Chapter 7

Ilana slurped the greasy, most incredible tasting chowmein, an episode of criminal minds playing on the tv screen in front of her.

She pulled the comforter around her - the fifth time in the last half hour - making sure it was tucked securely underneath her legs.

Winter was barely there and Ilana was already a shivering, trembling mess.

She grabbed the uncorked wine bottle from the table in front of her, taking a long swig. She sighed contentedly, the warmth from the wine and blanket seeping into her bones, even if it was only temporary.

Ilana glanced at the clock. It was one hour till midnight.

Her untimely cravings were to be the death of her. Now the show was on and there was food to be eaten and that meant one or two hours down the drain.

Well, that was life, she thought with a mental shrug, leaning back into the couch.

The episode ended and she grabbed the remote, skipping through the ending credits and onto the next episode but a voice made her stop.

It was a door slamming shut. She heard footsteps heading towards her door and she immediately slid down the couch, tiptoeing across the floor towards the door.

There were key hooks and floating shelves in the entryway.

She grabbed a heavy volume from the shelf, flipping it open. She pulled the dagger from between the pages, carefully sliding the blade under her sleeve.

She almost jumped out of her skin when the bell sounded, shrill and piercing.

She stepped forward, peeking through the peephole.

“What the f*ck,” she whispered to herself, yanking the door open.

“Ilana!” Helene said cheerfully, resembling a pinniped with her beady black eyes and the oversized coat wrapped around her.

“What the hell are you doing here, Helene? It’s midnight.”

“Oh, you were prepared,” Helene said, eyeing Ilana as she took the dagger out of her sleeve and stowed it back inside the book.

“I’m always prepared. You should be glad I checked before attacking,” she said, leading her into the living room.

“You should always check before attacking, Ilana. I thought that was one of the first rules they teach you,” she said matter of factly.

“So, you’re here for a quick revision of the how to kill 101 manual?”

She sat down on the empty couch, shrugging off her coat. Her beady eyes turned to her, something sharp and piercing in there. “I read through your report,” she said and Ilana frowned.

“Okay?”

“You wouldn't lie to me, would you, Ilana?” 

Ilana stared at Helene and her stomach twisted painfully.

There was something unfamiliar about Helene all of a sudden. It threw Ilana off. 

She didn't look like the defenseless and annoyingly preening peacock anymore. She resembled a vulture with her eyes turned into slits and lips slightly parted as she observed Ilana like this was the first time she was seeing her.

“What?” She asked stupidly, unaware of what to name this numbness that spread through her veins.

“I just want to make sure you aren't keeping things from me, that's all,” Helene said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

Ilana thought of glittering eyes and wind swept brown hair, of blinding smiles and secret glances.

“Helene, why would I do that?” She asked, her voice shaky, almost unrecognizable to her. Why couldn't she get her heart to calm? Why couldn't she get her voice to stay steady?

What was happening? Ilana wondered wildly.

“Well, that's what I'm asking you,” Helene shrugged, suddenly getting up from the couch.

Ilana took an unconscious step back.

Something flashed across Helene's face. Something feral and predatory. Like Ilana had reacted exactly the way Helene wanted her to. But the look was gone before she could even properly blink.

Helene raised a perfectly plucked brow, still waiting for a response.

With a jolt, Ilana realized the feeling was fear.

She was scared? Ilana Denvers was scared of Helene Fischer?

“Ilana?” she called, her head cocked to a side as she observed her.

“No,” Ilana whispered. She cleared her throat. “No, I'm not lying about anything. Why would I lie to you?”

She knew about Calix. Ilana had kept his presence out of her reports but of course Helene knew. And she was here. She'd driven all the way from Knoxville in the middle of night to confront her. 

To remind her who the boss was. To remind Ilana that even though she was the one with the dagger in her hands, she was completely and totally helpless. She was nothing but Helene's little b*tch, a puppet whose strings had always been under Helene's control.

Ilana forced herself to think of an excuse.

“I know. Of course, you must have just missed it,” she said and Ilana heard the thinly veiled condescendment underneath the comforting words.

“Missed what?” She asked, arranging her features into one of confusion.

Ilana had always been good at pretending. She would make sure to put the skills in good use.

“About Calix Meyers being there in the office.”

“Oh, I didn't miss it. I didn't put it in there because it wasn't important,” she shrugged.

“Wasn't important? Ilana it was the most important bit of information,” Helene said, looking at her incredulously.

“I asked around and I found out that the guy comes in only every year or so for only a week. He lives out of the city. His presence there is only temporary.”

“So, you decided to waste two whole weeks of him being there? Because he's temporary?”

Ilana bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't like this new look on Helene at all. 

Was Helene always like this?

“I couldn't get to him. I almost got caught sneaking around Adam Meyer's office.”

Helene sighed, her eyes softening.

“Ilana, you were picked because I know I can trust you to get out of there as quickly as possible. You're my best girl. You don't get caught and you definitely don't make excuses for it.”

Ilana felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach and she hung her head.

“I… I'm sorry, Helene. I'll… I won't get caught.”

“That's not enough. You'll find a way to get Calix Meyer to talk. You'll do whatever you have to to get to him and you'll be quick about it, okay?”

Her throat felt constricted. This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to make Calix a pawn in her game.

“Of course,” she said instead.

“Good. That's good.” Helene replied, beaming at her.

She tried to smile back but it came out more as a grimace.

“Should I get you something to drink?” She asked, feeling weak in the knees.

“Oh, no, I should get going. I just needed to clear out this little misunderstanding and I've done it now.”

“Yes. The misunderstanding has been cleared,” Ilana repeated almost automatically.

Helene walked over towards her, coat in one hand and she patted her arm affectionately.

“I'm proud of you, Ilana. And I'm sure you won't let me down.”

Ilana nodded quickly. 

“I won't,” she said and Helene smiled.

She stood frozen, watching Helene walk away. She waited for the series of clicks, indicating that the door was closed before she sank down to her knees on the cold marble floor.