Damon, unsure what to expect, steeled himself for whatever his wife had planned. As the leader of the world's largest paramilitary resistance, now paused after a decade of living similarly to humans, a shift Heaven had orchestrated, Mimi was a force of nature, to say the least.
Though he knew this, she was still his wife, his queen, the other half of him, and the mother of their children. She had directed him to a specific room, stressing the importance of his mission parameters. Inside, the room was sparsely furnished with only a table, two chairs, a two-way mirror, and little else.
The room was dark and dull, resembling a space one might expect for interrogation. However, there was nothing overtly menacing about it. The air was odorless, and Damon struggled to recall the exact details of the mission.
It had taken place in November. He and four others had infiltrated a highly classified location. A seemingly secret building had been constructed deep within a forest, and its energy consumption was suspicious. They had discovered it was a dangerous place. Everything had gone smoothly, and no one had been seen.
Now, Damon was trying to figure out his role: where he would have been captured, what he would have been wearing, and what damning evidence he might have possessed. He didn't know anything about the interrogator, Mimi, and he usually escaped by compelling victims to forget him, a power that could be easily overcome, even by humans who had studied vampire mental abilities.
Damon felt his palms growing slightly moist, his pulse quickening. Adrenaline surged through his veins, even though this was just a simulation. Despite this, he was nervous. He took a deep breath, running his damp palms through his much longer hair. He considered asking Mariella to cut his hair, but then again, he could try out some new styles.
Damon leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of superiority. He anticipated that his wife would soon realize he wasn't as easily manipulated as Magnum or Wulfe had been. The door opened, and Mimi entered. Damon blinked, taking in her appearance.
Her hair was neatly styled in a bun, giving her a teacherly look that was further emphasized by her glasses. She wore a red jacket that seemed slightly ill-fitting; it was loose at the top, but her breasts were accentuated, and her undershirt was revealing, exposing her cleavage.
The poorly fitted jacket was cinched at the waist, then flared out over her hips. The thick material of the jacket made her hips and backside appear larger, giving her curves she didn't naturally possess, albeit creating a somewhat disproportionate silhouette that made her look plump or big-assed. She wore moderate heels and pantyhose, and carried a stack of papers.
Damon caught a whiff of cheap perfume. "Oh, baby has a role here," he thought, "fine, I can work with this."
"Hello there," Mimi said, her voice hesitant and apologetic. "At first, I apologize for the inconvenience, but this is just standard procedure, mister...?"
Damon didn't break the silence, only nodding slightly to acknowledge her apology. Mimi sat down, arranging the papers into a few piles.
She leafed through them and continued, "So, you had no ID on you, and you were apprehended on our perimeter. This is a high-security facility, and even though we have signage, the procedure requires me to ensure you are conducting legitimate business. I'm not accusing you of anything."
Her voice was almost flattering, almost bimbo-like, which put Damon on edge as he struggled to understand her objective. He was attempting to maintain his cover, but the lack of an ID complicated matters, though he was certain he could improvise.
Mimi began, "It's not unusual for people to walk in the forest, even at night. There are various reasons, such as birdwatching. You know, those guys who like to find birds, observe them, and take pictures?"
She glanced at Damon, who nodded.
Mimi continued, "I had a cousin, twice removed actually, but he was one of those. Once, we went into the forest – he loved his hobby, and I was just planning to forage for mushrooms and berries. But he... it was irritating." She paused, then asked, "Have you found any unusual species in that forest? Do we need to contact a nature reservation if there are rare species like a gilded flicker or some species of ptarmigan?"
Damon replied, "I haven't found either of those. Only a few species of owls and jays."
He decided to stick with the birdwatching theme, as he knew bird species.
Mimi then asked, "What kind of camera do you typically use? Do you use drones? Do you prefer a camera over a telescope, or are you just a casual observer?"
Damon blinked and said, "I don't use drones; birds might get scared. I have a few cameras, but they're quite heavy to carry around. I use a telescope if I need to approach shyer species or check out large flocks of birds."
