chapter twelve
Sorry for the late updates. I'm preparing for exams x.
***
Nobody in the party planning committee looked particularly ecstatic to be there, Amina didn’t blame them and she bet they hadn’t thought their first duty after orientation would be planning Joshua Phillips’ twenty second birthday party. She could also bet that they didn’t know the first thing about party planning (she had personally hired a professional party planner but they didn’t know that either), Amina just needed to assess them more personally. The Orion Project had moved past its dangerous hazing process more than twenty years ago but it didn’t mean Amina couldn’t scare the living hell out of them for the fun of it.
That and Joshua Phillips was curious about Ninah Adam, Amina couldn’t see why though. On first sight, she looked nothing out of the ordinary, she was short, skinny and rocking a buzz cut, she wore large hoop earrings that could have passed perfectly as bangles, a baggy shirt depicting a Pokémon. Her shirt was half tucked in the waistband of her jeans and her combat boots made her appear intimidating paired with the black kohl lining her eyes. Amina wanted to say that she was trying to appear tough but she didn’t quite think so, it seemed like she just had a penchant for dark colors.
Still, nothing extraordinary, it wasn’t hard to find black lovers. Ninah did stand out from the other new recruits however, while they regarded the Dome’s interior with awe, her own eyes didn’t linger long. She didn’t ask questions like the others did, it didn’t seem like she cared.
Amina wasn’t sure what to think. She waited until Victoria finished the tour that started in the Hall of Fame and ended in Amina’s office.
“Thank you, Tori,” Amina said, waving the other girl away. She was too happy to leave, it was her designated duty to give tours because she knew about Orion’s history and the Dome more than anyone else, she didn’t so well with strangers.
When Victoria was gone, one of the recruits, a cocky boy took a seat on one of the sofas. Amina narrowed her eyes, she’d noticed that he was the loudest of the group and she’d noticed him making a comment about her ass to another male recruit, she’d said nothing then. She’d been waiting for an opportunity to make an example out of him and she smirked now.
“Get up,” She said coldly.
It took him a slow second but he remained sitting, he smiled.
“We’ve been standing for the past hour.” He said, raising his brows.
Amina didn’t say a word, she took several steps until she was standing in front him and the other recruits made way for her. She’d tailed Victoria throughout the tour but she hadn’t introduced herself, no doubt they thought she was some assistant and Amina loved nothing more than correcting misconceptions.
“Daniel DaSilva, you’re a three hundred level computer science student. You have an internship with Microsoft and surprising, it’s not because daddy dearest is a multimillionaire, you’re actually really good at code. I wonder what Microsoft will have to say about your weekly anger management classes and that one time you beat a boy into a coma in your class three years ago.” She said with a grin.
Amina had never seen anyone shoot up from their seat so fast. She saw fear in his eyes but it was gone and in its place was cold hostility. Amina wasn’t in the least bit fazed by it, she continued to smile at him. There was tense silence in the office, when Amina’s eyes roamed all their faces; she found nothing but fear in all their gazes – except Ninah’s. She met with Amina’s probing gaze with a blank one and for a brief second, she looked familiar.
Amina clapped her hands together and one recruit actually jumped in the air at the sudden sound.
“I don’t care whose office you ever find yourself in, you do not sit down unless you’ve been asked to.” She said; there were three sofas around a coffee table and she took a seat down on the arm of one. “Now that we’ve gone past the awkwardness, I’m Amina Khalid; Vice President of The Orion Project Student Chapter, nationwide.”
Several eyes widened. Daniel DaSilva had the decency to look embarrassed.
“I’m the face you’ll be seeing very frequently until you complete your basic training and let me tell you one thing, I am not your friend.” She punctuated the end of her declaration with a bland smile. “I’m actually here to make your lives hell.” Untrue but she wanted them to be on edge every time they crossed paths with her and no doubt as they began to mingle with the rest of Orion, they would hear stories about her that would cause their fear to grow.
“Just because you’re here now doesn’t mean that you’re part of Orion, you’re still known as recruits to everybody here. You’re bottom of the barrel and even the cleaners rank above you. I don’t want to see any cocky behavior, you might be here because you excel in one aspect or the other but you are not irreplaceable. One mistake and you’re out.”
Amina stood, her expression growing frank. “Orion doesn’t give second chances.” She fixed her gaze solely on Ninah.
“The Orion Project usually gives tasks to recruits to complete throughout their training period. They range from the most basic of tasks to outrageous and they must be done or you’re out.” Amina felt a swell of pride addressing them, she’d done this a hundred times before but she never failed to get a sense of purpose from it.
