Chapter 23, art of decieption 12

(Callie)

Her consciousness returned, and she opened her eyes lazily.Unwilling to move in the dark room, Callie took in a cleansing breath of filtered air, taking in the scent of her clean sheets. She stretched her legs, noting her arms were wrapped around her pillow in a crushing embrace. The poor pillow looked squished, yet it didn't complain about the treatment. She snuggled in closer, enjoying the warmth of the thin blankets. She listened intently, just laying there for several minutes, wondering where she was?

Oh right, she was in Dustin's spare bedroom. She must have really been exhausted, as she hadn't even argued with the man. Her stomach growled, reminding her she had only eaten two tasty yet unsatisfying pastries last night. She peered over the bed, stretching to reach her pants in the darkness without touching the tile floor.

She almost fell on her face from the effort of both keeping her blankets wrapped tight around her and trying to get the clothes from the floor. Her hand touched the freezing tile and she shiver, quickly retreating to safety with her pants and socks in tow. Calle slipped on her underwear, wondering if Dustin had a washer or drier? She hadn't seen one, but perhaps that was what the living room closet had inside.

She grimaced as she sniffed one of her socks, it smelled like death itself. She gagged, but still put them on, deciding to buy some spare clothes later. Ok, maybe she was exaggerating on the smell of the socks but she was not comfortable giving her clothes to Dustin and remaining naked in his house for the several hours it would take for them to be clean.

She pulled the towel from her hair, hanging it to finish drying in the bathroom before getting fully dressed and armed. Last, she pulled her light red jacked on and zipped it up just enough to hide the butt of her pistol from a casual glance.

She disarmed her still intact trap with a few moments of effort and made her way quietly into the kitchen. Her stomach growled again and she open the fridge. Inside were several clear bags of bagels, three eggs in a carton, two strips of bacon, two boxes of those biscuits, and two bottles of jam. All in all there was only enough food for one meal, and only for one person.

With a scowl for the meagre contents of the fridge, Callie left to the navy supply office and bought some real ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, you could purchase proper food on a naval base if you wanted to spend the crowns.

It took her nearly forty minutes, but Callie returned to Dustin's apartment and let herself in. If he asked, she would tell him she propped the door open to get groceries.

Callie had actually overturned the encryption on the lock, but Dustin didn't need to know that. Using her razor sharp belt knife, Callie diced the fresh peppers and onions into a rarely used frying pan. She turned up the heat on the stove, getting it hot for a nice sear.

Once that was done, she placed the diced squares of beef into the pan. The room gradually filled with the glorious scent of roasting meat and caramelizing vegetables. She took a sweet sauce from the bag and poured some in a small bowl before adding thyme and dill. She wished there was paprika and even green onion, but this would have to do.

The beef crackled in the pan, and Callie added a dollop of butter. Her mouth water from the smells and she set the heat from high to a slow simmer. She added salt dill and thyme to the pan, watching as the seasoning mixed with the melted butter and vegetables. She cut up two bright green lemons and placed them inside the bubbling butter to suffuse the add some extra flavour, anything to mask the flavour of vat grown beef.

She searched through the kitchen until she found a lid and let the meat and vegetables simmer. With that done, she took several oranges from the bag and cut them into thick slices, placing them on their own plate. The timer beeped, and she removed the lid, taking the pan from the hot stove. It boiled, the butter supplying a thin layer of juices to the beef, fruit and vegetables.

Callie took the sweet sauce and drew some sort of artistic lines on two plates. She wanted to make a gun on her own plate but ended up making a monster thing instead. Behind her, Dustin's door clicked and she could feel him watching her.

Unconcerned, Callie placed a large scoop of beef and caramelized onion onto her plate before sprinkling some leftover lime over the top. For Dustin, she placed a pile of orange slices on the side of the steaming food.

"What are you making?" Dustin asked,approaching her.

She glanced over her shoulder, taking him in. The man was dressed in civilian clothes; he had on denim pants and a high collared white shirt. Unlike like her, he didn't have his shoulder holster on first thing in the morning. Well, it was his place, so it sort of made sense he would relax at home.

"Something more palatable than plain eggs and pastries." Callie said, taking her overflowing plate of food.

Dustin smirked, "Says the lady that ate two of my pastries last night."

