Nicole

After unpacking, settling in, and getting ready in the condo, I decided that I would get started on breakfast since my stomach has been growling furiously at me for the past 30 minutes, threatening that it would eat itself alive if nothing was done about it.

Well... At least I was going to start on that but something about my roomie's possessions really grabbed my attention. I've been finding a lot of interesting and tempting items laying around since the girls began rushing to unpack.

No, I didn't take anything. I either walked around it or placed it back where they belong when I came across them... Except for this one, gorgeous, rose gold diamond ring I found in one of the bags. I accidentally picked up someone else's bag, thinking it was mine but since I didn't pack any makeup or jewelry, that made it obvious that it didn't belong to me but, seeing the ring prevented me from returning the bag to its rightful owner... I found it hard to resist the urge to try it on for size.

Smiling to myself, I slipped the smooth piece of jewelry over my middle finger, biting my lip at the way the sun's shine bounced off of the captivating tear-shaped rock. The ring fit my finger perfectly and I just had to add it to my collection of valuable shits I really don't need.

My roommate, however, brought a different type of curiosity to my attention. It's not like I purposefully chose to dig around her stuff but while I was tidying up my side of the room, I found something that I couldn't ignore.

Well, well, well...

My eyes felt glued to the glossy black finish as I curiously traced my finger down the spine of my roommate's journal.

Dani is one intriguing person in a way. I didn't mind sharing a room with her for now. There was nothing to worry about except that she's pretty quiet for the most part... A little too quiet for my comfort. She also had this really unique hairstyle on her. Half of her head was shaved short and the other side was long and wavy.

I never really noticed her until I was assigned to this mission but from my understanding, she's been here for quite some time. Six years to be exact. She obviously holds a lot of secrets and that's evident in the way she keeps her conversations short and her distance far from others.

Problem is, I don't like secrets... This journal right in front of me will give me a little hint of who I'm working with.

There was a miniature lock on it which prevented me from opening it but it didn't keep the journal fully closed either.

I chuckled to myself as I toyed around with the lock. What are you, five?

I went ahead and slipped my thumb between the pages to allow myself to peep inside at them. The first few were just some weird but oddly beautiful drawings of dark trees, animals, and some symbols that I couldn't really tell what they meant. They all had some type of deep meaning behind them, causing me to become even more suspicious about her.

I skipped a few pages to where there were some actual writing... Poems.

I didn't care to read them because they were mainly hard to understand but the pictures she drew at the bottom gave me a clue of what each of them was about.

She's lonely, stalks people, and... Into politics? I assumed. As I kept snooping, it also seemed as though she was seriously interested in mythical creatures and spirits. There were occasional pictures of some little girl hanging around shadows and demons that made me think that, maybe, she believes those actually exist.

Just as I was turning the page, a hand came up from behind and slammed the book shut on my lap. That triggered my reflexes to swiftly grab the arm, pull them in front of me with my free hand reaching into my pocket, then aiming my gun at her in one quick motion. As soon as the gun was pointed at her, she quickly yanked my wrist to point it towards the wall.

"Found what you were looking for?" Dani asked, clearly irked at what she caught me doing.

Busted...

I gave her a small shrug, "Not yet..." I told her then tried to pull my arm back.

She glared as her fist tightened on my wrist, "You have five seconds to explain why you suddenly had the nerve to start taking my stuff."

I scoffed at that, "I wasn't taking anything. Just simply trying to figure you out." I said through gritted teeth, trying to pull my arm back once more but she kept a strong grip on me.

She groaned and twisted my arm behind my back, shoving me down to the bed as if she was going to arrest me. I almost gasped at her force.

Who the hell does she think she is?

"If you wanted to know something, you come to me and ask me face to face," she said sternly.

I sneered and thrusted my free elbow at her. When she stumbled back, I pistol-whipped her then kicked her against the drawers, causing them to loudly knock over.

I quickly put the gun in my pocket and yanked Dani up by her shirt with a threatening glare, "I get that I was wrong for touching your stuff but don't put your fucking hands on me."

