Margaret

I have been working for him for a week now, and except for my first day when I broke down, our interactions were purely professional, hello, goodbye, and work-related things, even though I thought he was going to make my life hell. He insisted that I meet him after work on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays to provide a report on any suspicious activities. I was to provide a list of who went in and out, and even during the elevator rides, I was to tell him if I overheard anything worth noting. 

What's worse, the bounty increased twofold, and with it, the penalty.

I had a perfect opportunity back in the park, and even now, I haven't had the courage to do it. It was Wednesday today, which meant he would go right back home.

Maybe, he would truly deliver on his promise to find out where my daughter's body was buried. 

"Are you done with work?" He asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Great. Come with me."

"Where and why?"

"I need to show you something."

We both stood in the elevator now and were going into the basement levels. -15 was the floor we exited.

We walked in towards a large room, that had wall-sized screens which were showing a picture of random people, and a percentage for something. All of their thoughts were listed, and there was a timer next to it.

"My son was killed, even though he didn't do anything wrong! I will throw bombs on Lilith and whoever made it."

"I hate the government! I was raped and they had put the anti-abortion law! It's as if they want us to suffer."

I read only a couple. 

"What do these percentages mean?" I asked Ace.

"Percentages are ratings of the thoughts, or how dangerously close they are to be executed. And the timer next to some of them is basically a countdown of when...well, I am sure you can figure it out."

"As in the time they got left?"

"Correct."

He spoke about it as a matter of fact.

"And you have no problem with that?"

Ace turned around and spoke in a low voice, almost as a growl.

"I am not here to discuss the moralities of Lilith. I am here as I promised that I would help you."

I was blaming him for not doing anything to change the situation, but I was just the same. We both, to some extent, profited off the system. Aware of my cynicism, I still blamed the software because for the outcome of my life and my decisions. If it didn't exist, I would not be doing what I was doing, so I stood in defiance with my arms crossed.

"Okay, then, can you tell me what is this about?" I need to be a professional, but it was difficult to maintain my tone, glaring at him with my response.

"Look up."

Moving my sights in the direction he was showing. Cold sweat was now dripping down my spine at the photograph.

"It says here, that she disappeared, but until then she didn't really have many dangerous posts."

Alarmed, I spoke.

"That is impossible. She didn't disappear! She was killed! " I approached the screen closer. Panicked I asked, "What else is there about Maryem?"

"Nothing specific. But she managed to vanish somehow. It is not recorded that she had died or had been killed."

"Then...there is a possibility that she is alive?"

He deeply sighed.

"I don't want to diminish any hope that you might have, but this doesn't mean anything. She could be dead, but her death was not recorded. In the best case scenario, she is somewhere far away and off the grid."

"Off-the-grid?"

For the first time, my heart tingled with hope. 

"How is it even possible that death wasn't recorded?"

"I don't know. "

"Oh so, the hunters will find you in no time if you don't pay, but if you have disappeared without a trace, no one will bother or ask questions?"

"Her disappearance was never reported, and yes that is exactly how it is. It's harsh, but that's the truth. Living and existing are priorities, the thoughts are the most important factor here, so when there are not alarming thoughts there is no action."

"I don't believe you one bit."

"And that is your choice but here is what I want to know. How is it possible that you do not have a single thought posted?"

"Oh, I don't?"

I could only smile knowing that somehow, I have beaten the system. Until now.

"It seems that you don't really care much about anything then."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, the point is to gather public opinion on the laws that were brought forth, and some of them were very personal, most of which even I didn't agree on, and only because I am a part of this company I got to keep most of them for myself. At best, there were posts once every six months no matter who it was."

I snickered at that.

"Is that what you tell yourself? That you "gather public opinions"? You are slaughtering people and controlling them! Besides, why do you care? Do you want me dead?"

He put his hands in the pockets of his midnight blue suit. Pulling my profile now to me, he continued.

"I know that you never had a high-paying job, or a stable one, so I am very curious. If anything I am admiring you. I think that person that doesn't care about anything will truly live a longer life."

He must have found out about my forged CV somehow.

"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"

"Take it as you would like, but I would like to hear your answer."

"Are you going to fire me if I do not say?" I fluttered my eyelashes at him.