"I hope you are not offended that I cooked in your kitchen. Your pan might be forever ruined now that it has cooked a proper meal."Callie replied, taking a seat at the small island counter separating the kitchen from the living room. The chair rocked unstably as she sat, but she was too excited for food to care.

"Touche, I am usually too busy to cook elaborate meals."Dustin said.

Dusted eyed the steaming meal for a moment as though it might bite him before he took a tentative bite. His face changed from uncertain to shock and then to excitement as he took another much larger bite.

"This is incredible! What is in that sauce on the plate?" Dustin asked, practically devouring his food. She took a bite sized square of seared beef and ran it through the sweet and tangy sauce. Callie took a satisfied bite, enjoying the meal immensely.

"It's the best I could do on such short notice. It would be a lot better if you had more than three spices in your cupboards."Callie said, enjoying the look of bliss on his face as he ate like a man starving.

"Slow down. If you keep eating that fast you are going to choke to death, then I will have to explain why you died to taniya." Callie said with a smirk.

"It would be worth it, good food like this is worth dying for." Dustin said, tentatively squeezing the orange slices over his food like she had.

Callie scooped up a forkful of onion, and peppers dipped in sauce into her mouth, chewing happily. The pepper was slightly over cooked lacking the satisfying crunch she liked, but the onion was perfectly cooked and practically melted in her mouth.

She mopped up the rest with one final cube of beef, letting out a contented sigh. What she would do to be back home with proper ingredients, this vat grown beef tasted much too stale for her liking. She could make it taste good, but with proper meat she wouldn't need so much sauce and could let the meat do all the work. After placing her plate in the sink, she sat across from Dustin, letting him finish his food.

The man took his time finishing his food, eating everything on the plate. She smiled as he glanced at her and then back to some sauce still on the plate.She was willing to bet he would have licked the plate clean if she wasn't in the room. The man placed the plate in the sink and sat down, the small table separating them.

"So, what is the plan today? Are we investigating the killing of senator sergile, or are we doing paperwork?" Callie asked, hoping they were not doing the paperwork.

"Neither. Senator Sergile's death is under the per view of the IE. And we don't have time to slog away for several hours on paperwork."Dustin said, steepling his fingers under his chin.

"Then what? Meeting with some scared politicians, or even better hunting down those secari?" Callie asked, exitedly.

Dustin chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "My boss wants a proper introduction. She called yesterday and is demanding to meet you." Dustin said with a sheepish smile.

"Wait, you mean a higher-ranking member of the Devali wants to meet me?" Callie asked, confused.

"Well, yes, and no. She is thee highest ranking member of the Devali." Dustin said, seriously.

"Why is the name of the emperer does the Ra want to meet me?" Callie asked, dumbfounded. "Well, that is complicated, but suffice it to say that she owes you after you saved her daughter's life."Dustin said, looking away sheepishly.

Callie's jaw dropped, and for several long seconds all she could do was stare at the man in front of her.This was bad, like really bad. Callie began to hyperventilate internally but put on a calm front, or at least she tried.

"You are the son of the empire's spy master?" Callie asked, genuinely shocked."To be fair, it's not that big of a secret, in the right circles."Dustin said offhandedly. Callie leaned back in her rickety chair with a drowning realization.

She was screwed, like royally screwed.Not only was she hiding right under the nose of the Devali but even worse she was partners with the Ra's son of all things and tentative friends with her daughter. Could her cover ID even handle that much scrutney?Of course it couldn't, it was a blasted fake ID!!

Callie stood slowly, her chair sliding on the tile."Are you all right Callie?" Dustin asked, his face a mask of genuine concern.

"I'm alright, just give me a few minutes to think on what you said." She said, walking to her room.

"Don't take too long. She is already here on the base and wants to meet up as soon as possible." Dustin said from the table.

She shut her door behind her and walked over to her bed, sitting with a heavy creak of the mattress. Should she run? No, that would be like screaming, I am the spy at the top of her lungs. However, she had to be a realist.

Her fake ID was not good enough to withstand the rigorous background checks of the Ra. She was willing to bet every inch of her ID would be searched and verified thoroughly and that would reveal some small yet substantial discrepancies.