"So my roommate is allowed to put her sticky little fingers on my things?!" she pulled me to the ground, rolling on top of me and throwing one fist at me then the next but I grabbed both of them before they could come in contact with my face.

I kicked her off of me and before I knew it, we were really going at it. Kicking and punching but neither of us was able to get a good hit out of each other. I knew her every move and she knew mine. That didn't surprise me, she's professionally trained but that doesn't mean she would be able to predict everything I do.

As I was dodging her attacks, I backed myself near the makeup counter and grabbed for my switchblade in the small drawer. She quickly noticed and widened her eyes, retreating as I thrusted it towards her. No, I wasn't going to kill her... Just, you know, cut her up a little bit, only to teach her a lesson.

I kicked her towards the wall and cornered her there with a smirk, "Looks like your trapped..."

"You're crazy..." she panted.

I almost glared at her but something about that made me smile instead, "Maybe I am." I thrusted my blade at her but she grabbed my wrist and forced the blade into the wall instead.

"Maybe I'm into that." she breathed out, biting her lip with a smile as she gazed at mine.

I slightly cocked my head to the side and she laughed at my expression before I groaned and quickly yanked the blade out of the wall then tried again with even more force but a sudden shock of electricity jolted up my veins, making my eyes and mouth widen with my scream staying stuck deep in my chest.

Holy fuck!

My blood vibrated in my skin and my body went limp for a second as I fell to the ground.

Did she just...?

I held my chest in shock and looked up at her as she taunted me with that taser. "You tased me..." I almost whispered, still stunned from the impact.

She chuckled as she walked up to me with her hand out in front of her, "You were going to murder me, what did you expect?"

I hesitated to take her hand and when I finally did, she yanked me up to my feet and close enough for me to feel her breathing on my skin. My hand instantly and tightly clenched hers in my fist as I glared at her and her expression mirrored mine. I was so close to wanting to knock her out right then and there but, I didn't. After a tense moment, I felt a small smile form on my face instead and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "You son of a bitch..."

She laughed, "Says the fucker who just got caught sticking her nose where it doesn't belong."

"You can't blame a girl for being a little curious."

She released my hand to cross her arms, "Curious, huh..." she gave me a small smile, "You're smart, I'm sure you'll figure out all you need to know soon enough but for now, don't go digging in my bags for answers."

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah. I know that now. Thanks for teaching me that valuable lesson." I said sarcastically, showing her the big ass bruise she printed on the skin near my ribs with that taser. It's been so long since I've felt the raft a taser, I'm talking years. I almost forgot how intensely the bolts of energy could quickly quake my veins.

Dani smiled and gently placed her hand over the bruise which burned a little when she did, "You should be alright with a cold, wet towel and a little vaseline. I have some in my drawer if you need it."

I moved my shirt down and backed away from her a bit so that she wasn't touching me, "No thanks... I'm more hungry than I am injured. I'm sure it'll heal soon and when it does, I'll be sure to get my revenge on you."

She nodded, "I'll be looking forward to it..."

I shook my head with a small chuckle as I headed out of the bedroom door and made my way to the kitchen.

That girl, Dani, just boosted my curiosity level for her by a ton. I've never met someone who actually got that much amusement from me threatening their life with a deadly weapon.

I tucked my tongue under my cheek to keep from laughing as I opened the fridge. Maybe having her as a partner wouldn't be so bad. It would be better than having Jaden around...

My smile suddenly faded away at the thought. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't just quit on him yet. It's still my mission to make sure he becomes a valuable member of the team. I never forfeit from a mission and no matter how hopeless it may seem, I will make sure I succeed.

I pulled out some eggs, tomatoes, plantains and some chopped chicken breasts along with a few other ingredients to create a traditional Jamaican omelet. It was one of my favorite breakfast dishes that Simon taught me as a kid and still remains as though to this day.

Speaking of Simon...

I pulled out my phone and propped it up against the blender on the counter, setting it to video call.

He answered on the third ring.

