Chapter 205: 5. Uptown Girl.
It was time to meet Mimi and find out what Jarod was up to with her. Damon hadn't said much, but his pack could sense the energy radiating from their leader like an approaching thunderstorm. Mariella found it mildly amusing, as this was the same feeling she would get whenever Mimi had one of her rages.
But here it was again, clear evidence of how similar Damon and Mimi were, two halves of a whole that belonged together. Mariella wasn't sure if Damon would ever get this upset if she spent time with someone outside the pack. They would hear Mimi's side of the story and see for themselves how she was doing.
It wasn't as perfect as Damon had assumed from reading between the lines and using his radar. Wulfe was unusually quiet, but Mariella couldn't act on it just yet. They would have to wait and see what this first meeting revealed, and then come up with arguments to convince Mimi to live in the pack house and not work all the time.
The news was concerning, as it meant the entire pack would have to retreat, even Murdock and Dexter. Damon thought to himself, but he hadn't shared this with anyone yet. They left the conference room and returned to the central hub. Damon looked around for a few minutes and spotted the door where people were coming and going - Mimi's office. Fine, Miss Leader was as productive as ever, even without emotions.
Damon understood Bulgarian to some extent, and his telepathy helped with it. He only shared his ability with the Salvatore Hive, not with Mariella, the wolves, or other pack members. However, to his surprise, a few men approached Magnum, who spoke fluent Bulgarian and seemed to know them. It was a bonus to have someone who could communicate effectively, so they could understand what all of this was about. But Damon was truly surprised when Dexter also spoke Bulgarian.
Alaric explained, "We spent most of our time with Mimi when these bases were being built, so we became fluent in many languages. When one works with different people, they acquire diverse skills."
Damon replied, "Alright, go troubleshoot if there's a major problem, but we won't be working, so there are no commitments. Our purpose here is to bring Miss Manager back to the pack house, restore her as our alpha female, and help her with her rehabilitation."
Alaric nodded, and he, Murdock, Dexter, Taylor, Tim, and Magnum went to talk to people and find out what the problem was, if there was one.
Damon took a deep breath and walked with determination towards the door that led to Mimi's office. He knocked and waited until he heard a faint voice speaking in Bulgarian. Damon assumed it was an invitation to enter, so he grasped the doorknob, pressed it, and pulled the door open, allowing himself and the rest of the pack to enter.
I was in the middle of checking our latest satellite feed, expecting Andreas, my base leader, to come in and update me on our progress in taking down the biggest and nastiest facility in Bulgaria. Just then, Salvatore and the rest of the pack flooded into my office. I was surprised, but I knew they must have had a reason for being there. I looked at them, waiting for them to explain themselves.
Jarod was sitting in his chair next to my desk, observing my reaction closely. As my recovery had been faster than he expected, I had become more reactive and prone to explosive outbursts of rage. Jarod was there to keep me in check, to prevent me from getting too carried away, like throwing someone against a wall just because I didn't like what they were saying. He was strong enough to restrain me until I regained control.
Jarod could sense my irritation, and it almost made me roll my eyes as Damon seemed surprised by my reaction to their intrusion.
"What did you expect? Me to be in full robotic mode? Sorry, Salvatore, that's not going to happen. So, what the hell are you doing here?" I asked Damon, sneering.
He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry about Bella. The girls just told us, and we now know that you're not doing well. We were wrong about it being an addiction, and keeping you imprisoned in that cube was a mistake. But we know what you have, and we know how to help you."
His voice was polite even, and he approached the situation with defective calmness. It made me hiss in my mind with irritation.
I kept my expression neutral. My irritation vanished, replaced by a calmness that returned. My logical mind told me that Damon was speaking the truth, but being unique, I couldn't fully trust his offer. I still had a healthy dose of paranoia, which was making everything more complicated. My analytical mind, which had been turned on, corrected my mind that at least Damon believed what he said. It did not mean it was the whole truth.
I said to him, "I believe you, but I know there's more to it than just the goodness of your heart. What do you need? I'm really busy, so please keep it brief."
Before Damon could answer, Jarod spoke up. He could see that my earlier irritation had subsided, but he knew it would soon come rushing back like a tsunami.
So, he suggested, "Mimi, I think it would be a good idea for you to take a little break and visit the bathroom. Clear your mind and empty your bladder. No need to make concentrated and have poor Johnny trying to flush it out, you do not need urinary problems on top of those you have."
