Page 105 of Tattletale

“You’re the head of Aeon. Gabriel works for you. If that’s true, you’ve been lying to Vesper and PALADIN the entire time.”

A small hum escapes her lips. She teeters her head side to side. “It’s both true and untrue. From Gabriel’s perspective, I’m sure that’s how he sees it. And for all intents and purposes, yes—I run Aeon. I told you all that Gabriel was the head of the organization so you would take this seriously.”

“Vesper told me what Aeon is and what it does—so I guess, in that case, you deserve what’s coming.” I glance out of the tinted windshield, watching the sun fully disappear behind the buildings surrounding us. The atmosphere darkens.

“What are you feeling right now?” Vienne asks.

I hang my head. “Betrayed.”

“By me?”

“Since I was a boy, I’ve watched so many people who were sworn to protect citizens, betray them instead. All wolves in sheep’s clothing. My dad was a detective who solved murder cases, then came home and beat his wife and sons within an inch of their lives. Half a year ago, PALADIN was merged with the FBI, only to find out one of their directors was grooming criminals for department financing. Now, we finally have a president with an approval rating that isn’t abysmal, only to find out his wife is quite literally trying to end the world. Where does it stop, Vienne? Is there anybody good and true in this world? Is there anything left worth defending?”

Silence falls between us as I stare out the windshield once again. One by one, the building windows start lighting up as natural light evades us.

“No,” Vienne finally says. “I don’t think there’s good in this world. Just the pursuit of good.”

“More riddles?” I ask, annoyed.

“Lance, there is no actual Aeon. Not in the interpretation you know it as anyway.”

I glance at her through the corner of my eyes. “Are you suggesting Vesper lied?”

“Vesper believes what we need her to believe. Listen to me, all criminal masterminds have conviction. But a lot of them still need a cause. Aeon is a fabricated concept by the U.S. government to attract some of the most dreadful and unforgivable organized crime leaders in the world. Most of them have more money than they’ll ever know what to do with. They have so much power that they’re bored. See, there’s one thing evil men need more than anything else…validation. Even mafia dons need to serve a purpose. Aeon gave them one.”

“I don’t understand. So, who actually runs Aeon?”

Vienne exhales. “Aeon is a scribbled piece of notebook paper tucked in a lockbox somewhere in a safe. It’s merely a concept. The members who think they are part of some overreaching prophetic doomsday organization, are secretlypolicedby me, and several of my associates around the globe.”

“Why?”

“Because if they are in our backyards, and we’re the ones giving the commands, we can control the fire.”

I shake my head, trying to remember the conversation I had with Vesper all those weeks ago. “But Vesper said you put evil men in office—”

“In lieu of even more evil men.”

“And you start wars—”

“No, we simply fail at preventing them. Or sometimes, we let the lesser of two evils run its natural course. It’s impossible to control the world. But we do our best to contain its ownimplosion. The goal was never to save the world, just to buy humanity more time. Eventually, human nature will catch up with us. We will bleed this earth, and each other dry, and civilization will start over. Whether that’s physically, or metaphorically, I don’t know. If I do my job well enough, I won’t be alive to see how that pans out.”

“So essentially, you’re duping the bad guys and keeping a finger on the pulse? Aeon is a double agent?”

Vienne squints one eye, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. “I feel like I explained that far more poetically, but sure… We’re duping the bad guys, and Aeon is technically a double agent.”

“So, that means Gabriel was one of your recruits, then?” I cut the car engine.

“Gabriel was…is…a weakness of mine.” Vienne hangs her head. Long locks of her dark, brunette hair shield her face.

“What do you mean?”

“Gabriel is unhinged, and it’s because I drove him to be.”

Opening the center console, I pull out the phone Gabriel is supposed to text me on. Still no word yet. Vienne glances into the compartment where the black hood and duct tape are visible. “I see you were fully prepared,” she says.

“So, the part about you and Gabriel having an affair is true, then?”

Vienne frowns as she rubs her hands against her jean-clad thighs. “Yes.”

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