The next day, BELLE is busy working on her machine suddenly AEGIS walks in and closes the door. Before he utters a word, BELLE Not looking up her from her machine speaks
"Were you doing something illegal...or hurting someone innocent?"
AEGIS
"No…"
BELLE
"Then I will not turn you into a liar by trying to get the story from you…tell me when you are ready"
She looks up abruptly just to catch him staring
BELLE
"What… are you ready now...have a seat.."
AEGIS Fumbles
"No...thanks..."
BELLE continues to work on her laptop then she recalls something
" by the way if you tell anyone that my family calls me princess, I will tell everyone that you told my family you think I am very pretty..."
She pauses and tilts her head pleased
"No... you can't tell anyone because then you would have to explain what you were doing at my house ...also return my pajamas they were one of my favorite pairs."
She goes back to work
AEGIS Scoffs
"So what if I tell them I was at your place..."
BELLE interrupts him still not looking away from her machine
"You are in no place to make threats AEGIS...I own your secrets therefore I own you"
AEGIS
"Secrets?plural?"
BELLE now looking directly at him smiling
"Think clearly..."
AEGIS gasps involuntarily at the realization
"Did you...?"
BELLE
"Yes I did"
AEGIS
"I haven't even asked the question yet…"
BELLE
There is nothing to be ashamed of Am a combat medic, I have seen enough naked male bodies…at one point or another I will have seen all of you naked...you just happened to be the first one I saw...Plus am a professional there is something called client confidentiality..."
Tilting her head
"But at that moment you were not working for the company therefore you do not qualify as my client...I don't know ...anyway that is not what I was talking about when I said your secrets..."
AEGIS interrupts
"But you didn't have..."
BELLE surprised
" So you are not curious what I actually meant by secrets...you are more concerned about "your secret"..."
AEGIS
"Yes that is what I am more concerned about..."
BELLE Pleased hands clasped on her desk...
"AEGIS, this is not my first rodeo, first of all you were bleeding all over I had to ensure I checked everywhere to prevent you from bleeding to death, imagine if you died and the cause of death is somewhere you didn't want me to check because you are embarrassed that would be an embarrassing death"
AEGIS scoffs BELLE continues
"Secondly its always my male patients who have questions...did you see, did you touch, what did you think? I am a licensed professional I did what any other doctor could have done... anything that was required to be seen and touched I saw and touched... its not my business to think that secret is big, small ,average ...stop overthinking...but if you want the details, please have a seat...first I ..."
AEGIS interrupts
"Okay...I will leave now"
She shrugs and smiles as he leaves. BELLE stares at the door a worried look on her face. She sighs and resumes work. Suddenly JOHN walks in and sits across from her.
JOHN
"Rumour has it that you are dating one of the BOYS"
BELLE in a pleased tone
"Its not a rumor its a fact...it AEGIS just incase you were curious"
JOHN
"Sometimes even make the story juicier by denying it first..."
BELLE
"Sometimes its easier to accept than deny...saves a lot of energy and justification. Of all the ideas the boys could come up with, they thought setting me up with one of them was the best...and here I was taking your word that these are elite...Elite my foot, they might have elite training but they sure think like high school boys..."
she tilts her head
"But I sure hope there is a surprise at the end..."
JOHN
"Is that why you are playing along"
BELLE
"Yes!...am really hoping for a great reveal at the end.."
JOHN
"And if there is none?"
BELLE releases an evil laugh
JOHN
"Now am scared to know...no don't tell me ...I don't want to be an accessory ....there is no way that laughter came from a pure or legal thought."
BELLE in a threatening voice with a vengeful look on her face
"I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise...but I have somethings lined up for each of them...they better not waste my time..."
Shifting to a sweet tone
"Anyway what brings you here?"
JOHN
"Princess just between me and you...don't do that in front of strangers"
BELLE
"Do what"
JOHN
"The sudden change in your emotion." He whispers "some people might think you are a psycho"
BELLE whispering too...
"Since when do I care what other people think"
JOHN speaking in a normal voice
"For this you might want to care...anyway you scared me I almost forgot what brought me here…Your team will be attending a wedding this Friday evening. As you know if they require us for a wedding this is not going to be a joyful event so we need to be on high alert to ensure all goes well…Pick one of the boys to be with you on the bridal team the rest of the boys will blend in as guests."
BELLE
"Sounds fun... have you told them yet ?"
JOHN rising up to leave
No... I leave the honor to you
JOHN leaves her office. Shortly after ,BELLE walks into the boys' office and briefs them on the security details of the wedding. She points at a screen in front of them displaying the layout of the venue as well as the sitting arrangement and the gaps in security that need keen attention.