Being in Orion gave her a fulfillment she could never find elsewhere, she was mostly known as Joshua’s brawns but nobody knew that Amina hated the blood that came with it. She was perfectly content guiding new recruits and working as Orion’s data analyst. It was no wonder that ninety nine percent of recruits under her tutelage always turned out to be useful assets to Orion.
“For your first task, we’ll start easy, planning a party.” She announced. When her recruits were silent, she grinned. “You don’t look excited. I would be if I were you, I’m starting you off easy.”
There was no response but silence. Amina’s smile only widened.
“Joshua Phillips – our blessed savior and leader – turns twenty two in two days. If there’s anything you should know about Orion, it’s that we rarely ever do things small. I’m going to leave the party planning details to the ten of you; the venues, the food, drinks, and everything else is in your hands and you have less than forty eight hours to get to it.” Amina jerked her head at the coffee table where a black card lay. “You have unlimited funds. Knock yourselves out.”
It was Ninah who took the brave step forward to take the credit card and she turned it over in her hand, staring at it broodingly.
“Is that it? All we have to do is plan a party, no rules attached.” She spoke for the first time, her voice was a sweet lilt, unlike her appearance. Amina found herself surprised at the sound.
Amina nodded. “That’s it.”
Low murmurs arose, there was excitement in their voices but Ninah just continued to look suspicious. Like there was a some punchline she was missing, She was wise to think so, Orion might be past its violent hazing days, it didn’t mean that Amina couldn’t play sly tricks on them. The best part of it was that there was no trick, but judging by the hesitant looks on everybody’s face, they suspected one.
Amina’s smile broadened and she waved them off. She kept her eyes on Ninah as the girl walked out. There was something familiar about her and Amina didn’t understand why. She was terrible at remembering people and she only remembered if they made a lasting impression.
She suddenly understood why Joshua was wary of Ninah Adam. The feeling of familiarity lingered, close enough but far away at the same time that it was frustrating. She stood and walked to her desk, the report on Ninah Adam had arrived earlier but she hadn’t had a chance to glance through it. Flipping through it, the feeling of frustration grew. There was nothing remotely exciting about Ninah Adam; she was as ordinary as they came. Then why did it feel otherwise?
Amina closed the file with a sigh. She was in no mood for another mystery.
*****
“The reports finally arrived.” Amina declared, although by the sour twist of her lips and the thin file in her hands, it wasn’t what they’d expected.
Joshua clicked the end of his pen, hovering the tip in front of the paper in front him. Sometimes, he envied Amina’s job as Vice President, his job was less exciting than it seemed. All he spent his time doing was overseeing and signing documents and agreements. At least Amina got to move around, he was always stuck behind his desk, head bent.
“What did you find on Ninah Adam?” He asked.
Amina collapsed on the chair in front of him, stretching her legs lazily. She sat straight a moment later and began to read the file.
“Ninah Adam was born May 12, 2001. She’s twenty years old and her parents are alive. They aren’t the wealthiest people but they do alright. Her father is the CEO of a logistics company and her mother is a nurse. She has no siblings.” She read; her eyes flicked up in between words, studying his face as if she expected him to throw a fit. Joshua shook his head, wanting to smile but tamping down on the urge.
“Where’s the tie to Artemis?” He cut in; he didn’t care for Ninah’s biography.
A look of surprise flashed through Amina’s eyes, she parted her lips to speak but in the same beat she swallowed back her words.
“What?” He asked. She bit down on her lip and his curiosity grew.
“Nothing.” She answered briskly.
“Khalid,” His voice was a warning.
A mocking smile played on the edge of her mouth. “What are you going to do?”
Nothing, his mind answered. There was nothing he could do to her; she was too high to punish her. It was a detail that used to anger him. Now, it was just exasperation.
He held her gaze with a steely look. Amina pouted.
“You’re no fun.”
“I sometimes think that you have a punishment kink,” Joshua mused. “You always say this, goad me and taunt me with the fact that you can get away with anything, like you expect me to come up with some new torture that you aren’t above.”
He leaned forward in his seat. His voice was low, “Do you want me to punish you, Mina?”
“Is that what you’re into?”
There was something in her eyes, it wasn’t amusement or anger. It was something else, something else Joshua didn’t want to acknowledge. The moment was broken when she cleared her throat.
“Don’t kink shame, Phillips.” She said coolly.
Joshua grinned because it was the closest thing to admittance she would ever come to.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He teased.
“Ninah’s father is a member of Artemis. I was unable to get his records but he is a confirmed member. Ninah joined the organization recently when she gained admission to study Political Science.” Amina continued from where she stopped reading without missing a beat. It took Joshua several bouts of blinking to realize that she’d tricked him, again.