"Hey, Simon," I smirked.

"Nicole." He grinned. "How's your morning, soldier?"

I tied my hair up into a quick bun and washed my hands, "So far... It's pretty good. I got my sudden high spark of energy and now I'm fully prepped for this mission. All of us are." I smiled at my cheesy taser inside joke as I mixed the seasoning into the eggs.

"Good to hear." he leaned into the camera, squinting, "Are you making what I think you're making?"

I smiled, "Yes, sir!" I poured the mixture into the pan. "So. I've been doing some reading earlier and-"

"Wait... You've been reading?"

I snickered, "I mean... No, but I've been researching. The 'Twisted Reality'."

"Go on..."

"Children who 'mysteriously' go missing usually expose themselves as easy targets. Going to the bathroom, going to food stands, wandering off without their parents, etcetera. By the end of the show, you could easily notice fewer kids there if you're paying close enough attention."

He rubbed his chin with concern as he listened, "How did you figure that out without reading."

"Because I'm smart and I know everything," I said, spicing up my chicken.

Simon chuckled, "I believe you but, I still want to know."

I smiled, "I just watched a few of their shows and noticed it. Every time a kid left their seat, at least one of them never comes back. I don't know what happens to them once they leave and none of the staff seems to notice or even seem suspicious."

"It could be something backstage."

I agreed with that, "It could be that or they may be in on it, that's what we must figure out. As soon as the doors close, we need to block all exits and make sure nobody leaves the arena. If they absolutely need to, they need supervision or be somewhere we can make sure nothing can happen to them."

"Wouldn't that raise some suspicion on us?"

I scooped my omelet onto my plate with a shrug and flipped the chicken on the stove, "I've been thinking about that. Rebecca's a good actress, she could play security or something, I don't know..." I rubbed my forehead in frustration. "I've never been to a circus show before, I'm literally just learning as we go."

"I heard my name!" Rebecca strutted to the kitchen, making her way to the fridge. She had her cast off and substituted it with an ankle brace. "Aww, are you making breakfast for us? So you do have a heart..." she looked at my phone then smiled and waved, "Mr. Simon Ortez, how are you?"

"Swell, how's yourself, Ms. Hall?"

She half-smiled, "Good... Not to be rude but why are you guys video chatting?" She asked as she headed towards the fridge.

I rolled my eyes.

"We're discussing the mission, Ms. Hall..." Simon clasped his hands together on his desk.

She poured herself a glass of fruit punch, "Perfect, I needed to ask you something about it."

"Go ahead."

She arrived at my side again and went ahead to present him with her question, "The main performers we're dealing with... They don't have much of a past. It's really unusual, isn't it? I can't find anything on their hometown, records, or even their real names."

I raised an eyebrow, "That is weird... How about relatives?"

"Only their child... They have a daughter but, apparently, she went missing at the age of 8 years and no one knows where she is. I'm still trying to figure it out."

Simon nodded, "You two can work together on that later... I'll contact some investigators to help me research them and I'll call you back when something new comes up but for now, focus on capturing our suspects."

"Sounds good." Rebecca smiled.

I nodded in agreement.

"Well then, I'll see you all later. Oh! And Nicole..."

"Yes?"

"When you get back from your mission, I need to speak with you," he said.

"About?"

"It concerns you and your partner." He briefly moved his eyes to Rebecca then back to me and said, "I'll go into more detail when you get here, I don't want it to distract what's important right now."

"I understand..." I took a bite out of my food.

He nodded with that familiar concerned and questioning look on his face, only making me more curious about this "talk" but he was right, I need to focus on what's important now. Just by the look on his face, though, I knew it wasn't going to be a very positive talk.

"Very well, all of you get back to work and stay on schedule."

"We're actually ahead of schedule," I informed.

"Yeah, Nicole and I are going out to shop for additional supplies right now." Rebecca grinned, putting her arm around me. "I already know what we need and we know exactly where to get them. We were just on our way."

"We were?"

"Yes! And you'll be driving." She grinned.