BELLE
"Now onto the fun part, one of you lucky gentlemen will be my partner in the bridal team"
ALLURE
"Fun…Lucky?" he Scoffs
BELLE
"Yes lucky…one of you gets to hold my hand and spend time with me an entire evening…like a couple"
ALLURE Cringing
"li..ke.. a couple?"
BELLE
"Yes it has to be believable ,do you want to volunteer"
ALLURE stutters
"no!...no!....I just wanted to get over the detail to ensure we were on the same page..."
BELLE
Should I toss a coin?
THE BOYS in unison
"No!"
She smiles
"Then I will pick the looser of the last coin toss .AEGIS the honor is yours"
AEGIS scoffs
BELLE continues
"Besides rumors are already spreading that we are dating...if am seen with another man it will taint my character"
AEGIS
"What! rumors? who started them?..." sigh
BELLE
"I should be the one to get offended , who told you to come and start having lunches at my table?you have ruined my chances of dating...yet I was eyeing someone in this organization"
AUGER
"Whoever it was, he dodged a bullet...no a nuclear bo...mb
BELLE shoots him a look and he quickly shuts up
BELLE
"Maybe I should choose you instead..."
AUGER boldly
"I know in your head that sounds like a threat, but am all for it, in fact I will make it so believable we will start another rumor..."
he leans closer and lowers his voice
"...That you are having an affair with me...a love triangle will make a worthy rumor don't you think?"
BELLE chuckles genuinely pleased
"A wedding without a scandal is not a proper wedding... lets do it then Mr. Affair...wear something nice.."
She starts to leave the room
AUGER trying to mask the fear in his voice
"On second thought ...lets... just stick to your first choice.."
BELLE slightly turns
"Why do you always throw the bait and when the fish bites you drop the hook scared...this time you caught a big one...I will see you at the wedding...we will make it believable..."
She leaves the room pleased with herself
ALLURE slightly amused
"She is speaking like she is the fish but I feel like you are the fish.."
AUGER trying to sound brave
"Why would I be scared of her, she is a woman just like the rest"
HEAD
"We all know that is a lie...she is like no woman we know speaking from experience...you are in for a rough night"
AUGER
"You are talking like she will eat me or something
AEGIS
She might, after all you are the fish as ALLURE has stated...into the frying pan you go..."
He mimics a sizzle sound
AUGER is not amused at all
AEGIS
But thanks man for getting me out of this one
HEAD
"But you sound confident, keep that up the entire time you are with her and see if you can get something from her...she might not harm you physically but my man... you will definitely leave that wedding a changed man..."
AUGER
"AEGIS I call in my favor"
ALLURE
"What why would you waste it on this..."
AUGER
"I know we all promised each other two life saving favors no questions asked, I would like to call in one of them today...I have seen that woman do inhuman things...HEAD is right one night is enough for her to get into my head...AEGIS you have survived her before...I call in my favor"
AEGIS
"Sure...I was going to do it anyway... plus I get to owe you one less favor"
AUGER exhales in relief as the boys go back to work
On the night of the wedding at the reception, BELLE shows up all dolled up...just as the rest of the bridal team arrives .AEGIS looks around for her...he turns and she is standing close behind him. He gasps surprised
BELLE whispers
"Did I take your breath away?..."
AEGIS scoffs
BELLE
"Where is my man... why are you the one dressed for the bridal party?" she looks around and makes eye contact with AUGER who quickly looks away .
AEGIS
"Am your man for tonight..."
He quickly grabs her hand and interlocks their fingers without looking at her...catching her unaware, BELLE quickly realizes she is being played and reigns in control
BELLE Leans closer to AEGIS
"I have an honest observation"
AEGIS
"mmmh"
BELLE
"You look so handsome …"
AEGIS awkwardly tries to walk away, BELLE tightens the grip
"Where are you rushing to...we have to look natural like a real couple... my man for tonight..."
BELLE smiles while AEGIS holds on in discomfort as they covertly do surveillance around the field.
ALLURE looks on from across the field amused he speaks to HEAD
"You know they look like an actual couple...am starting to think he is enjoying himself"
HEAD in deep thought
"AEGIS never backs down from a fight, but am starting to think this is one he should back away from..."
ALLURE
"why"
HEAD
"You all know he is the most fragile amongst us, she will break him, and am scared it will be in tiny little pieces that it will be impossible to put him back together. She has something on him, I see the way he behaves around her..."
AUGER
"What do you mean..."
HEAD
"Nothing I just have a bad feeling, we should re-strategize"
The Boys continue to do a security sweep while BELLE and AEGIS proceed with the bridal team.
