13 Chapter 13: Tab on it

EVE

Eve is in Paradise. Sleeping on the fluffy mattress is like laying on a cloud. The lavender aroma of the room is comforting. It makes her senses calm and happy. The bedroom is immaculate and the bedsheets are pristine in white pigment. Eve catches the sight of the greenery outside the Villa over the open window. The sea breeze that comes in is cold yet refreshing to her core. Every breath she takes is rejuvenating her soul. She stands up and goes over the window to peer at the flowers of late bloom. The place is a perfect haven for devils and killers on the loose.

The room has its bathroom. The white composition is eminent on every corner. The intricate designs on faucets with angel faces and the bathtub with ornate angel wings are a sight to be noted. A heavenly experience to exist in such luxury which money from killing can provide easily.

Eve goes down the stairs and finds two men having coffee in the common room. They are talking about the deaths they have set before.

"Good morning, Eve," A man with a mustache and beard says. His accent and face are quite handsome for a man. A deep-rooted Indian accent from Guwahati is evident when he softens the letter Y in his narrative. Isobel introduced the man last night as Aamir Khan and surely Eve knows he is not a famous actor from India.

"Good morning." Eve smiles back looking at both men. They are dressed to kill wearing coats and pants in the morning.

"Isobel is still upstairs." The other man says. He is quite young looking with blonde hair. Eve guesses late teens or early twenties and wonders if the boy is a killer like them. His name is Q like a letter and Eve doesn't know what it stands for.

"You are all dressed?" Eve says after getting coffee from the kitchen. There are waffles and muffins on the table she passed by but decided not to eat any of them.

"You should get dressed too, we are going out shopping for the event this weekend and Isobel is taking a tab for it," Q says with a cheerful tone and charming smile. The excitement coming from the kid is like buying a new toy for Christmas.

"An event this weekend?" Eve raises her eyebrow hearing the information for the first time.

"I was planning to say that to Eve," Isobel says aloud from the stairs. The woman struts down gracefully looking like a goddess in a blue dress. A young lady walks behind her and Eve recognizes the face.

"Aren't you Konstantin's kid?" Eve blurts out but forgot the name.

"My name is Irina." The young girl counters.

"Oh, that's good. You know each other already. No need for introductions then." Isobel retorts looking at both Eve and Irina. "Eve you should get dressed, we don't have all day to get to the city to buy you a dress."

"What's the occasion?" Eve inquires. The wrinkle in her forehead makes her look older than usual.

"Dinner party," Isobel answers with a smirk on her face. 

CAROLYN

The early meeting at the MI6 office in London has always been dreadful. No matter what issue is at hand, it makes Carolyn feel choked by a non-existent power. The woman in front of her looks younger than anyone in the room and holds a position at the agency which is higher than hers. The glossy perfection of the face reveals no emotion as it enumerates the violation of protocol Carolyn had before. The subject in question is her capability of making a good decision as she asks the agency to allow her to hire a former killer.

"As far as I remember, I have a formal request which has full approval of the agency," Carolyn cheerfully states her petition. Slightly mocking the inquiry that is commencing at the table.

"That was before Project Mandalay." The woman answers. Her tone is formal and low that silences the people around them.

"It is still the same person whether it's a different project or not. Isn't it?" Carolyn asks with a grin on her lips. For her, the meeting is an insignificant inquiry.

"Ms. Martens, I'm going to be direct to you. Assumptions like this are what makes the agency doubt your competence at work." The woman says in a clear loud voice. The empty expression makes the woman hard to flip through.

"Ms. Pierce, if I may remind you that my competence at work is not based on an assumption. I have the best result when it comes to MI6 operations." Carolyn proudly initiates her achievements. The last project she has is no doubt a success.

The room goes silent. The two women stare at each other like they are exchanging deathly moves in fencing waiting for each other to be cornered and killed.

"As you well know that after Paul's untimely loss, he vacated a position with a higher responsibility than yours. And they ask me to let you fill in the position." Ms. Pierce announces. 

"Thank you for the promotion," Carolyn says without any expression on her face. She isn't pleased to hear about the surprising news because it means more eyes peering at her job and less freedom to do what she needs to do. However, Carolyn is glad that Paul's death did not cause any further investigation.

"I may approve for this former assassin to work for you because clearly, she is the only one capable of surviving any team you pitch to. Regardless, I want her every move to be detailed in a report. She has to learn accountability and restrain from killing people. One mistake and she's off." Ms. Pierce says with a warning. The woman's face is plastered with an empty expression like a mannequin.

"Alright." Carolyn nods in agreement. 

"Good." Ms. Pierce replies.

The room falls silent. The young representative adjourns the meeting after a few inquiries and let's most of the people out before leaving a few words to Carolyn. "Everything is by the book now, Ms. Marten's, your old methods won't work anymore."

"Your books are written based on my methods my dear, and they always work," Carolyn says before leaving the woman behind. She smiles knowing her first remark is right. The meeting is utter nonsense, to begin with, and she squandered it away to be reprimanded for nothing.