I got up and walked into the bathroom. I kept my expression neutral even though I hissed still in my mind, but something in his voice made me obey, as always. He was one of the rage whisperers, and it was damn hard to find the flaw in that logic.
Damon looked at Jarod, sensing that he had something important to say.
He spoke telepathically to Damon, "I know you can hear me, Salvatore. Listen carefully and don't argue. Mimi is feeling not too lot right now, but she's also extremely volatile. That's why I sent her to the bathroom - she was about to explode. She's in a stage where her anger is her only reaction, and she has no control over it. It's not easy for her. She experiences intense emotions that are very challenging for her to handle. I've been there for her the whole time, so don't even think about telling me to back off. Until you prove yourself, I'll handle it. I've dealt with vampires in this state before and helped them through it. It's a long and difficult process, taking years. She's progressing faster, but it's much harder for her."
Damon nodded and replied with his thoughts, "Colin knows about this. He runs a clinic and for the past eight weeks, we've been there helping others who have the same condition. We have a plan to help her, too. But what happened to Bella? It seems dangerous for you to be here. We plan to bring her into our pack as the alpha female, and guide her towards recovery. As for you and Miss Parker, we'll place you both under supernatural witness protection until we have Sarks under control and there's no danger for you."
Jarod nodded and spoke aloud, "We must do what is necessary. Mimi is still not well; she is very paranoid and fluctuates between different emotional states. Her physical health is not at its best, so we need to be patient."
Wulfe entered the office and paused by a wall-hanging calendar. He noticed red dots marked on certain dates and asked, "What does this mean?"
Jarod explained, "The dots represent the frequency of Mimi's emotional episodes. I estimate that it will be a day or two until the next one."
Damon also examined the calendar and commented, "It seems too infrequent. We need to trigger her emotions more frequently, and once they're activated, we have to make sure they are strong enough that she can't suppress them. By keeping her mind engaged, the emotions will last longer."
Mariella looked at Jarod and asked, "How did you learn about this? I mean, you don't typically deal with vampires, right?"
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and to their surprise, Ruby entered. She seemed to have waited almost, and Mariella realized she had spoken with Jarod telepathically.
She said, "He saved me. I had been targeted by Sark and Krycheck, who had weaponized this ability. I was shot with that weapon during a gig. Jarod was at the base when I arrived, and he sensed that something was wrong with me. He and his wife took me under their wing and helped me through it. It was about 18 months ago, and I received clear test results less than three months ago. My brain functions normally now, but I still remember the pain and what you are subjecting Mimi to."
Damon frowned, and Wulfe shuddered, closing his eyes as he recalled the feeling.
Wulfe reassured Ruby, saying, "It's an awful thing, truly terrible. But don't worry, my child, I will help you, and we will help Mimi too. We will get her through this."
Ruby spoke softly, "This experience changes you, so try to remember that. Mimi is not the same; even her brain functions differently now. This will stay with you. And besides, Mimi's pretender side is not active, so she is a raw version of herself. She may not be who you expect her to be without the cover of her pretender abilities."
The bathroom door opened, and Mimi calmly stepped out, appearing robotic. It was evident that she had regained control and whatever had affected her was now gone. She seemed devoid of emotions, and Damon could sense the emptiness in her mind. Her world lacked colors and feelings, existing solely on cold logic.
At that moment, Damon realized that despite considering himself clinical and efficient, the stark contrast between Mimi's cold emptiness and his own mind made him understand the difficulty she would face when the dark tones of despair and depression returned. At that point, she would no longer have the luxury of not feeling, and the entire pack would be desperately needed.
I exited the bathroom, realizing that there had been a discussion about me. It didn't require a rocket scientist to deduce that I had been on the topic of conversation. I walked over and sat behind my desk, which, although not grand, could not accommodate others. My state didn't invite anyone to try to seduce me, as my focus was solely on my work.
Saving others and performing my job to the best of my abilities was important for as long as I could. I felt nothing about my episodes, which I referred to as "things that happened to me." They merely served as distractions from my work, something I didn't want to occur too frequently.
Damon looked at me and questioned, "What the hell happened to Bella? How did this mess occur? What did you do to provoke the Sarks like this?"
I replied, "As I've mentioned before, when you become skilled enough in this job, it becomes apparent that your enemies are catching up to you. I devised a new method to make the Sarks' lives a living hell, so to speak. They had been scouring the jungles for those plants, and my little invention has made it nearly impossible for them."