The wedding was proceeds well with a few mishaps where an ex-boyfriend of the bride tries to enter the venue to profess his love but the boys at the perimeter handle the situation without interrupting the wedding. Later in the night ... when everyone is dancing and merry making
AEGIS
"would you like to dance?" BELLE looks at him surprised
AEGIS
"Its nothing to be embarrassed about if you can't.."
BELLE sarcastically
"like you can?"
AEGIS scoffs
"Why would I ask if I cant?'
BELLE laughs heartily while AEGIS looks on bemused...
AUGER to HEAD pointing at BELLE and AEGIS
"I don't know what you know, but if you look across the field, my man seems to have made a little progress"
ALLURE also joins them and nods
"She seems to be enjoying herself, lets give AEGIS some time"
BELLE to AEGIS
"I would pay to watch you dance..."
AEGIS
"How much"
BELLE
"Hmm…?"
AEGIS
"How much would you pay to watch me dance?"
BELLE still amused
"You are the dancer… so name your price"
AEGIS
"Okay then, so this is the plan, for our next date...lets make it next weekend..."
BELLE
"mmh..."
AEGIS continues
"We can go dancing? I do a good job you pay me...how ?...well this is my price, first I want your file declassified"
BELLE Smiling
"So that's what the loser had to find out? I was wondering what the prize was ....But am an open book"
AEGIS
"Of course, you are an open cryptic book with most pages stuck together...we have known you for a while yet we know nothing about you...even the little we know about you seems fake...If I were to speak about you to a stranger you seem like a made up character..."
BELLE
"Flattery doesn't work on me"
AEGIS
"I wasn't flattering you...I was expressing my fear"
BELLE
"ooh...it sounded like you were amazed by my achievements....continue with your list"
AEGIS shaking his head in disbelief
"The second and final request is I take you on an actual date..."
Genuine laugher from BELLE
again AUGER looks at HEAD
"Even when we went drinking she never once seemed so happy... also the ceremony is over so she is not acting anymore"
HEAD shakes his head unsure.
BELLE
"Today you are really brave...I like it..."
AEGIS
"Are you scared"
BELLE
"Of what"
AEGIS
"Going on an actual date...have you ever been on a proper date?"
BELLE chuckles
"AEGIS,I have been playing this game longer than you..."
AEGIS
"What game?"
BELLE
"I cant be disarmed that easily...you think that an actual date will let me be carefree and spill things about me....I was born armed....in fact now in this moment am more disarmed than I would be on an actual date...okay after your dance...we can go on an actual date...but if am not impressed by your dancing I have a price as well
AEGIS
"mmh?"
BELLE
"How confident are you in your skills?...there has to be a price to pay for disappointing me...besides am not easily impressed"
AEGIS
"Okay..(.sigh)...I know am going to regret this but what is your price..."
BELLE pleased
"... Don't worry I would never ask for something unreasonable..."
Scoff from AEGIS
BELLE continues in a pleased tone
"you take me to two other food contests and you make sure we win.."
She smiles sweetly
AEGIS in a whiny voice
" You said something reasonable"
BELLE in a slightly threatening voice
"Okay then I can change my request to..."
AEGIS interrupts
"Am okay with your price...very... very...reasonable"
BELLE
"Are you scared"
AEGIS
"Deal!"
BELLE not letting him win sighs happily and continues to sip on her champagne.
AUGER to HEAD
"But what makes you think she has something on him"
HEAD to AUGER and ALLURE
"When was the last time you heard him complain about her? One time I caught him sneaking out of her office..."
AUGER
"No way...could it be?"
ALLURE confused by AUGER'S response
"What ...are we having the same conversation.."
AUGER to HEAD
"Now I know why you always have trouble with your wife"
HEAD
"mmmh!?"
ALLURE and HEAD are both confused at this point
AUGER continues in a whisper
"They are dating..."
ALLURE and HEAD
"WHAT!!"
AUGER
"It makes sense, do the math, here we are thinking the rumor started at the cafeteria... but someone probably saw them out together..."
ALLURE and HEAD still not convinced,
Meanwhile ,AEGIS to BELLE
"We will have to drive out of town"
BELLE
"Why, the rumors have spread already... we are dating"
AEGIS
"Yes, but I want to dance unafraid...where no one knows me..."
BELLE genuinely amused
"You really are committed to this...sure why not, I don't want excuses when you fail to impress... But then am not driving, you are..."
AEGIS
"Cool...you know... a normal lady would have asked for more details about going somewhere with a man out of town"
BELLE
"First of all, never in my life has anybody used the word normal to describe me or anything I do, secondly the other night we went on a date you said am not a lady..."
AEGIS
"You are right I should be the one concerned about going out of town just the two of us..."
BELLE
"It was your suggestion...book us one room to save on cost"
AEGIS looks at her in disbelief
"Get a grip...It will not be the first time we will be sharing a bed"
AEGIS chokes on his drink
AEGIS
"Please elaborate"
BELLE
"Please ... where did you think I slept the day I brought you home?"