The real question was could she spin these discrepancies well enough to make both Dustin and the Ra believe her? Maybe, but she would need to play it extremely cautiously.

Everyone had something they were hiding and she would just need to misdirect them from the truth. She stood, her body still tense with concern, as she walked back out into Dustin's living room.

"Where are we meeting your mother?" Callie asked, finding those words incredibly unsuitable.

"It's not too far away, and just so you're not blindsided, Taniya will be there. And don't refer to her as my mother, or as the Ra. We don't use our titles casually." Dustin said, opening his outer door.

"Then what do i call her?" Callie asked, raising an eyebrow at the request."Well, she will give you a name to address her by when you meet her." Dustin said, shrugging. "Now you are just being unhelpful."Callie mumbled.

She followed him in silence, allowing Dustin to lead the way. They went underground to the sprawling catacombs of the navy base, but Dustin lead the way confidently. Uncaring about her tumultuous circumstances, navy personnel moved about their days, traveling through the halls with purpose.

They finally stopped at a door guarded by two soldiers in dark black armour that lacked the distinctive badges of the IE. "Is she in yet?" Dustin asked calmly.

"Yes, she is expecting you." The one on the right replied, his tinted face plate turning towards Callie. The soldier in dark combat armour held out a hand, and Callie grumbled. "Your pistol please, and your belt knife."the guard asked in a friendly tone.

Dustin opened the door and Callie follow him inside, feeling naked without her weapons."Why didn't they take your gun? That's just unfair."Callie said sarcastically. "You really don't like being disarmed, do you?" Dustin asked with a chuckle.

The door clicked shut behind her as Callie took in the meeting room. It had a large table with imported leather chairs all around and a large screen on the far wall.Two people sat in the room, Taniya and an older woman talking softly across the table.

They both looked up and the starch resemblance took aback Callie. The older woman's slightly upturned nose, defined cheeks, and light hazel eyes matched Taniya's almost perfectly. Her blond hair was a shade or two darker than Taniya's, but the bone structure of her face was the same.

"Dustin, Callie, please take a seat," said the older woman in a light, pleasant voice.

Callie made her way around the table and sat next to Taniya while Dustin took a seat next to the older woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I must say I wasn't expecting to meet the Ra, the empires spymaster herself." Callie said, settling across the table from both Dustin and his mother.

"Please call me Veronica, and the pleasure is all mine." The older woman said, smiling, revealing her dimpled cheeks.

"Is Veronica your real name, or is that a fake name? I can never tell. I don't even know if Dustin is my partner's real name." Callie said, raising an eyebrow at the man in question. Dustin smiled sheepishly, but didn't respond to the bait.

"Yes, my name is actually Veronica." The empire's spy master said.

" Thats good, I have trouble remembering people's names normally and it's already going to get confusing referring to you as the Ra and Veronica in my head." Callie said with a winning smile.

Out of the corner of her eye, Callie caught Taniya's mischievous grin."Well, that is going to be easy for some counts, I think. My brother's name is actually Eunicio, but he hates that name, so I just call him Dustin."Taniya said jokingly.

Callie choked on her own saliva, trying not to laugh at the silly name. She held her hand flat under the table, giving Taniya a high five for the witty comment."Eunicio? Now that is a tongue twister."Callie whisper with a chuckle.

"What are you two laughing about?" Dustin asked curiously, raising an eyebrow. "It's nothing. Taniya just told me a funny joke about her friend Eunicio." Callie said with a bright smile.

"What sort of ridiculous name is that?" Dustin asked, dumbfounded. "Don't be rude, Dustin, he is actually a nice guy." Taniya said, helpfully.

Callie made eye contact with Veronica, who was watching their interplay intently.The older woman's look gave off the impression of deep curiosity.Veronica was probably in her early fifties, but despite that, her hair was still a dark brown, with only hints of greying at the temples.

Veronica spoke her Zrixian sporting a slightly lighter accent than Taniya's."I see, you have already become close friends with my daughter, Taniya." Veronica said, her comment a question and an admonishment, as she glared at the young woman in question.

"Sorry mother, but she saved my life, and I think she at least earned the right to call me by my real name." Taniya said, straitening her back and returning her mother's glare.

