The Story of Blood and Roses

My cellphone had broken down during my little scuffle with Anthony. It was not like I couldn't live without it, quite the opposite, really. The things were a bit troublesome if one thought about it properly. On a mission, just one vibration of the damned piece of technology could ruin a fully laid down plan. If the ringer was on and the phone went off—bang! My cover would be broken. It was as simple as that.

Death by technology—the finest example of it.

But my cellphone breaking down was not a happy cause. I wanted to take care of business. I wanted to talk to Jacob about my newfound need for change, my plans, and my dreams. I had thought over what Daisy had said, and I realized that I, indeed, needed to get out there, leave my connections and do what I wanted with myself. It was scary to think that I would have to start from scratch and that I had no clue as to what I would do with myself, but I also knew that it was okay to feel that way. There was no need to panic; lots of people go through the same change every day. I could make it in the world and figure out what I wanted in life like all those other people—it was a difficult task, but not an impossible one, and it needed me to speak to my fiancé.

So, when Daisy provided me with a new phone, I was excited. The messages crept into the archaic piece of technology Daisy had found in her cupboard, constantly vibrating. I read through them, finding nothing of consequence. There seemed to be an awful lot of voice messages, which I kept for later.

Punching in the numbers, I waited for Jacob to pick up his phone.

"Jacob," I sighed when he finally took the call.

"Mia?" his voice was urgent. I heard his voice become faint as he took his leave. "Where have you been?" he hissed. I heard the sound of his footsteps. He was pacing in the corridor outside his room, as he always did when he was worried about something.

"My cell broke," I told him lightly.

"How?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Nothing special."

"I have been trying to get hold of you since yesterday. I needed to know how it went!" At that point, I was sure that he was waving his hands in exasperation.

"The mission went fine," I told him, the lie easy. The target was killed, whom the target was killed by should not matter as much.

"And what are you hiding from me?" Of course, he would find out if there was something amiss about the mission. The brother was the instigator in the first place.

"I may have been followed by Francis' men," I added. In no way was I telling him about my encounter with Anthony, not over the phone at least.

I heard him sigh in frustration. I waited for him to overreact, and soon enough, it came.

"Did you manage to lose them?" I bit back a smart reply and went with a simple 'yes.' "That's good," his tone was thoughtful. "Mia, I need you to stay low for a few days," he informed me. "I need to talk to one of my informants about how the situation is around Armando's death, okay?"

"You don't need to worry so much about me, you know." My own frustration was growing beyond bounds.

"I'm just trying to keep you safe, for now," he told me, and I believed him. That didn't seem necessary any longer. I could take care of myself, I always had.

"I know you are, but I need space to breathe, okay?" The results of my newfound desires oozed out of my words. I wanted to change my life, and in an attempt to push Jake away, I had given him a slight hint. From the silence on the other end of the receiver, I knew that he had some idea of what was running through my mind. Every man knew the meaning of those words.

"Take care of yourself," he whispered. "I will call you as soon as I get some news worth sharing."With that promise, he hung up on me.