EVE

"So what are you doing here with Isobel?' Irina asks as she helps Eve with her dress. The store is in New Malden where Isobel finds an authentic tailored Hanbok maker

"I should be asking that to you," Eve counters with a smirk. The kid reminds her of how Villanelle talks.

"Isobel helped me out at the facility in Russia." Irina answers standing in front of her, waiting to assist with the skirt she's trying on.

"Why are you at the facility?" Eve asks while staring at her reflection in the mirror. She puts on the top robe and checks if the color matches together.

"I ran over my mom's boyfriend," Irina explains. The sound of the young woman's voice has no regret. Not even sad about what happened.

Eve turns her head and stares at the teenager who confesses killing someone. The casual deliberation is chilling like the child does not have any remorse for what occurred. She wonders if Villanelle has an influence on Irina and did it cause the girl to evolve into an emotionless killer.

Eve is about to tell Irina about his father's health when Isobel comes inside the room carrying a few more Hanbok dresses for her to fit in.

Isobel tells Irina to go outside with Aamir and Q who plan to check out Korean stores to buy Kimchi and Soju. The young girl proceeds with the woman's command and Isobel is left with her alone.

Eve tries to tie the bow of the Jeogori or the top garment of the Hanbok but she struggles on how it will look perfect with every wrong pull. Isobel steps forward seeing how she attempts ridiculously and helps her to tie the Goreum, the coat strings of the Jeogori.

Eve's eyes gaze with awe at how Isobel knows how to handle the goreum into a knot. It is the most intricate part of the set and even she has a hard time doing it on her own. First, the woman makes an X with the short ribbon on top of the long ribbon. Then she ties a knot by bringing the long ribbon up through the X. Wrapping the short ribbon around her hand to make a loop at the top and pulling the long ribbon through the loop until it sticks out about one inch on the knot. A perfect goreum bow. 

"Wow! How did you learn to do that?" Eve says with amazement. She wants to compliment the woman for her detailed knowledge.

"I was sent to Korea multiple times. Seoul, Busan, Jeju, and any other places that the twelve have a target in Asia." Isobel replies with a simple smile and goes around to check on Eve's dress on the back.

Eve breathes in the aroma of vanilla and jasmine flirting with her senses. Isobel has an essence that can make anyone lose their judgment. The small touches and caress of the woman's soft hands are tickling her sensuality. She knows it's a game for the woman and it excites Eve furthermore to be teased by the killer.

"Your beautiful Eve," Isobel says whispering the words in Eve's ears. 

The woman is standing close behind her and the warm breath on her neck makes her body tingle. Eve closes her eyes briefly when she feels Isobel's lips brushing at the back of her ears going down towards her neck and shoulder. She can't help but be swayed by the woman. Isobel knows how to play with her lust.

And Villanelle knows how to play with her mind.

Eve startles like waking up from a daydream. She takes a few steps forward to escape from Isobel's enchantment. The woman has a powerful influence that is hard to ignore but that charm can be deceitful. Isobel is a seductress. Eve tells herself that the woman may tell the truth but she spins it to her advantage.

"Why do I need a Hanbok for dinner?" Eve laughs hiding her nervousness.

"It's a formal party for foreign dignitaries," Isobel explains. The woman's face changes into an expressionless doll narrating an invitation with no sense of enthusiasm.

"You have a new target? Who is it?" Eve's voice goes high as she feels the excitement for taking part in Isobel's next plan.

"Presumably, all of our targets will be there." Isobel continues to make the same monotone portrayal. The plan to kill seems like an ordinary day to the woman.

"All of our targets? You mean the twelve?" Eve asks repeating the words Isobel says to clear out any confusion.

"Yes." The woman answers, stepping closer to her which makes Eve immediately step away to give space between them.

"You can't kill them all at once. You won't be able to get away with that." Eve comments and doubts how Isobel will pull an onslaught against the organization in one night.

"Alone? I can't, but with your help, I think we can pull it off." Isobel retorts gazing at Eve's eyes pleading for a considerable chance to hear the woman out.

"What's your plan?" Even stares back. Thinking about the heist is amusing to her mind.

Isobel stares and walks in her direction. Eve steps back until she can feel her body against the mirror. They face each other in a fierce fight to intimidate one another till the space between them gets smaller and smaller. Eve can smell the woman's breath on her. Isobel is taller but Eve is not afraid to look up to a towering power. The woman needs her and she will use it to gain the upper hand in this situation.

"I will tell you if you officially join us."

"Join you? You won't even tell me why you want to bring down the twelve when you are working for them."

"I thought you summed it all up? There's a price to take them all down. It's out of the MI6 hands now."

Eve remembers Carolyn saying the same thing.

"I have one condition if I join you."

"I promise I won't kill Villanelle."

"Okay then."

Isobel giggles.

"What?"

"I'm starting to like you, Eve, and not in a friendly way."

Eve blushes at Isobel's confession.