Mimi nodded and asked, "Did you hear any thrushes singing, or was it just nightingales? I'm not so skilled at differentiating species, but my cousin... I got fed up. We were in the forest for 30 minutes, and he kept rattling off species he heard. For me, it's just birdsong."
Damon smiled, hoping to appear charming. Unsure what to say, he tried to recall the common species in the area where he had been on his mission and the type of forest it was. This took time, making his answers a little clunky, so he remained silent.
Suddenly, Mimi changed the subject, asking, "What kind of car do you drive, mister? You haven't told me your name, but that's fine."
Damon leaned back slightly and said, "Ford Jeep, Ford Bronco, silver one."
It had been his vehicle during the mission, and he wasn't sure if, in this captured scenario, they had found his car.
Mimi then asked, "What kind of tires do you prefer? In winter, do you want studded tires or do you use snow chains, or do you even drive anywhere where there is snow?"
Damon's expression was neutral. He blinked a few times, trying to understand why Mimi had asked about his tires. He had no idea what kind they were; it was a work car, not his personal vehicle.
"Well, I don't drive in the snow much," he said, "and I always have a set of snow chains. But it has a nice set of wheels, so it can handle diverse terrain."
Mimi nodded. "One of my uncles always bought a certain type of Audi, and it always had the same problem, no matter how many cars he owned. He spent a fortune at different repair shops, but he was so stubborn. Did you choose your car based on its usage or personal experience?" She continued, "I have a tiny three-door car. I don't need much space, and it's damn handy. It's a little bug to drive around, but I need winter tires for it, and they can cost a lot."
Damon nodded, "I selected my vehicle based on usage, not so much on what looks good."
Mimi nodded again. "How much is the insurance for that kind of car? My car is so old, and it costs quite a lot because it doesn't have low emissions."
Damon replied, "Insurance can be costly, sure, but it's just one part of owning a car. My driving record is immaculate."
Mimi nodded, then asked, "So, you were checking birds, right? Have you been around here for long, or was there a certain species you were coming to check out?"
Damon took his time before answering, "I used to live here, and I'm a nocturnal creature, so nighttime is more natural for me. Sure, there might be fewer species singing at night, but I like to listen to the night."
He smiled, and his fangs peeked; he was attempting a vampire angle. Mimi nodded and wrote something down, as she had done from time to time. Damon wasn't sure when she would get down to business; it was distracting.
He couldn't get a clear read on her mind because a spell was blocking his telepathy. He struggled to understand Mimi because she was so good at her role.
Mimi asked, "What do you do for a living?"
Damon replied, "I'm a baker, a cook, and sometimes a doctor. Being an old creature, I've acquired many skills."
Mimi furrowed her brows. "Surely you weren't hunting in the forest, I mean, animals, considering..."
She gestured to his teeth, then continued, "I don't have a strong stomach, especially since this place is in the middle of the forest. Once, I was taking a break, and the wind brought a terrible stench to my nose. It was revolting. There was another employee with me, Daria. She called our supervisor about the smell, and he ordered us to find its source. I almost threw up. Daria and I walked into the forest, and it got worse. It was quite dim, almost dark, when we found it. At first, I thought it was still alive, a deer, because it was lying on its side and its flank moved; I thought it was breathing. But Daria took a stick and poked it."
Mimi took a breath, her expression horrified. She maintained her composure remarkably well, then continued, "The deer burst open, and a sea of maggots oozed out. I screamed and threw up about five times while we returned. Daria called maintenance to get rid of the carcass. So surely you haven't been draining any innocent animals?"
Damon smiled. "I assure you, I only drink human blood, not animals."
Mimi looked queasy.
She scribbled something in her papers and then asked, seemingly at random, "Do you live around here, or were you just visiting?"
Damon said, "Just visiting. I'm on call, so to speak, deployed here."