"Actually, I would love to extend your work duties to someone who will be under examination because it appears that you are a medical miracle. We never had a human lab rat before, but you would be the first."

Insufferable.

"Oh, you haven't? Are you sure about that?"

"Sure about what?"

"That you didn't have human examinees? If you were to look at my profile fully, you would see that I was actually one of the first volunteers to try Lilith out, and I wasn't even of age. Your little experiment left me not able to dream, but hey...you gotta do what you gotta do to "gather public opinion."

This time, he let himself show surprise, but moments after he returned to his cold self.

"You still haven't answered my question Ms. Pamotia."

"And I will not answer it. Not the contract nor the NDA said anything about disclosing how I go about my post-off."

"What are you hiding?"

He started walking toward me, slowly, and I never turned my back on my enemy. Therefore, I walked backward.

"Margaret, tell me."

"I don't care about anything. You were correct. There you go. Can I leave now?"

"No. You are lying."

"How can you be so sure? I mean what is there to you if I care or not, or if I post or not?"

" I am just very intrigued, what would happen if I somehow, somewhere, found out about your daughter, and decided to post about it publically planting a manhunt, let's say, right now? What would have happened you know?"

This man was vicious, but I felt back in the corner.

"You can't do that! You are not a politician!"

"I can do whatever I want."

He then proceeded to put a holographic screen in front of him and clearly had credentials into the government site.

"Let's see if I post the picture of your daughter and declare her an enemy to the country, as well as people. I can easily make up a story that would make her so, that way, even the folk would be looking out for her. But hey, if she is dead, she is safe."

"Please.... don't."

He pretended not to hear me, or he really didn't hear me.

I moved in front of the hologram and started practically yelling.

"Please don't!"

He minimized the screen now and put his hands back into his pockets.

"I will tell you...but not here." With a shaking voice, I said.

"Fine." He responded.

I said that we should go back to his office, and I hoped that I would somehow escape on the walk back, but we were in his office in a second.

He leaned back into his chair, now and was staring at me.

"Well?"

As I opened my mouth, his phone started ringing and he raised his finger as if to tell me to wait a moment. He got up and walked to the window, and then I froze in place and started creeping up to the shadow.

He was still oblivious to what was going on, and I had to think fast.

I didn't have my daggers, nor I had anything that would help me in close combat. I was certain that this was a bounty hunter after him, and I would be damned if they took my target away from me.

The shadowy figure started moving toward him, and finally, I saw a hand with a gun.

I jumped and grasped the figure by its wrist, and pushed it upwards which resulted in a bang.

I faced them and the person was as tall as me. Masked, only the eyes showing surprise, perhaps even hesitation? I moved to punch them, but the person avoided it, breaking the window, and jumping off. When I looked through the window, I saw that they have glided off with a wingsuit into the distance.

"What just happened?"

I forgot that he was there, and it seemed that he was in utter shock.

His eyes disbelievingly stared at me, as if I could give answers.

"I don't know. I saw this figure..."

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

I shut off and remained looking at the appropriate location of the assassin.

"That person would have killed you if I said anything."

His lips, now pale, were mildly separated.

"You could have been hurt!" He proclaimed, and one would think there was a genuine concern.

"You are welcome." I have decided that I want to move away from him.

"I am not ungrateful; I don't want you risking yourself for me. But thank you for saving my life. I will never forget it."

Oblivious to the truth, to him, I am a good Samaritan, saving the life of my boss, or another human, a trait of heroic people. I was anything but.

"You are welcome. I would advise you to tighten up the security."

"It's already been tightened to the max. No one could get in without credentials, and the tags of the employees or any visitors contain a chip that would be scanned in each room at the entrance, killing anyone in seconds that doesn't have that."

"Clearly, it wasn't enough."

He held me by my arm now.

"I am serious. Thank you. I don't even know how I am going to repay, but..."

His gaze softened.

"Please don't hesitate to ever tell me if you need anything. Say it and it will be yours."

How about your life?

"You don't owe me anything. You spared me also, so let's call it even."

"You know well that wasn't how it played out. Margaret, I don't like to owe anything to anyone, so please, if you are not sure what you want right now, you can tell me later."

He produced a small visit card, and he started writing something behind it.

"This is my card with my number. Please, take it, and go home early. You are off for the rest of the day now go and rest."

I nodded in agreement and decided to take my leave.