Vanessa read through his thoughts at once and straightened up. This was not good. She'd almost let her guard down.
"I'm going inside now. I need you to think of more severe tortures for him. When I come out of this door, we will return to the room where he is being held hostage and we will implement everything on that your torture list until he spills what I want to hear."
Trevor blinked in the dark. "That will not be a problem. We can start by cutting him up limb by limb until he has no other option than to spill. Either ways, he is going to die."
Vanessa turned sharply. "Nobody is dying, Trevor."
"But why?" Trevor asked, looking puzzled.
"Just do as I say, Trevor," Vanessa muttered impatiently. "And don't leave this door until I return."
Trevor nodded obediently.
She pulled on the door until it swung open. Then, she walked in and shut the door behind her. There were masked people seated around the long end-to-end table. That was the standard protocol. They were to have their masks on and await the arrival of The Head of the table who was Vanessa.
As soon as Vanessa took her seat at the middle of the table, everyone took off their masks. The meeting had commenced.
Like witches in their coven, for the first few seconds, no one said a word to the other. They silently watched each other as if there was something unhealthy in the air, something they needed to get rid of before they said a word to each other.
Vanessa sensed the tension in the air. Right here in this room, vital decisions that had shaken the city of Washington DC and everywhere in the world had been taken. Tonight, she was going to exercise her authority as always and keep things in order. That was what she was going to do.
She cleared her throat noisily, getting everyone's attention. Then, she placed her slender hands on the table and hardened her voice, getting rid of all emotions in it.
"Ladies and gentlemen," She began. "I believe it is in my place to make this announcement that tonight's meeting will not be taking very long as I have a lot of things to attend to on my end. So, this is my suggestion. Anyone who has anything to say can do so now so we can finish up soon and return to our homes."
Her words were met with silence. Her eyes rolled from one face to the other looking searchingly at their eyes. They all avoided her gaze. It was like they all knew something she did not know. Have I missed something?
Vanessa could no longer deal with the suspense. She was very close to snapping at them when a hand raised among them. Vanessa turned her eyes in the direction of the hand. Its owner was a very reputable politician and one of the members of the law chambers. This has got to be good.
"Go on," Vanessa said slowly.
Ernest Robinson, a balding man in his fifties and one of the movers and shakers of the city was not a man given to many words, and so whenever he wanted to speak in a gathering like these everyone fastened their seat belts and prepared themselves to be swept off their feet by his words filled with depth and wisdom.
He did not begin to speak at once. First, he began by looking at the faces of the other members of the meeting as if communicating silently to them with their eyes. Vanessa was watching them carefully. They seemed to be nodding to whatever he was saying to them.
Mr. Robinson finally refocused his eyes on Vanessa and his lips began to move.
"The city is about to be taken over by the monsters, Vanessa. It is happening already. What amazes me is how everyone is missing it, you especially."
Vanessa had a mystified look on her face. Was this what all the suspense was about? And if he was right, just how bad had it gotten?
"What do you mean?" She managed to ask.
"What I mean is that with every passing day, the human race is diminishing, Vanessa. There is a war going on and we're losing. Can't you see it? The vampires and werewolves are turning humans daily and what are we doing about it? Nothing! The whole idea of living peacefully with these monsters is nothing but a sham. They won't keep to their side of the deal!"
He stopped abruptly, in the middle of his mind-boggling speech. And then, silence.
Vanessa was speechless. The sad thing was that he was right and even now, the nodding had continued. Everyone at the table had agreed with what he said. He had spoken the minds of everyone at the table.
Vanessa bowed her head thoughtfully for a moment. Then, she steeled herself for the reaction she was going to get from what she was about to say.
"I think you're overreacting," She said coolly. "Things have not gone as bad as you paint it to be."
"Well, you're wrong," Mr. Robinson countered. He seemed less diplomatic with his words this time. His eyes flashed with anger as he turned to face her again.
"You see, this is the problem. For some reason, you have chosen to pay a blind eye to all the atrocities they have committed so far and it's costing us dearly for that. Is this really how you want us to continue?" He paused and gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"These people kill and turn tons of humans daily and you simply choose to continue to ignore them? Really?"
"Okay!" Vanessa muttered under her breath. Her eyes had turned cold in anger. "What exactly would you have me do? Do you think sitting here and making such tough decisions is any easier for me? Easy for you to say, you're not the one whom an assassin is sent to murder just because you're doing your best to keep everyone in one piece!"
The words had come out quickly. She had not had the time to stop it.
A gasp escaped from the lips of those seated, watching her. Within seconds, necks turned, looking at her, demanding an explanation.
Vanessa was quick to intervene, as she always did. There was only one reason she still headed this table and that was her ability to hide her fears and private battles from the members of the table. She was not about to jeopardize all that now.
"This meeting is adjourned. I mentioned earlier that I have something important to attend to. Well, now's the time to leave and attend to that thing," Her voice switched at once to a firmer tone. "I implore you all to please bear with me while I try to put things in order in the city."