Mimi jotted things down, then asked, "So, if I understand correctly, you were apprehended near our top-secret facility, without any ID or a plausible reason for being in the forest in the middle of the night. You haven't given me your name or any reason to let you leave. Do you have something to add? You say you're a doctor or a baker, a vampire or a wannabe; anyway, you're on deployment, but from what, exactly?"
Damon was stunned by Mimi's sharp expression.
He struggled for a moment, then Mimi rolled her eyes, removed her glasses, and said, "As you see, my love, I broke you, and easily. If this were the real deal, you'd be in deep trouble. Do you want a list of all your blunders?"
Her voice was now normal, the role seemingly dropped, yet a hardness remained in her expression. This wasn't Mimi, but The Flea, leader of the resistance and, consequently, Damon's boss.
Despite his efforts to also be a leader, Damon was irritated and snapped, "Oh please, list them. But let me say, Missy, this isn't likely to happen on missions."
Mimi replied, "About 20 to 30 percent, actually. Not everyone goes straight to torture. Sometimes, a simple questioning session is very enlightening. At first, all I had to do was dress like a floozy or secretary to give you a sense of superiority and make you relax, thinking I was an easy mark. Plus, a few pheromones made you even more smug. Then, you're not very gifted at coming up with a background story. It's the first thing you need to master. I don't tell everyone, not always, but my people usually know it. Magnum is damn good at creating stories, keeping his details straight, and sticking with his story, no matter what role I throw at him. You, you need to work on that. Bias is one of the biggest weaknesses in this business."
Mimi's voice was now utterly professional. Damon was irritated because she was making sense. He had always relied on his vampire skills to get free, not bothering with a cover story. This lesson was a harsh one.
Mimi listed his mistakes mercilessly: "First, you had no idea what birds were around, and since your mission was in late autumn, meaning not much birdsong in the forest, your alibi of being a birdwatcher was gone. You blundered with cars; men love their cars, they know them like the back of their hands, and usually want to brag about them. You didn't answer my questions about insurance at all, meaning you had no idea how much it costs. Tires: our work vehicles have winter tires, usually Nokian Hakkapeliitta or Bridgestone, depending on what I get. No snowchains, as they're slow and hard to put on. You are too old-fashioned. You had no clear plan of who you were, meaning no idea what your profession was. Bakers and cooks rarely get deployed, and the mere word gives a hint of an army background, meaning you are something other than a random guy in the forest."
Damon sighed and pinched his nose. This day had been a trial. He'd concocted elaborate stories about being in the forest for various reasons, but Mimi's erratic interrogation style had completely thrown him off. He could practically feel Mariella's smugness radiating towards him.
"Damn females," he muttered to himself.
Fine, he was ready to move on and learn from this. He reluctantly asked, "You do know your business, how the hell did you do that?"
Mimi leaned back, a knowing look on her face. "Pretender, you can do the same. Take the role, immerse yourself in it, and keep your facts straight. I gave you your false work identities, but you didn't bother using them, relying too much on compulsion or charm. Well, I hope you learned your lesson. Don't worry, I will break you a few more times if you want. As I said, I am not easy, and I'm a pro at catching liars."
Damon shook his head and asked, "Where the hell did you get that damn jacket? It's awful, makes you look 40 pounds heavier!"
Mimi just smiled as she walked away, leaving the door open. Her smugness seemed to emanate with each step she took.
Damon sat there for a few minutes, absorbing the lessons of the day. He was determined to remember them. But now, it was time to focus on his family. These lessons had made it clear that Mimi, his dear alpha female, was feeling way too smug. She was a snowball rolling downhill, and it was time for that snowball to meet a brick wall and stop. He was determined to be that brick wall. Sure, it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to try. He had the motivation.
There was also a lot for Missy to teach him, including the use of pheromones. Damon knew she had shared some information with the Salvatores, who had been testing and studying them. But she would be the one teaching and showing them, not just providing data and letting them blunder in the dark. Oh no, Damon was already crafting the next steps for his pack, including who would do what and when.