AEGIS still shocked
"In the living room like any decent person would..."
BELLE
"You were the guest you should have slept on the couch"
AEGIS
"You should have placed me on the couch"
BELLE
"Someone would think I did something to you"
AEGIS
"How would I know..."
BELLE scoffs
"You were unconscious and requested no hospital, after treating you and dragging your heavy body...how could I leave an unconscious person running a fever by themselves...and no I was not going to get back pain or neck pain by sleeping on a chair next to the bed...there was enough space on the bed and I slept in it...my bed..."
AEGIS
"Am grateful but....had it been HEAD in the same situation you would have done differently..."
BELLE
"Of course...I would have slept in the same bed and took some pictures...that way I would have him in my pocket for life"
AEGIS releases a sigh of disbelief
ALLURE looking across the field
"Does it look like they are arguing?.."
HEAD
"They sure are"
AUGER
"Yes...a lovers quarrel..."
HEAD and ALLURE give him a look, he sips his drink quietly.
back to AEGIS
"Why must you always have something on someone"
BELLE
"You tell me...you guys started it, you have been digging into my past, present maybe even future just to get info on me... well I have been returning the favor..."
AEGIS scoffs
"like there is anything to find...they did a background check on all of us?"
BELLE smirks slightly
"Am not interested on the face you put to your identity...am interested on the face you hide even from yourself..."
AEGIS
"Am the only one you have something on"
BELLE chuckles
"Help me with your phone"
AEGIS
"Why?"
BELLE gestures, he gives her the phone unsure
she opens the record icon and speaks into AEGIS's phone
"AEGIS is haunted by the ghosts of his past ,you know what they say about chasing ghosts... if you chase them long enough, you might turn into them...
HEAD is afraid of being weak not because of his wife but his past...his father...
AUGER is lost, he tries to find himself in women but that's not where he lost himself... he lost himself when the woman who was supposed to love him first rejected him...his mother....
ALLURE (sigh)...A man who has seen the darkness and hopelessness of war but has not lost his inner child...his weakness is simple to dim that light...."
AEGIS
"pfft...what has that got to do with anything?"
BELLE chuckles
"In a lay mans language...I am saying, I can name all your ghosts...and I know why they haunt you...
Imagine if HEADS dad showed up at he office one day,
AUGER'S mum is just a call away, he has been looking for her all his life
as for ALLURE...I will blow out that candle that has endured the storm...a proper heartbreak... from a beautiful narcissist... don't date anytime soon ALLURE it might be a woman sent by me...now am posing a challenge to you guys please decipher me... "
She pauses the recording and hands it to AEGIS who is now shocked beyond a response.
BELLE
"Go play it to the boys"
She leaves the party and the Boys join the now shocked AEGIS
ALLURE
"What just happened...."
AEGIS still in a daze
"We all stepped on a mine..."
ALLURE,HEAD and AUGER confused
"mmh?"
AEGIS plays the recording for them
Shock, disbelief, confusion, anger...a concoction of emotions cooks itself amongst the boys.
HEAD
"Here I was thinking she has something on you...but she has something on all of us...AEGIS to be honest I wanted you to give up but...you have come this far...at least we know what she has on us"
ALLURE
"Maybe that is what she wants us to think..."
AEGIS
"She told me before she left ...that a big explosion on the same day would be epic than small small explosions...that way everyone will be too preoccupied in their own tragedy and we cant have each others back..."
HEAD
"Meaning the day she decides to get us...She will do it all at once.."
ALLURE
"That's so evil...Who thinks like that..."
AUGER
"The devil...no even the devil would cower at her thought process..."
ALLURE
" I was really starting to like her..."
HEAD
"Lets go to the office we need to devise a plan..."
The confused boys leave the wedding together all in deep thought.
BELLE on the other hand heads home. As soon as she enters her apartment ,she gets a call from JOHN
"What did you do at the party?"
BELLE
"I did a lot of things what specifically are you asking...good or bad"
JOHN
"The boys are digging into your life, I have received calls ..."
BELLE
"Finally...maybe that will probe them to devise an elaborate plan I was bored of waiting for the surprise I hope they release it sooner"
JOHN
"So you did something to provoke a reaction from them?"
BELLE
"Yes I declared war...at a wedding... so poetic"
she chuckles so does JOHN
JOHN
"And what happens when they find nothing"
BELLE
"Do you know the hardest thing to find?...nothing...it will drive them crazy...good night uncle JOHN"
JOHN
"Good night... I never thought I would see the day... but go easy on them"
BELLE hangs up pleased with herself. She connects music to the Bluetooth and dances away joyfully.