He’d been asking her something but she’d swerved the question with her flirting and he’d fallen for it. He was torn with laughing -- because the girl was too damn cunning for her good – and hitting his head on the paper spread out on his mahogany desk.
“And?” He said, trying to imitate her coolness.
Amina flipped the file close and bared straight white teeth in a fake grin. “That’s it. There’s no secret conspiracy.”
“Or the conspiracy is being hidden well.” Joshua countered.
Amina shook her head, the beads in her hair clinked together noisily. “Aren’t you tired of these damned mysteries? Because I’m fucking tired.” The vehemence in her voice startled him.
So despite himself, he asked, “Are you okay?”
She threw back her head and laughed but the sound was hollow and empty of amusement. “I don’t think that you care. Why do we keep pretending we care about each other?”
Joshua paused, mulling over her question. He wondered why they were talking about the irregularities in their relationship now; they’d been brushing it off for years. He wasn’t in love with her and he wasn’t sure that he liked her romantically or if it was just sexual attraction but he did care for her wellbeing.
“You ask me the same question sometimes, if I’m okay or not. I don’t see why I can’t do the same.” He said tentatively.
Amina wasn’t appeased, she crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s the thing, you don’t bother if you don’t genuinely care.”
“I could say the same thing.”
She pointed her finger at him. “I’m actually a nice person, or at least, polite. You don’t bother with being polite, you never have.”
Joshua didn’t say anything.
“You’re growing a heart,” She said with surprising alarm. Joshua smirked but her face was serious. “You’re a coldhearted dick, Phillips, no offense. But recently, it’s like you are a different person altogether, you aren’t exactly nice but you care about things. Like Orion, for example and now you care if I’m okay or not.”
“You know, I used to think that you didn’t care about anything, not even Orion. You had the leadership of this organization handed you in a nice silver platter and I was so sure you would make a terrible leader. Especially with your terrible father guiding your steps.”
Joshua grimaced at the mention of Remilekun Phillips.
“I think that you don’t know who you are without him.” Amina said quietly. “So you’re trying on a different bunch of personalities, you have been since he died.”
“Since I murdered him,” Joshua corrected coldly. Amina didn’t flinch at the reminder, he didn’t know why he thought she would. Amina had killed many people.
“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Khalid. We could sit here and talk about your issues too and play therapist on both sides. I’ll tell you what we both know, nothing has changed. I’ll ask you if you’re okay but I’ll never do anything to take away that burden on your shoulders and I’ll never help you come to terms to the blood on your hands. This is the only me I know how to be.”
This time, she did flinch -- a quick movement but he caught it all the same.
“If there’s nothing to tell about Ninah Adam, you can leave.” He said distractedly, his attention returning to the workload on his table. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her stand but she didn’t leave.
“Ewatomi Ilori, did you ever send her that text?” She asked.
“She has my number blocked.” He said curtly. But they both knew it was no excuse, they had technology that could bypass that. Hell, he could just text her from Amina’s phone or from any of his other phones. He didn’t though because Ewatomi had every right to despise him and maybe, just maybe he felt the slightest bit of guilt.
“Here,” Amina slammed a paper on the one he was about to sign. “Her schedule for this semester, please – talk to her soon.”
Joshua didn’t deign her with an answer, a moment later, she was gone. He took one look at the printed schedule and tore it into two halfs. He’d lied to Amina; he hadn’t even texted Ewatomi yet.
Was it fear or guilt? Joshua wasn’t certain. He blew out a breath, took his phone and sent her a message.
Can we talk?
He tucked his pen behind the shell of his ear and stared at the screen of his phone. Three minutes later, his phone lit up with a call.
“Tomi,” He breathed her name when he answered. There was a tense second of silence, he heard her own sharp inhale and waited to hear the harsh dial tone when she hung up. It didn’t come.
“Joshua, I was wondering when you’d call.” She finally said, her voice calm. He wasn’t fazed, he’d never heard her angry in the short time he’d known her. He wasn’t even sure she was capable of anger.
“I was never going to,” He said frankly. He winced when the words came out sounding cruel. He didn’t think she was pinning after him and he didn’t want her to think he expected her to.
She made a clucking sound with her tongue in amusement, “I know. This is about Vanessa, right?”
“How do you know?” Joshua’s brows furrowed in confusion. He struggled to wrap his head on the fact that she didn’t sound mad at him and that she knew something about the murders, possibly about Victor since he’d had the picture on his phone.
“I think we need to talk in person. There is something I have to show you.”
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