I moved her arm off, eyeing her, "First of all, don't tell me what to do. Second, what other supplies do we need?"

She giggled, "I've already told you this. We're..." she drifted off and stared at me, tilting her head like some confused dog.

I raised my eyebrows, trying to follow her gaze because she wasn't making eye contact with me, "Are you okay?"

"What's on your neck?"

My neck?

"Her neck?" Simon leaned in closer to the camera.

Rebecca gasped then jumped in front of me, "Nevermind, we'll see you later, boss. The quicker the better, right?" she ended the call then quickly turned back to me.

"Why did you just-" I stopped, realizing what she meant... The mark from last night.

Wait...

Did she just help me?

"Nicole..." she said in a low, concerning voice. "What... Is on... Your neck."

When she asked, my heart picked up its pace a bit but I made sure she didn't see that I was nervous. I only shrugged, taking a bite out of my omelet, "Jaden."

She gasped, "Jaden?! He gave you a- a hickey?"

I snickered, "Hell no... He shot me with a plastic bullet during training yesterday. I think there's a bruise on my leg somewhere too but, I'll be fine." I lied, taking another large spoonful of food.

I wonder if she bought that...

She stared at me for a moment, probably not believing me. I don't care, she doesn't have any proof of what really happened. I chewed my food, playing the no blinking game with her until she giggled.

"I'm sorry, I just thought..."

"It's cool, just don't assume next time," I said with my mouth full of food.

She smiled playfully, "You're lucky I was here to hide it from the boss, he would've thought the same."

Did he see it?

No, he would've mentioned it.

"It wouldn't matter, I would just have to explain it to him."

Tabitha came into the living room, fixing her hair, "I smell breakfast, I'm starving..."

The rest of the girls came out of their rooms, looking for food as well.

"Yeah, I didn't know you cook. Is there any left for the rest of us?" An agent I couldn't name off of the top of my head asked softly.

"No." I finished up the last of my food then quickly grabbed my keys. "Let's go, Red." I nodded Rebecca over before heading out of the door.

They had some nerve expecting me to make food for them. I know damn well that their limbs work perfectly fine and didn't need anyone to slave their lazy asses.

I hit the button on the elevator, "You better not make me waste my time. Where are we going."

"The mall." She smiled.

"The mall? Rebecca, we don't have time to go on a stupid shopping spree."

"It's not just a shopping spree, it's going to help with the mission plus, I get to spend some quality sister time with you."

I winced, "What?"

She twirled her hair, "I know, it sounds crazy but things need to change between us. If we're going to keep working together, we might as well bond, right?"

She's right... That does sound crazy. She's crazy. I know Rebecca and the sincerity in her hatred for me, she's obviously up to something.

She sighed, "Jaden made me realize that... He visited me a few times while I was resting from the injury. We talked a bit and I asked about you, how it was like for him to work with you."

The elevator opened and she continued as we headed for the lot, "I never saw it, but he told me that you were really dedicated and isn't as bad as most people think you are. We started off on the wrong foot, let's make this easier for us and start over."

Start over? I almost laughed. Something is way off about this. She's been coming after me for a whole year now, one little talk with Jaden couldn't possibly change her whole perception of me.

I hopped in the driver's seat of the black jeep the headquarters provided us with, "Get in the car, Red. I don't want to hear it."

She got in the passenger side, strapping in, "Nicole, I'm serious about this. Knowing you, you probably don't believe a single word but I mean all of that." she sighed softly, "It's okay if you don't, I just want to keep it professional and limit the conflicts we keep getting into."

I glanced at her, wondering if she really did mean what she said then I turned back to the road, barely convinced, "Sounds fair." I guess... "What exactly are we going to the mall for?"

"Well, since I can't really do much because of my ankle, I'm going to play dress-up to keep suspicion away from you guys."

"You're going to risk yourself getting caught?"

