Rita continued "the suit should be on you at all times..."
"at all times? what if I have to use the bathroom" Jon asked.
Hell this kid sure does talk a lot she muttered to herself.
"you know what I meant" she replied, her voice sounding a little harsher than she'd intended.
"bots will arrive shortly with identical spares of the same size....the bathroom is the last door opposite this room"
Jon's eyes widened 'just great.... apparently, the god of luck enjoyed playing pranks on him. He'd been assigned a room close to the toilet' he wondered how Annie and Bertha were doing at this moment.
" you start classes and training tomorrow... your roommates will arrive shortly... they're currently in class"
Jon nodded in response.
"your bed...and the number tag on your suit is the same" she added
"if there's anything else you need, you'll do well to let your room captain know and it will be relayed through the proper chain of command" Rita finished, adjusting her glasses on her nose.
"yes ma'am" replied Jon drawling on the words.
Rita just rolled her eyes and turned to walk out of the room.
She took the elevator up. She needed to see you Jerome....to know what was going on.
How in the world did she get her hands on the son and daughters of the just murdered Ex prime minister of Genovia.
AINS kept tab on events like that. There were speculations in the media.
Some claimed the childre.n were presumed dead, others claimed there'd been sightings of them, none confirmed until now....they just miraculously appeared like they dropped out of the blue.
If they were found here, or their identities revealed, it would create complications.
Not like Genovia would make a move against them, still, it still spelt trouble.
She exited the elevators and walked straight to her car.
Just as she was about to open the doors, she changed her mind.
She'd walk instead, and walk she did.
She had no problem getting through security.
She was one of the top dogs around here.
She got greetings which she nodded to some, ignored some.
She climbed the entrance stairs in her usually brisk pace and ran into Lorenzo when she entered the house.
Apparently, he'd just finished giving instructions to a black guard as the man bowed before turning away.
The men who guarded the mansion were hand picked by Jerome herself.
After a thorough digging into their backgrounds of course.
They were part of AINA but we're separate as they were men.
As much as Jerome loved having women do the dirty work, having them at the top, she couldn't deny it was a man's world.
"did you know?" asked Rita the moment she stood in front of him.
"know what?" he asked in confusion, brows raised.
"the boy and his sisters...the ones brought in yesterday... they're Hart's... Adam Hart's children" she stated.
It was Lorenzo's turn to be surprised. He wasn't expecting it.
"we didn't know...we found them on a mission in San Jose... they were squatting at the warehouse...we couldn't just leave them there and couldn't kill them either. Mother would have had our heads if we did" Lorenzo replied.
Rita calmly nodded at his explanation.
"I need to see her... where..."
"she's in the study"
"which one..."
"the official one" Lorenzo replied to a Rita who was already on her heels as he spoke.
Lorenzo went after her.
Rita made her way to the study Lorenzo spoke about.
It was where she had official discussions, saw visitors and attended to strangers.
There was a private study, where the main inner members of her organization met, where she stored personal info and some of her secrets.
That particular study was known only to a few.
After a soft rap and a place of her ears on the door's surface, she opened the door and went in when she heard Madam Jerome's voice.
She found Jerome in discussion with a man she could swear she knew from somewhere but for the life of her, couldn't remember.
She took a seat on one of the plush cushions in the office and bent her head to her tab.
The man instantly stopped talking.
He turned his eyes towards Rita warily.
Rita lifted her head and looked at him, before going back to her tab.
Apparently, he didn't know who she was and didn't trust her.
Rita shook her head.
It was typical among men of his kind. Either he was a spy committing espionage against his government or someone high enough in the echelons of power who wanted something in return and came to make an exchange.
"you can speak freely Mr Alberque.... she's trusted. Rita is head of AINS"
Jerome said.
The man nodded after the assurance from Madam Jerome and continued.
"in three days, he will be giving a speech at the national convention....I can make sure security is lax enough for your men to mingle...it is the perfect opportunity to make it happen" the man continued in his south Asian drawl.
oh...he or his people wanted an assassination
Rita acknowledged to herself mentally...no wonder he was being so secretive.
"how many will guard?" Jerome asked, scribbling on her tablet.
"just a hundred and fifty men all members of his personal guards" The man replied.
"Very well Mr Alberque... and what do you want in return for your volunteering this information?" Jerome asked brows raised.
"you know what we want madam Jerome... just two boxes of it, nothing more"
"You do not State terms or quantity Alberque. I decide" Jerome replied with all the ice in her voice.
Rita noticed she'd dropped the Mr. when she spoke.
He'd gotten her angry and apparently he noticed..
"my apologies madam...I didn't mean it that way...of course you are in control of every decision...Iiiii...ah..I was just making a suggestion..." the man stammered.
The man had the good sense to apologize.
Rita didn't bother to know what the conversation was about, but she'd made her guesses.
All information passed through AINS, so she'd know eventually.
In few minutes, Jerome's business with the man was concluded.
"Men will reach out to you with the final details Alberque" Jerome said to the man as he stood up buttoning his suit jacket in preparation to leave.
The man nodded and saw himself out.
Jerome shook her head at his retreat.
"bloody cunt" she cursed.
"Rita darling what brings you to this parts" Jerome said, her concentration returning to her tab.
"the kids" replied Rita
"you're going to have to be more specific darling...I don't follow" Jerome replied.
"the kids we brought in from the mission Mother" Lorenzo replied.
He'd been on his phone the entire time Jerome had an exchange with the man.
"oh...the girl with spirit..what about them" Jerome said, her head still bent on whatever held her attention in her tab.
"attention is focused on them ma'am... they're children of a murdered minister"
"which of them?" Jerome replied non challantly.
Rita paused for effect.
"Adam Hart"
Jerome dropped her scribbling light pen instantly.
"what in the.." she started then she turned to her son.
"where did you say you found them again?"
"they were squatting ...I didn't know mother"
Lorenzo said.
"they're currently missing back at home and powerful people are after them including the Genovia and British Mafia.
If word gets out they're here, we'll have a baggage of problem on our hands ma'am" Rita said all seriousness.
Jerome pushed back on her seat, her brows furrowed in thought.
"Find out what they're after.
What is it the children have that they want" she added.
"what do we do about their names. It can't slip out" Rita said, when they heard a knock on the door.
They paused the conversation immediately and turned towards the direction of the door"
"come in" Jerome said to the intruder.
The door hinges squeaked and Monica Chang strutted into the study.
"my my ....we have a full house" she cooed as she walked in, shutting the door behind her, backwards.
"Hello Monica" said Rita dryly.
They were like Ice and fire, oil and water.
Never blending properly but having to exist.
Jerome liked the idea of having them in charge of the highest positions in her organization.
It was perfect. They found it difficult to agree on almost everything and Jerome loved it.
There was no way there'd ever be a chance of betrayal plus, they were both perfect in their jobs.
"Hello yourself Rita love" she drawled, putting on a predatory smile.
Rita nodded and pushed her glasses on the bridge of her nose.
Monica turned to Jerome
"ma'am it's about the girls...."
"we know" Rita said, cutting her statement short.
Monica eyed her.
"my ...my...I wasn't even done yet Rita love" she said in her usual teasing drawl before turning to Jerome.