened to get me out of Tatiana's mansion just like that?" She snapped her fingers. "That doesn't make sense. She had security everywhere. Guards. Cameras. How did you—"
"I gave her what she wanted in exchange for you," Alex interrupted.
"What she wanted?" Lisa's eyes widened slightly. "What did you—" She stopped, realization crossing her face. "Oh. Oh, I see. You slept with her."
Alex didn't deny it.
Lisa let out a short laugh. "Wow. That's... actually, that makes more sense than the cop story. She's always been into dangerous guys." She shook her head. "So what, you're some kind of gigolo rescuer?"
"I'm just a guy trying to help."
"By fucking your way through my problems. Great."
'This is going well,' Alex thought sarcastically. 'June, how the fuck am I supposed to hit her with a truck? I just rescued her!'
'You mean murder.'
'And I'm just supposed to believe that?'
"Hey, did you hear anything I just said ?, or are we leaving?" Lisa's voice cut through his thoughts.
Alex focused back on her. "Get in the truck."
"Where are we going?"
"Your place. Even if it's ransacked, you can at least grab some things."
Lisa hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But if this is some elaborate kidnapping scheme, I should warn you - I know Krav Maga."
"Noted."
She walked around to the passenger side and climbed in. Alex got behind the wheel, his mind still reeling.
'June, I rescued her from being sold as a slave. Now you want me to run her over? Do you see the problem here?'
'To the fucking 1400s!'
'She's a modern journalist! What role could she possibly play in medieval Constantinople?!'
Alex pulled away from the curb, driving through the quiet Paris streets. Lisa sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window.
"So," she said after a few minutes of silence. "How long have you been doing this? The whole rescue thing?"
"Not long."
"Are you any good at it?"
"You're here, aren't you?"
Lisa smiled slightly. "Fair point." She glanced at him. "What's your real name? I'm guessing Alex Mercer isn't it."
"It is, actually."
"Seriously?"
"Why would I lie about that?"
"I don't know. You just seem like the type who'd have a fake name." She paused. "So if you're undercover, who do you work for? FBI? Interpol? Private security?"
'I work for a cosmic council that punished me for killing an interdimensional truck driver,' Alex thought. "I can't tell you that."
"Of course you can't." Lisa sighed. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But you should know - I'm not some helpless victim. I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure you can."
"I mean it. I've been investigating dangerous people for years. Tatiana wasn't even the worst of them."
'June, tell me about who Lisa was investigating. Who are these people?'
'Viktor Kozlov. How dangerous is he?'
'Shit.'
"So where's your apartment?" Alex asked.
Lisa gave him an address. Alex plugged it into his phone and started driving.
'June, about this delivery mission. When am I supposed to hit her? How does this work?'
'So I have to get her to trust me, then betray that trust by running her over. Great plan. No moral complications there at all.'
'My feelings about murdering someone I just rescued are very fucking relevant.'
'Without any warning. Without any choice. Just like all those people at the auction - no choice, no agency, just property to be moved around.'
'How is it different? Because you say so?'
June didn't respond.
They drove in silence for a while. Lisa seemed lost in thought, staring out the window at Paris passing by.
Finally, she spoke. "Thank you. For getting me out. I know I'm being... difficult. But thank you."
Alex's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Don't thank me yet."
"Why not?"
"Because we're not safe yet. There are people looking for you. Dangerous people."
"I know. That's why I need to finish what I started."
Alex glanced at her. "What you started?"
"My investigation. I was close to exposing everything when they grabbed me. All my sources, all my evidence - I had it all ready to publish. But they got to me first."
'Oh no. Please don't tell me—'
"I need to go back," Lisa continued. "There's one more piece I need. One more file that proves everything. Once I have it, I can blow this whole thing wide open."
'Of course. Of course she wants to go back into danger.'
"That's a terrible idea," Alex said.
"I don't care. This is my story. My work. I'm not going to hide while these people continue to destroy lives."
"Lisa, listen to me. The people you're investigating - they're not going to stop looking for you. If you go back now—"
"Then I'll have to be careful." She turned to face him fully. "Look, I appreciate what you did. Really. But I'm not going to spend the rest of my life hiding. I have to finish this."
'June, what do I do here?'
'That's not helpful!'
They arrived at Lisa's apartment building. It was in a decent neighborhood, older building but well-maintained.
Lisa got out of the truck. "You coming?"
Alex followed her inside. The apartment was on the third floor. When Lisa opened the door, Alex could immediately see what she'd meant by ransacked. Furniture overturned. Papers scattered everywhere. Drawers pulled out. Someone had been looking for something.
"Damn," Lisa whispered. "They really tore the place apart."
"What were they looking for?"
"My files. Evidence. Anything that could expose them." She walked through the mess, picking up random items. "But I'm smarter than that. I didn't keep anything important here."
"Where is it?"
Lisa smiled. "Safe deposit box. Cloud storage. Multiple backups in multiple locations. I've been doing this long enough to know better."
'She's smart. That's going to make this harder.'
Lisa grabbed a backpack from the floor and started throwing clothes into it. "I need to go somewhere tonight. A club. There's someone I need to meet."
"A club?" Alex's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because that's where my source is. And he has the last piece I need. A USB drive with financial records that prove everything."
'Oh no. She's going to walk right into danger.'
"Lisa, that's a bad idea. If they're looking for you—"
"Then they'll be watching my usual spots. The newspaper office. My favorite coffee shop. Not some random club in the 11th arrondissement." She zipped up the backpack. "I'll be in and out. Thirty minutes, tops."
"And what am I supposed to do?"
Lisa looked at him. "You can wait in the car. Or you can come with me. Your choice." She headed for the door. "But I'm going either way."
Alex watched her go, his mind racing.
'June, I can't let her walk into danger alone.'
'By running her over? That's your solution?'
Alex cursed under his breath and followed Lisa out.
This was getting way more complicated than he'd signed up for.