She nodded, "It would make our plan easier. Think about it, we already have access to the security cameras so the hawkeyes will already know who's where and can let me know where I need to be to keep the suspects from getting out of sight. Anything suspicious happens, we'll be easily alerted by either me or the hawkeyes. If I happen to be the one who reaches them first, it would be a smooth and unexpected arrest, we evacuate the building and then bring the suspects to justice."

Wow... Smart.

I smirked, "Not bad, Red..."

She flipped her hair, "I know. I'm amazing."

I turned in to the parking lot of the mall and found an empty spot near the entrance.

"I hope you know what you want," I said putting on my shades. "Because I'm giving you half an hour."

"No problem, let's bounce."

We went inside the huge building filled with chatty people and soft music playing in the background.

I've always hated malls...

I've never liked the presence of hundreds of strangers around me. I never know who's going to try to kidnap me or randomly start shooting up the place. I felt a little better knowing I was armed with a handgun but it was still difficult walking around here without being on high alert. Rebecca didn't seem to mind though. She was as excited as a little kid in a candy store.

"Let's try this place!" Rebecca called, pointing and already heading inside the small clothing shop.

And the montage begins...

As I started to follow her, I came to a sudden stop when I noticed a little stand not too far from the boutique. I looked back at Rebecca, who was already inside the shop, searching clothes. I turned back to look at the stand. I couldn't tell exactly what they were selling but whatever it was, they were shiny and inside of glass showcases so I decided to go check it out.

I walked over to the stand, not seeing anyone occupying it. They must be really stupid.

When I got there, I knelt down in front of the showcase filled with beautiful gold, silver, black, and white watches and name brand perfumes in the one next to it. All so expensive... So irresistible.

"Hello, miss. How may I help you today."

Oh, there's the owner.

The young man with slicked back, black hair grinned at me. He looked quite wealthy. Too rich to be working at a little stand at the mall.

I stood up, eyeing my favorite watch. They were all for men but I liked this one... A lot...

"There you are. I was almost about to walk away, not seeing anyone here." I gave him my friendliest smile.

"I came just in time then, see anything you like?"

I scanned the watches a bit then raised my eyes to him, removing my shades, "I do, actually..."

He smirked, his big sea-green eyes lighting up with glee, "Interesting... Which one of these beauties caught your eye? Other than me of course."

I faked a giggle at his unimpressive corniness then pointed to the black watch with crispy, white diamonds going around the rim, "I want to see this one."

"Ah. Beautiful choice." he grabbed the watch and handed it to me. "This is an original Tommy Absolone piece, it makes the perfect gift and you wouldn't find these anywhere else unless, of course, you go to Europe."

"Really..." I traced my finger over the diamond rim. I think I'm in love. "It's not exactly what I was looking for..." I lied. "But how much do you want for it?"

"It's a $2.5 grand watch but we're doing a promotion just so we can clear these out and get a new shipment in. It's yours for half the price now."

"$1,250..." I don't have that kind of money to be spending on a piece of jewelry. "Not bad, not bad. You want to buy it for me?"

He laughed, "I can't do that but I'll tell you what." he leaned on the case, "I'll give it to you for $1,100 and I'll buy you a drink at that smoothie place. How does that sound?"

I gave him a flirty smile to soften him up a bit, "I'd like that... But let me get an opinion first."

"Nicole!" Rebecca stopped beside me, confused. "Why are you over here? We're supposed to be in there." she pointed back to the shop.

"I know. I'm just interested in this... Do you like it?"

Her eyes widened, "It's gorgeous, but... That's a guy's watch and it's super expensive."

"I know, but I still like it and the owner here is really persuasive." I smiled at the man then turned back to her after he winked at me, "I'll be there in a minute, let me know if you find something."

"That's the problem. I can't find anything, we need to check a different shop."

I sighed, "I'll be right there." I told Rebecca then handed the watch back to the man as she began to find another shop, "I'll wait on it." I told him.

"No problem, but if you take it now..." he placed it back in my hands, closing my fingers around it, "I'll give you a cutie discount in addition to my offer... 20% off. And that's my final offer."