Wulfe asked me, "Please, my unicorn, could you explain a bit more? What exactly did you do? What was your invention?"
I clinically looked at Wulfe, devoid of any emotions. I didn't even register that he had called me his unicorn again.
I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs and absentmindedly tapping my fingers on the table as I explained my plan to the group. "I've turned to catching and eliminating evil sarks into a profitable business. You see, I know how much money they have in their various accounts. So, when we caught one, I put ten million in the pot. Each dead sark is worth 10K, and if someone takes out two, that's 20K. The more sarks they eliminate, the more money they make. I pay anyone who kills an evil sark, and whoever helps us get rid of them gets a share of the loot. We're not giving access to the drugs, but with the limited selection of technology and other valuable items. Even drug cartels in Central and South America have realized that killing sarks is more profitable, easier, and more fun than making drugs. It's not a good time to be an evil sark in the Americas."
Damon nodded in approval, and number two remarked calmly, "I must say, well done. However, by keeping them busy, you're creating a self-sustaining system. There will always be evil sarks and their accounts. We need to prevent them from finding what they're looking for in the jungles."
I nodded in agreement and responded, "Thanks to technology, we can now explore the jungles more effectively. Drones equipped to handle the specimens can reach high under the canopy, and study trees and trunks very intimately. For example, there's a type of moss that could create a new antibiotic for humans. It can also be used as a weapon against werewolves, causing them to go into a rage. We need to ensure that those who want to use the jungle's resources for the benefit of humanity can do so while keeping people like Sark out of there."
Mariella raised a valid point. "Your thinking is impressive, but you need to understand that you and everyone close to you are now in danger. What happened to Bella? Where is she buried? Was there an autopsy? How long has she been dead? Does the Magic House know about her death? Di was a dear friend of hers and many other witches. I'll inform them."
I responded clinically, feeling nothing at the moment. "There was an autopsy, which I conducted myself. Bella's remains are still here, and I will arrange for their disposal once we receive the final results. As she was once been a part of me, the NSA wanted to be involved and requested the autopsy. There will be charges raised. Once we have the final results, I'll send them to the NSA for their investigation. This will put more pressure on Krycheck and Sark. The remains will then be sent to the nearest incinerator for disposal."
Mariella said, " And her ashes after cremation? Witches would want to do their own rites for her passing."
I looked at her and said, "No ashes, it is an incinerator that burns biological hazardous material. It is not cremation, just getting rid of biological material."
Mariella was silent. She was upset.
Damon glanced at her and then pleaded softly to me, his voice filled with emotion, "Baby, please, can Magic House have her remains? They will perform rites and spells to ensure no contamination. She was witchborn, part of our pack. Please, Mimi."
I responded, "It's up to me, but not until I receive the final results. Only then can I consider releasing the remains."
Mariella asked, her voice almost breaking, "Is she here? Can we say our goodbyes? A few witches are coming too."
I nodded and replied, "Sure, it's just a set of remains, nothing more, but you can see them."
Number four retorted quite bluntly and tried to be leading. "I need to see those results and review them to be certain there is no danger for the rest of us. And if we can find a cure in case someone else gets attacked by Sarks."
I remained silent for a moment, contemplating his words, before saying, "I need to review those results for myself and provide them to the NSA. I'm not sure if they'll allow me to share the information with outsiders."
Number four retorted, his expression darkening by my evasive answer, "Damn it! We're not outsiders. We're the ones caught in this mess, and we have every right to know. Stop hiding behind the NSA and be brave. You don't even have the guts to try and feel."
I simply gazed at him, acknowledging that he was right. It was indeed easier for me not to feel. If only he could understand how much simpler life was without emotions, without regret, remorse, or self-hatred. Just pure logic, devoid of color in my world.
I responded, "As it stands, I am still the leader, Senior Special Agent Springcove, in the NSA's Division for Supernatural. This falls under my jurisdiction. Regardless of whether you want me to magically be okay, I'm not. And it will take a long time for me to recover, so let go of your fantasy and face the truth. The Mimi you seek is no longer here. There is only me, and like you, I am currently a mockery of the woman I used to be. I can't make any promises about how quickly I'll regain my former self."
The pack fell silent, confronted with the harsh reality. I was no longer afraid to speak the truth, no longer trying to sugarcoat it or spare their feelings.
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