UNMASKING BETRAYALS

Samantha's POV The air seemed off the moment we entered the room. Stressing. The way Lila sat there, her stance too slack, the wine glass in her palm sloppily tilting as though she had no care in the world, I could see right away. But her gaze pointed her away. They watched every movement we made, keen and concentrated. They contained computation, exactly as Julian had cautioned. Though my heart was racing in my chest, I tried to keep my face blank. Alex stood next to me, stiff and quiet, but I sensed the storm building inside him. Though only just, he was keeping it together. Our goal in walking into this encounter was exactly to extract the truth from Lila. There are no lies anymore. Games are not what we have. Lila looked between us, a small smile tugging at the margins of her mouth. "You look tense," she replied, her voice silky and as if she hadn't just been accused of planning our fall-off. "Rough night"? I tightened my hands and pushed myself to remain cool. Though the skepticism had already rooted itself, I wanted to believe that this was only a misinterpretation and maybe Julian had been mistaken. Ignoring it now was too late. Alex remarked, his voice strained and hardly under control, "We need to talk." Lila's grin grew wider, but it lacked warmth. Oh, we do, indeed? I gather things did not proceed as expected? Feeling the weight of the occasion down on me, I walked forward. Julian answered all of our questions. Lila's smile stumbled for a few seconds before she straightened herself. Julian Cross here? You did indeed discover him. She shook her head and laughed gently. If you are depending on anything man says, you have to be desperate. True? My voice shook even with my best attempts to keep it steady. "Are you dealing with Marcus??" The room was still for a minute, the air heavy with expectancy. Her response hung over me like a guillotine, my pulse in my throat feeling weighty. Lila slanted her head slightly to watch me, her face incomprehensible. She then set down the glass of wine softly and relaxed back in her chair. Samantha, dear, you have been played. Not with me, though. My breath caught in my throat, then I looked at Alex to see how he responded. He closed his jaw tightly, fixed Lila in front of him, but he said nothing. Lila went on, her voice almost too calm. Julian is not telling you truthfully. He would naturally say, I am working with Marcus. This is the easiest approach to throw off your scent. But you really have it backwards. Shaking my head, I tried to understand her comments. Then why would he claim that? Why would he caution us against depending on you? Lila's smile faded, and for the first time I could see something like frustration in her eyes. "Because he is playing your friend. Julian is terrified and in need. Marcus is closing in on him, and he is buying some time for himself using you. But—'But—" I got ready to argue, but Lila stopped me. "Consider it, Samantha. Why would you turn to me for help? If you start to doubt the one person who has been supporting you from the start, who benefits? She bent forward, staring hard at me. Julian has always had excellent manipulative skills. Marcus kept him around for this reason as well. But he will do whatever to safeguard himself while he is on the run. Even if it means turning you against the ones meant to be supporting you. Her words shivered down my spine, but the uncertainty persisted. There was something about all of this that felt improper. Lila couldn't be trusted, Julian had cautioned us, but today Lila was repeating the same thing about Julian. Tell me who was speaking the truth. Alex remarked, his voice low and taut, "You're asking us to take your word over his." "Why ought we to believe you?" Lila looked at him, her face softening just a little. "Since I have not lied to you. hardly once. I have been open about the risk we are running. Though I could have, I did not walk away at any one moment. I left. I made a difference. Apart from sow uncertainty and doubt, what has Julian done? I took a hard swallow and felt my gut twist up. She made an argument. Lila had been on hand when we most needed her. She had offered contacts and information. She had led us through the anarchy when everything appeared to be disintegrating. That did not mean, however, she was not participating in her own game. It meant she was hiding stuff from us. Looking to Alex, expecting for some sort of enlightenment, his countenance remained harsh, incomprehensible. I could sense he was considering Lila's comments in relation to all Julian had taught us. Alex said at last, his voice cool and calculated. "If you're telling the truth, if Julian's the one playing us, then prove it." Lila arched an eyebrow. And how precisely do you want me to achieve that? Alex murmured, his words cutting: "Take us to Marcus." Help us bring him down if you are not working with him or if you are truly on our side. once and for all. Lila's face flicked with astonishment, but it was gone as fast as it had first shown. Leaning back in her chair, she thought about his demand. You want me to guide you to Marcus? Indeed, Alex said with great conviction. You shouldn't have anything to worry about if you are as cut off from him as you claim. Lila said nothing for a minute. Silence permeated the room, and with every second I could sense the strain mounting. Breathing, I waited for her response, expecting this would be the instant everything became plain. Lila moaned at last, massaging her temples as though the weight of the choice was intolerable. "Fine," she answered softly, her voice little above a whisper. "I will bring you to Marcus. But you would better be ready for what is to come. Long and peaceful, the automobile trip to Marcus's intended destination only heard the hum of the motor and the sporadic radio crackle. Lila was seated in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead; Alex and I were seated in the rear and only sometimes exchanged glances but said nothing. There was obvious conflict between us, and every mile that went by felt like my nerves were fraying. My head continued whirling over all that had occurred during the preceding few hours. It all felt like a complex network of lies, Julian's warning, Lila's defense, Alex's insistence on bringing the fight straight to Marcus—you never know who to believe anymore. One thing was abundantly evident, though: we were entering the lion's lair. Marcus was the puppeteer behind everything; thus, if we were to stop him, we had to be ready for whatever he had in mind. The issue was not knowing whether we were. My gut felt when the automobile stopped in front of a big, imposing structure. Like many other hideouts we had visited in this twisted game, the place seemed deserted, but I knew better than to believe appearances would tell. Marcus was the person we were handling; nothing was ever as it appeared. Lila turned to face us and murmured, "This is it," her voice low. Marcus has lately been working from here. This is your chance if you really want to face him. Alex nodded, a stern line on his face. "Let's end this." We got out of the car, the frigid night air stinging at my skin as we went toward the structure. Every stride seemed weighty, the weight of what we were about to accomplish crushing down on me. But turning back now was not possible. Not following all we have experienced. Leading the way, Lila moved deliberately and quickly as we negotiated the dark hallways of the building. I kept staring at Alex, trying to read his reaction, but his face was concentrated, resolved. He was ready for whatever followed. At last, at the end of the passage, we came upon a big steel door. Stopped in front of it, Lila turned to face us after momentarily placing her hand on the handle. She whispered softly, "This is it," staring directly at me. "We cannot turn around once we enter. Are you definitely ready for this? Hard swallowing, my heart thumping in my chest. "We are prepared." Lila nodded then shoved open the door. The chamber we entered was poorly lit, the air heavy with the smell of dust and something else I quite identify with. A big desk dominated the room, and behind it Marcus, a man I had only heard about in whispers. Though his hair was gray and he was older than I had thought, he exuded an unquestionable strength. His icy, mechanical eyes fixed on us the instant we walked into the room. Marcus remarked, his voice suave but tinged with danger: "Well, well. "I expected you. As Marcus stood, his presence weighing the room, my heart hammered in my chest. Alex was tensing next to me, poised to act at a moment's notice, but I wasn't sure whether we were ready for what was about to happen. Marcus looked at something else.