Someone behind me whistled, "That is one iced out watch!" he walked over to the stand to look, "I'd rob and kill for this."

I smirked, "Would you? It's kind of flashy, don't you think?"

"Take your time, I need to help this customer over here." The owner said before he walked over to the other side of the stand, where a family of six was awing at his merchandise.

I opened my mouth to say something to the man who came to look at the watch but he was already walking away with a woman he came with.

Okay then...

While no one was looking, I quickly reached over the opened case on my tiptoes and grabbed the similar watch that was sitting next to the one I had. I slipped the one I wanted in my bra and placed the other on the counter. If he found out it was missing, he would be more suspicious of the guy who said he'd rob and kill for it. "Here, sir. I won't get it now..."

He told his customer to hold as he made his way over to me, "No worries. I can show you a different one if you'd like." he quickly grabbed the watch, placed it in the counter than reached for another one but I stopped him.

"No, no, I'm fine. My friend is waiting for me, I'll be back later."

He stood up, fixing his suit, "Hopefully. You haven't even seen our best sellers yet." he chuckled. "You know where to find me if you still want to go get that smoothie, I'd really like to chat about your noble sense of designer glasses."

I only smiled, placing my shades back over my eyes. Don't get your hopes up.

After thanking him, I went over to the shop Rebecca was in. I found her already walking into one of the dressing rooms with a bunch of different things in her arms. She better not be trying all of those on, I don't have all day for that. I followed, looking around at all of the unique costumes and props inside. There was enough stuff here to get, even a grown man, distracted. I even found myself toying around with one of those plastic knives that looked like it had blood inside.

Focus, you!

When I arrived in front of the door Rebecca walked behind, I knocked, "We don't have all day, 'Becca."

"Put your hands where I can see them." She yanked the door open, pointing her fingers at me like they were actual guns.

She had on an all-black security guard suit that was actually really convincing.

As she spun around for me I said, "Not bad... That's actually really believable."

"Yes ma'am, and I noticed that the guards in the show had a Twisted Reality logo on the rim of the sleeves. I'm going to try and replicate it so I could blend in."

"Great... Are we done now?"

"No, I have to find plan B. The performer."

"You're doing both?"

She nodded, holding up another outfit, "I'm wearing this under the uniform so I can transition easily, depending on where I am. "

Makes sense... I lifted my shades up to my forehead to look at the next outfit, "Well, let's see it on."

She nodded and closed the door. As she was getting dressed, I pulled the watch out of my shirt and started to remove the tag and serial number with my pocket knife. I didn't want to set off any alarms when we leave... God, I felt as if I were 8 again, stealing shamelessly from others. I had a slight gut feeling of guilt because, since then, I had never given up this habit and now that I wasn't homeless anymore, I was only doing it for my own selfish pleasures rather than trying to survive.

Jaden's told me that he's suffered from a similar situation, only he actually broke free from that. Why couldn't I do the same...?

After a short moment, Rebecca opened the door, wearing a half black, half checkered catsuit.

"Wow. That's really convincing." I nodded, fairly impressed with her choice.

"Yeah, it's actually similar to something they've worn in previous shows." she handed me her phone with a picture of one of the sideshow performers on the screen. She had on a closely related outfit to the one Rebecca is wearing.

"Impressive..." I looked at the time on my new watch, "We need to begin heading back now before they start wondering where we are."

"I get it, one sec..." she closed the door and quickly shuffled around for a few seconds before opening the door slightly, handing me her card, "Go pay for these, I'll be right out."

I grabbed the clothes from her and threw them onto my shoulder along with the other things she planned on buying, probably to put in her own closet.

Before I could walk away she poked her head out, her eyes laying on my wrist, "Woah... You actually bought that?"

I smiled, "Sure..."

She narrowed​ her eyes in suspicion, "Sure?" she then laughed, "Okay, I won't even ask how. Just go pay so we can go." she closed the door to finish changing.

Wise choice.

I went to the counter to pay for the items with Rebecca's card, waiting as the lady began to scan them one by one.