Those Hollow Lies

The Darkness Within

6/14/09 - morning.

“Is there a reason we need to wear this ‘uniform’ considering that we don’t exist?” I asked as Roz handed me a fresh white shirt and black tailored trousers.

“It allows us to become more believable. In the case of approaching civilians, a uniform is an identity. They believe that we are a government agency and it helps them cooperate with us.” She explained, glancing in the mirror attached to my open wardrobe as she fixed the scarlet tie that hung loosely from her neck.

“But it’s my dad. He knows who we are.” I said, quickly changing, not caring that she was in the room. It wasn’t like she’d see anything intimate anyway.

“It is just protocol. I’m not about to change it for anyone. Not even your dad.” She said, turning around as I began buttoning up the crisp shirt. I smiled at her appearance, my mind replaying the first time we told my dad that I was part of this organisation. I didn’t want to hear how he’d react to it all this time around. Roz moved closer to me and fixed the matching tie that I was struggling with. “I know this is a complicated matter, but I wish to keep this as short as possible. Once your dad is safe we have a lot of work to begin preparing for. I realised last night that you never completed your full training for the Quarter. I cannot have you unprepared for what may happen. It will mean death for us both if we falter.”

“No pressure then?” I asked rhetorically as she stepped back from me.

“Not at all.” She smirked, glancing at the watch. “Come on.”

This time, we took the car. It made sense, seeing as how three of us couldn’t fit on a bike. Plus, just in case, the car was bullet proof and whilst I wasn’t suspected of anything just yet, Roz was right; we couldn’t be too careful this time around and with the added fact that my dad was a civilian she didn’t want us to risk anything.

We drove in near silence, Roz asking me to think about what was the best way to approach this. How my dad would respond to her orders. To be honest, I didn’t know. It wasn’t like I’d ever considered this and last night the idea came completely spontaneously. I guess we’d all find out sooner or later though and before I knew it, Roz was parking the car outside of the house that I grew up in.

“I don’t think he’s home.” I mumbled as we stared at the red door. Roz stepped back and looked up, her dark eyes fluttering over the windows before back to me.

“Where else could he be?”

I was about to answer when I heard the click of the lock and the door opened, my dad’s hair wet and his clothes a little rumpled. “I was showering. Sorry.” His eyes suddenly moved to where Roz was standing and I saw the colour draining from his face. “I guess you two need to come inside.”

My dad led us into the study and watched in bemusement as Roz closed the blinds and set up a small cell phone contraption that she explained would affect any bugs in the area. Instantly, my dad began to ask questions.

“Why would there be bugs?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought you left that place?”

After I calmed him down and he fell into his usual chair, I looked over at Roz who nodded at me. It figures that she’d expect me to deal with this because he was my dad. She just stood there in the corner, her arms folded as she monitored what happened in front of her, studying a ‘real’ family in action for one of the few times in her life.

“Russell, what is happening?”

“I know you thought that I’d left the Underground Quarter, and I did, but now I’m back.” I said, twiddling my thumbs.