Mask of desire

ing up at the seediest street in New York City. H

l under the law from exotic pets to firearms. It was no surprise that constant gang fights broke out there, everyday p

g the day–everyone was on the lookout for a mole, or a fi

dangerous as it was, it was a hotspot for information and a gray area, high-pri

. She walked quickly past a man lying on the street who had passed out from a heroin

d she watched momentarily forget the sick man as they scrambled for it, sh

y–every three days to the end of the month, she was here unfailin

oat, a big black hat, and a pair of hee

to a specific drug dealer's a

lack clack' sound as she disappeared into her car. Now, she was almost

drugs. The walls were covered completely in graffiti and for the life of her, Simo

idn't mean he should live somewher

g from his apartment. Five minutes later, she promi

door and coughed and spat into her handkerchief. Even in the daytime

snorting lines and looked up at her for a m

to knock as he w

the beaded cur

uch, smoking, headphones in

noticing Simone standing there he stood up, t

ow give me a kiss,” he d

nd looked away. It was not

ie said, parting

oss his face that begged for a story with sunken cheeks and haunted gray eyes that seemed to escape reality from time to t

he got what she wanted and on time, she wa

my homeboy his life, security around the po

imone dipped her v

percent

rd

another blunt and

th, easy on th

ight vials of purple liquid sloshed

ext mon

ey, also I won't be c

don't know what you look like underneath there, I can tell you're th

alism was first. If he was some random on the stre

f, a dirty man proposing sex to her was one of

out, stuffing the package in her bag as t

g for her at the end of the

er a sanitizer and

ed?” he

breathing in the c

er, with fifty percent extra

g here, you'd think I'd be

s of driving her here, he'd found tha

with the boss, ple

ma'

muttered as the car pulled up and away from Firete Street and

ng in the lobby, waiting wit

. His eyes darted around anxiously as he waited. She couldn't

sked casually, tak

ort. "Yeah, uh, just got here this morning. I'm suppos

ir. "Well, welcome to the club. But let

arm, his hands trembling sli

ewcomer. "Oh, just wait until you see what they have planne

contemplating making a run for it. But before he could act, a stern-faced

disappeared into the depths of the facility, she couldn't help but smile to herself. After all, a little

do things to your psychology. Simone c

headquarters was impossibly huge and covered in anti-terrorism shields. It was surrounded by towering concrete walls topped with razor wire, casting a forebodin

illance cameras that seemed to follow Someone's every move. The air was heavy with the scent of stale s

e wing buzzed open softly, and

see you now,

through the imposing doors

Her demeanor was rigid and meticulous, her every movement calculated and precise. She had learned early o

ehension tighten in her stomach. Despite her years of service, she still couldn't sh

rom inside the office, inte

of any personal touches or decorations. Behind the desk sat her boss, a red-haired woman whose real name nobody knew bu

ped and businesslike. "I have a new assignment for you.

el, he said ther

reases. I

e boss who nodded. Whatever the vials

The boss clasped her ha

hange in her boss's voi

on you but it seems you are th

pati

ezed her ha

going to be a join

prised and honored that

is not Something to be taken l

ll me…. Simone

be pairing with PsyOps. I understand how you feel

e slammed the

een decided upon and agreed up

se when it came to the truly dark and awful, they were in charge. They were ruthless brutes who operated almost independently of the go

ng to be working with you i

eart rate

et with you. Understand? You're going undercover and I'll

on but they had some morals. Special forces were cutthroat and there was no line they couldn't cross. Simone trus

mission together? “Fu