Veronica's face softened briefly before returning to a calm, unflinching mask when she turned back to Callie."What is your price, Callie? What is it you want? Crowns, influence, power?" The Ra asked coldly. Callie stare back at the woman unflinchingly, feeling the eyes of both Dustin and Taniya on her.

"I want those things, yes, but I don't need your help to get them. For now, I am simply working with your son and in the future perhaps I will move to more lucrative jobs with my friends' private contractors." Callie replied, thinking of Ferra.

"Miss mauria-

"Please, it's just Callie," Callie said, cutting off the empire's spy master. By the woman's sour look, she wasn't used to that from people so far beneath her.

"Callie, about that, I did some research on you, and your questionable past…"Veronica said suggestively, as though asking Callie to elaborate."And, what did you find?" Callie asked curiously.

"I did a thorough background search on her before I hired her on. She was recommended by colonel McNair as well," Dustin said, cutting into the awkward silence. Dustin's mother's eyes flicked from Callie to Dustin, and some realization dawned in her eyes.

"Dustin, when I asked you to find a new partner, I was meaning someone already in the organization, not an outside contractor, much less a mercenary." Veronica said, distaste crossing her face at the term .

"Now that just isn't nice. Ferra is a really nice lady, and a potential friend. We have just met and I can already say with certainty that I like mercenaries better." Callie said with a glare for Veronica.

The woman's light brown eyes flashed with a burning hot anger that was quickly schooled from her expression."To be fair mother, she already saved me and almost killed one of the two Secari still at large."Taniya said, her tone soft yet assertive.

Callie smiled at Taniya, she appreciated the support. It looked like the Ra was suspicious of her intentions and for good reason, but Callie needed to sooth her doubts.

Veronica let out a deep, frustrated breath."I believe you T, but this young woman is hiding a lot from the both of you."Veronica said with a glare at Callie.

Now the center of all three attention, Callie shrugged unashamedly, as though it was a minor concern."So what if I fudged my identification to have a clean record? It's not like the Devali don't do the same thing every day."Callie said dismissively.

"That is different. We are under the authority of the emperer." Veronica said. Dustin's chair creaked as he turned to Callie.

"Wait, I did a thorough background check on you, and so did colonel McNair. How didn't we find anything off?" Dustin asked, his eyebrows knitted together in worry.

"Dustin, I may not have been as forthcoming as i should have been when we first started working together. But the past is the past, and I am doing my best to put that behind me." Callie said sheepishly, wishing that was actually the case.

Veronica watched Callie intently, wondering what kind of information she could possibly have to be so confident. "Callie, do you know what the penalty for fraud is here in the empire?" Asked Veronica, her tone calm, but her eyes intense. To her it was clear Callie was playing a very dangerous game. The question was, what was her objective? It could be Dustin, but that was unlikely. Maybe she was looking to curry favour with the emperor through the Devali?

"Lady Veronica, I am aware of the penalty, and I don't doubt that all it would take is a single phone call for you to have me arrested. But I think you won't. Due to your position as Ra, it must take a lot of crowns, time and effort to train capable people." Callie said, noticing the Ra's introspection.

"And you believe that you are valuable enough that I won't throw you away?" Veronica asked dismissively. " The empire is vast, and there are many capable people, lady veronica, but how many of those people have infiltrated your organisation to the level I have?" Callie asked with a raised eyebrow.

The Ra sat back in her cushioned leather chair and steepled her fingers at those words, taking in Callie anew. " I must admit, you have guts, and a lot of confidence, or arrogance for someone so young." The Ra said, glancing to the other two who were being oddly silent.

Callie didn't look, but she knew she was going to get grilled for answers later by both Dustin and Taniya.Dustin cleared his throat, drawing her attention to him. "Who sent you, Callie?" Dustin asked, his tone oddly distant.

"Well, that is complicated."Callie said."What do you mean by complicated?" Dustin asked, his eyes boring into her, with hurt and betrayal both playing across them in equal measure. Callie sat back in her chair, wondering what to say? At this point, she was too far invested in her cover. Not to mention she liked Dustin and Taniya enough that she didn't want to lie to them.

Guilt filled her at the look in his dark brown eyes, reminding her that this was only a fraction of what Callie had actually kept from them both. What would be Dustins reaction if he finally discovered all of her secrets?