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“Oh please, you know me. I don’t get hangovers, and I already have our job assignments covered for tonight at The Landing. We will get the rest of the details in—” she checked her watch for the time, “about twenty minutes. So get up and off your asses before we are late.” She patted her hand on my leg and stood up, grabbing her oversized handbag. Considering how large it was, it was more of a backpack than a handbag.
Madison and I cursed, jumping out of our chairs and picking up our bags. The three of us then made our way down the block and across the street to the hotel, where our work meetings were held.
Upon entering the hotel’s main doors, we were met with a gust of cool, crisp air, sending a shiver down my spine. The lobby of this hotel was massive, a large open space with a round fountain in the center, overflowing with various species of white flowers that perfumed the air and battled the chlorine smell of the fountain water. This hotel screamed luxury but was sorely out of place in this city.
Alexis pressed the call button for the elevators and stepped back as we waited for one to descend to the lobby floor. One of the doors behind us opened with a chime, and we stepped inside. As soon as we did, Madison blocked another couple who tried to enter and gave them a stern glare. We didn't want to waste time stopping at other floors, so we often asked people to leave the elevator.
“Sorry, this one is full; you’ll need to grab the next one,” Alexis said over Madison’s shoulder.
As they retreated, the couple mumbled something under their breath, and the doors closed before us. Alexis took out a sleek black card from her bag, held it against the card reader, and pressed the penthouse button.
Once we reached the top floor of the extravagant hotel, the doors opened, and we stepped out into the main foyer of the penthouse suite, where Simon, the caretaker, greeted us.
“Miss Tate, Miss Scott, and Miss Lochlan,” He quickly bowed as he approached us, gesturing down the hallway leading to the open living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. “It's lovely to see you ladies again. Please follow me.”
Simon was an older gentleman. If I could have guessed—by his salt and pepper hair—I would say he was at least in his seventies.
We followed his direction and stepped down into the sunken living room. I strode over to the large, white leather sectional and made myself comfortable, grabbing a fluffy pillow from behind me and placing it in my lap to hold. Madison followed suit, sitting next to me and crisscrossing her legs on the couch; she sunk back into the pillows as Alexis sat on the other side of her.
“Can I get you ladies anything before your meeting?” Simon asked.
“Just a water, please,” I answered, the girls chiming in after me.
“Same here.”
“And here.”
“I shall return momentarily with your drinks.” He bowed his head and left the room. He returned shortly with three tall, slim glasses and passed one to each of us. I licked my lips and took a sip, then set my drink on a coaster in front of me when I finished. After that, I leaned back into my seat as Simon took his leave with a final bow and exited the room.
In the center of the large, dark wood coffee table was a sleek black phone with no dial pad and just one single button on the bottom right corner. Shortly after Simon had left, the phone rang, and the white button lit up.
We often joked about how ridiculous our meetings were. They were like something out of a movie, and every now and then, we would mess with our employer to get a rise out of them—kind of like today. I looked at Alexis and Madison briefly before leaning forward and pressing the flashing button on the console.
The three of us answered the call in unison, “Good morning, Charlie.”
I couldn't help but smirk. She always loathed it when we teased her. There was a moment of silence, and then an aggravated sigh came from the speaker.
“Once again, it’s Charlotte, not Charlie. I swear to god, if the three of you call me Charlie again, you are all being suspended without pay. It’s not fucking funny anymore.”
“That would require you to actually pay us, Charlotte,” Alexis replied amusedly.
“You don’t get paid until the job is done, and Roman Atwater is still alive and breathing at this time. Exactly what our Client doesn’t want.” She clipped.
“Remind me again why he is so important to our Client. There are plenty of corrupt monsters in the pharmaceutical industry; what makes him so special?” I asked as I shifted my sitting position, extending one leg to the floor and propping the other up, resting my chin on my knee.
“The drug he stole from the private lab in Europe is designed to rewire the mesolimbic dopamine pathway of the brain, targeting addiction. As far as I’ve been told, the Client wants this drug back and Roman dead for the theft.”
“Excuse me? To rewire the what?” I furrowed my brow in confusion. I hated it when they used unfamiliar words. Just provide me with simple and clear information so that I can understand it the first time without needing it to be repeated.
“She’s saying that he stole a drug that rewires the reward circuit of the brain, essentially eliminating a person’s addiction and physical cravings,” Madison spoke in awe. “It’s quite impressive, actually; the thought of a world free from addiction is revolutionary.”
Madison, a nurse, always had a strong interest in anything medical-related. Given her competence, I was surprised that she never pursued a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
“Thank you, Madison. As I was saying, our client needs him eliminated before the end of the year. That is when his clinical trials are said to be completed, and he plans to release this product to the US market for consumer access. I’ve already briefed Alexis on your roles for tonight, and she has gone ahead and taken care of everything you will need to be successful.”
Alexis passed us our briefing sheets as Charlotte continued to speak.
“You three will be working undercover at The Landing as members of the staff. A rumor is circulating that another one of Roman’s lab employees will be there tonight, attempting to make a product drop-off and close an existing business deal on his behalf. You are to go in there and detain him for questioning as to Roman’s current whereabouts, as well as securing the product they intend to hand off. Roman has been off the grid for the past three months, and we are losing momentum in finding him.”
